FORT CARSON, Colo. - Splish splash -- Colorado Springs wildfires could be getting a bath. Pilots of the 4th Combat Aviation Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, were conducting Bambi Bucket training on Fort Carson, April 4.
A Bambi Bucket is a specialized bucket that carries about 2,000 gallons of water, suspended on a cable carried by a helicopter for aerial firefighting. When the helicopter is in position, the crew opens the release valve to battle the fire below.
Officials with 4th Inf. Div. and the Fort Carson Fire Department are working together to receive approval of the Bambi Bucket mission, so the 4th CAB can assist with firefighting efforts in the Colorado Springs area.
"These missions would give 4th CAB the capability to help other agencies fight wildfires," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 James Dowdy, battalion standardization officer and senior CH-47 Chinook pilot, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 4th Aviation Regiment, 4th CAB, 4th Inf. Div. "4th CAB could help reduce or prevent the loss of lives and property damage due to wildfires."
"We hope to get a positive interaction from the surrounding communities and support them the best way we can," said Capt. Sean Pearl, commander, Company B, 2nd GSAB, 4th Avn. Reg. "We have three crews training for this mission and will train future Chinook crews as they arrive to 4th CAB."
The CAB soldiers could be a strong reactive force in preventing and fighting wildfires in Colorado.
"Due to our training, we would be able to react quicker than most agencies and our helicopters can get into areas that most aircraft cannot," said Dowdy. "The ability to respond quickly to these emergencies makes 4th CAB versatile and allows our Chinooks to perform at various locations worldwide."
"We are currently discussing protocols with Colorado Springs firefighting agencies to better facilitate our mission to best fit their needs," said Pearl.
The aviators hope to get the Bambi Bucket missions to get more flight training and prevent the spread of future wildfires. "It is a fairly simple mission because our CH-47 Chinooks are designed to carry external loads, such as the Bambi Bucket," said Dowdy. "This mission would provide 4th CAB aviators a real-world mission that cannot be done through simulation and also make a positive impact on the surrounding civilian population."
Fort Carson and the 4th Inf. Div. can only deploy military resources to support firefighting efforts when requested by the National Interagency Fire Center and approved by the Secretary of Defense. At that point, Fort Carson's support would be coordinated through U.S. Northern Command, located at Peterson Air Force Base. NIFC can only request Department of Defense support after all other local, state and federal resources have been exhausted.
