Altus supports Calif. firefighting

  • Published
  • 97th AMW Public Affairs
ALTUS AFB --  A C-17 Globemaster III form the 97th Air Mobility Wing's 58th Airlift Squadron, Altus Air Force Base, Okla., mobilized Thursday to airlift firefighting equipment and personnel to California.
The tasking came when a C-130 Hercules was grounded for maintenance.
"We flew to San Antonio to pick up Maj. Gen. Thomas Matthews, commander of Operations Command Post 2 with U.S. Army North at Fort Sam Houston, Texas," said Col. Keith Tobin, 97th Operations Group commander and command pilot on the flight. "Maj. Gen. Matthews was leading a command assessment team with emergency response vehicles and equipment. The 15-person team of civilian, active duty and reserve members is part of a command and control structure for the firefighting relief effort.
"Coming into (Los Angeles International Airport) I could clearly see the fire line to the south toward San Diego," Col. Tobin continued. "To the north, the whole skyline was blotted out by rippled layers of smoke. I couldn't see the actual flames, but the extent of the fire line was obvious."
Air Force active duty and reserve units are providing airlift of teams and equipment into central California and other incident command post locations.