[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E541]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





  RECOGNITION OF 25 YEARS OF THE MAFFS MISSION SUPPORTED BY THE 302D 
                    AIRLIFT WING AT PETERSON AFB, CO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DOUG LAMBORN

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2018

  Mr. LAMBORN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Citizen Airmen 
serving in the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing, Air at Peterson 
Air Force Base, Colorado.
   Today I recognize their 25 years of dedicated support of the 
Department of Defense's C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, or 
MAFFS mission.
   In 1993, the Air Force Reserve portion of the MAFFS mission was 
moved to the 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado from 
March Air Force Base, California.
   On October 28, 1993, two aircrews from the 302nd Airlift Wing's 
731st Airlift Squadron and maintenance personnel from the 302nd 
Maintenance Group departed for Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center, 
California for their first MAFFS activation.
   Since that first activation, hundreds of Reserve Citizen Airmen have 
trained, supported and executed the Defense Support of Civil 
Authorities Mission assisting in the tireless efforts of ground 
firefighting crews through reaching inaccessible areas by air, 
supporting the containment of hundreds of wildland fires and saving 
lives and property throughout the United States of America and Mexico.
   In addition to supporting fire suppression efforts across the U.S., 
302d Airlift Wing Reservists have responded to fires in their own 
backyards supporting suppression of major Colorado fires including the 
Hayman fire (2002), Waldo Canyon fire (2012) and Black Forest fire 
(2013).
   Innovation is in their DNA, and it comes from the diverse 
experiences our Reserve Citizen Airmen bring to the mission. We honor 
all who work tirelessly to support and make this special mission 
possible both in the air and on the ground. We recognize the hundreds 
of hours of labor expended by the Reserve aircraft maintenance crews 
who ensure the MAFFS-equipped C-130s, call-signs MAFFS 2 and MAFFS 5, 
are mission ready. We honor the highly-experienced Air Force Reserve 
aircrews flying one of the most challenging missions in the U.S. Air 
Force.
   When not supporting the wildland firefighting mission, the 302nd is 
always ready to answer our nation's call with the agility to shift to 
its tactical airlift mission supporting rapid global mobility.
   Today, it is also important to remember the six Reserve Citizen 
Airmen who lost their lives in support of the MAFFS mission, 
specifically the crew of SUMIT 38, a MAFFS support mission from Boise, 
Idaho that did not make it back to Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado on 
May 13, 1995; and four members of the crew of MAFFS 7 from the 146th 
Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard who were lost during a 
MAFFS mission in White Draw, South Dakota on July 1, 2012.
   Today, the Reserve Citizen Airmen from Colorado's Peterson Air Force 
Base along with their Air National Guard counterparts continue to 
provide the surge support to wildland firefighting efforts when 
requested by the National Interagency Fire Center at a moment's notice. 
To make it happen, we seek the best and brightest minds from across the 
nation to fill critical career fields such as Air Force Reserve pilots 
and maintenance technicians.
   Today, in 2018, the continued bravery, sacrifice, expertise and 
dedication to this mission by our Reserve Citizen Airmen has allowed 
for 25 years of unwavering support of the MAFFS mission by the Air 
Force Reserve at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

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