Back to 1st Battalion In the News Tropic Lightning -- 30 March 2000 WolfPack Cools Big Island Fire
By Pfc. Sean Kimmons
The sky was filled with haze and the ground was crawling with flames as Company C, 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment "Wolfpack" helicopters charged into the point of no return to extinguish forest fires on the Big Island June 5 - 9. The Wolfpack was asked by the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to help them fight against forest fires caused by a volcano in the park. "This was a great opportunity for us and the National Park Service to work side by side," said Sgt. Clinton P. Bruce, Co. C, 2nd Bn., 25th Avn. Rgt., crew chief. The base camp for the mission was located at the Kilauea Military Camp, where leaders plotted their next moves in the fiery game of chance. And with 660-gallon water buckets as their ammunition, two Co. C, 2nd Bn., 25th Avn. Rgt. crews braved the danger to complete the mission. "It was good training for us because it was a different type of fire [than we usually] fight," said Capt. Max Brosig, Co. C, 2nd Bn., 25th Avn. Rgt., commander. With water buckets attached to the helicopters, the Wolfpack dropped more than 60,000 tons of water to extinguish the 3,600-acre blaze. Without help from Co. B and Co. D, 2nd Bn., 25th Avn. Rgt, the Hawaii Army National Guard and the NPS, no mission would have been completed, said Brosig. To get the Wolfpack to help the park, Gayland Enriques, 25th Infantry Division (Light), fire management, coordinated with the NPS. "He was the backbone of this operation," said Brosig. "He was like our liason." It is normal for the Wolfpack to fight fires, but a fire of that magnitude in a national park was not an everyday event for them. "This was the first time our aviation unit has supported the National Park Service," said 1st Lt. Brion Youtz, Co. C, 2nd Bn., 25th Avn. Rgt., platoon leader. "I think it’s the only time that any active-duty Army aviation unit has supported them." Even though the Wolfpack wasn’t obligated to be there, they were glad they were. "I think it’s always an honor and privilege to be out there helping the community and establishing good relations," said Youtz. Bruce thought the mission went well and gave him valuable experience for his job as the crew chief. His responsibilities include guiding the water bucket and pressing the button to release the water over the fire. "I was soaking the fire line, where the black meets the green," he said. Before the mission, Bruce had less than one dozen bucket-drops, but over on the Big Island his unit performed more than 100 drops in the four-day period. "Now I feel completely comfortable doing this anywhere," he said. Besides helping the Hawaii Volcanoes NP, this unit provides fire support to all of Oahu and is on standby for fire activity at the Makua Valley Range.
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