WEBVTT

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^- Hi, this is Staff Sergeant Nicole Wright

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^with the 146th Airlift Wing.

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^I'm here at McClellan Reload Base,

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in Sacramento, California.

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We're getting ready for fire season.

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Various wildfire agencies, Cal Fire,

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and four Military Mass Wings

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convened in Sacramento

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for an annual Mass Re-certification and training.

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(aircraft roar)

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- (female narrator) This year's training

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includes it's four military airlift wings,

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that make up the Air Expeditionary Group.

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Three Air National Guard units from California...

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Nevada...

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And Wyoming.

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And one US Air Reserve Unit from Colorado.

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Local media was invited

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to a photo, video and interview opportunity.

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They got to take a look inside the Mass Aircraft

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while the Air Crew refueled and refilled the water tanks.

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(aircraft whine)

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- As you can see right now

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our Mass crews are servicing our air...

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And our water system for our next drop.

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So the job of loadmasters is,

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we sit right back here in these two seats.

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^And basically we are in charge of maintaining

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the type of pattern that the system's gonna be

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pushing water out in.

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And also a second reserve for emergency situations,

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for emergency dump of water.

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We maintain this system back here, the pilots sit front,

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they fly the aircraft, fly to the location,

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they determine where the drop's gonna be

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with the navigator and the lead plane.

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(airplane roar)

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And their job is strictly to find aircraft.

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(airplane whoosh)

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- (Sergeant Wright) C-130 Hercules aircraft are equipped

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with the USDA-4 Service Mass Unit,

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which is capable of dropping 3000 gallons of water

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or fire retardant in under 10 seconds.

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Mass aircraft can be activated

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when wildfire activity is high.

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(airplane roar)