Aviation crews assigned to the 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, Washington Army National Guard, partnered with Central Pierce Fire and Rescue to conduct water bucket training near Puyallup, Washington, May 7, preparing for the state's wildfire season.
Throughout the exercise, firefighters and aviation crews rehearsed aerial wildfire response operations, practicing water bucket drops, air-to-ground communication procedures and coordination between firefighters and aircrews.
Using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, aircrews conducted multiple water drops while firefighters on the ground coordinated target locations and evaluated each drop's effectiveness. The training focused on communication, timing and precision in environments that can quickly become hazardous during wildfire response operations.
"Air assets have become a critical asset in fighting these fires," a Central Pierce Fire and Rescue spokesperson said. "These are very fast-moving fires, especially when the weather's playing into it with the wind, and it's extremely difficult for us on the ground and extremely hazardous sometimes for us to get even close enough to attempt to extinguish these fires."
Fire officials said helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft often provide firefighters additional access and suppression capabilities in areas that may be difficult or unsafe for crews operating on the ground.
Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jarin Trakel, 1st Battalion company standardization instructor pilot, emphasized the recurring partnership helps firefighters and aviation crews build familiarity and communication before responding to real-world emergencies.
"We kind of try to bridge that gap by putting a face to the radio before anything actually happens," Trakel said. "That way they know what to expect when they call the Washington [National] Guard."
The joint training also allows both organizations to better understand each other's capabilities, communication procedures and operational limitations before responding to wildfire incidents together, he said.
For Washington Army National Guard aviation crews, water bucket operations require annual certification and recurring proficiency training to ensure pilots and crew members remain prepared to respond when activated in support of wildfire suppression missions across the state.
Trakel described these operations as one of the more demanding aviation mission sets conducted during domestic training.
"This is kind of the varsity league of training," he said. "The aircraft, we put it pretty close to its limitations when we're picking water up, moving the aircraft around in tight spaces, at low airspeed with a high-power setting."
He added that the mission requires experienced crews, constant communication and coordination between pilots, crew chiefs and firefighters on the ground. During real wildfire responses, military aviation crews often integrate with multiple civilian rotary-wing aircraft operating from the same water sources and flight paths.
"It takes a lot of coordination," said Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Martin Hays, battalion aviation mission survivability officer. "You're dealing with firefighters on the ground and additional weight with the water bucket."
Hays said wildfire response operations remain one of the more demanding domestic missions conducted by guard aviation crews, due to terrain, smoke, wind conditions and the coordination required between ground personnel and aircraft.
During the exercise, firefighters and aircrews practiced identifying targets, coordinating water-drop locations and maintaining positive communication throughout the operation.
"The first thing that we do is try to identify our ground contact to make sure we have positive communication with the crews," said the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue battalion commander. "Obviously, the priority is actually stopping any forward progress toward residential structures or life hazards."
Fire officials said the partnership has continued to grow through recurring joint training opportunities between firefighters and guard aviation crews.
"It's extremely rare to find helicopters that are willing to train with us," a firefighter said. "We decided this was a great opportunity for us to get some training out of this, too."
Since 2012, the Washington National Guard has supported wildfire suppression efforts throughout the state alongside the Washington Department of Natural Resources. In 2024 alone, aviation crews flew more than 75 firefighting hours and dropped nearly 300,000 gallons of water in support of multiple wildfire responses. According to the Washington Department of Natural Resources, 1.2 million gallons of water were delivered by aviation assets, with an average response time of 16 minutes, in 2025.
In recent years, Washington Army National Guard aviation crews have been activated to support wildfire response operations across the state.
"The more we get to go out and do this, the better," Trakel said. "It just makes us safer, more capable to give back to the state when called upon."
As wildfire season approaches, guard aviators and firefighters continue strengthening partnerships and operational readiness to protect communities statewide.