More than 400 Air National Guard and Reserve members gathered at Channel Islands ANGS, Calif., last week to gear up for the upcoming wildfire season. The group trained to handle the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS), according to a May 6 release. The annual certification process includes ground and air training, National Guard Bureau spokesman SFC Michael Houk told Air Force Magazine in an email last month. Thirteen airmen from Nevada ANG’s 152nd Airlift Wing took part in the training after the National Guard Bureau tapped the unit in April to take on the fire-fighting mission from North Carolina ANG’s 145th AW, which is slated to transition from C-130s to C-17s. The 152nd AW will be one of four units using the MAFFS, but the transfer won’t be complete for three to five fire seasons. Last year, MAFFS crews dumped more than 843,000 gallons of fire retardant on 15 California fires during 372 drops, according to the release.
The first flight of the secretive B-21 bomber has slipped to mid-2022, but the program is moving along well, Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director Randall Walden said in an exclusive interview. The second copy of the B-21, which will be used for structural testing, is now on the production…