OGALLALA, Neb. - Two National Guard Blackhawk helicopters were called to the Cottonwood fire Wednesday afternoon, giving 61 fourth-grade students from Prairie View Elementary an unexpected noisy demonstration during a field trip at the Ogallala airport Wednesday afternoon.

High wind reportedly rekindled embers, causing firefighters to call for air support. After the two Blackhawks lifted off and thumped to the southeast to the cheers of students, the students got a close-up look at the remaining two UH-60 Blackhawks, especially one displaying a black N outlined in red, designating it as Nebraska National Guard. One Nebraska and one Iowa helicopter responded to the Cottonwood fire. They have been working in Nebraska/Iowa tandem teams since being called to the area on March 13, according to Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nathan Dooley, the officer in charge. Two helicopters remained at the airport in case they were needed on the Morrill fire or elsewhere.

Students were able to sit in the pilots’ seats and climb into the back of the helicopter where the 660-gallon “bucket” was stored. They also got to wear helmets and other flight gear provided by the crew. Students were accompanied by teachers Maaika Schilz, Jill Saults, Heather Orth, Dylon Zink and Bailee Meyer.

Chief Warrant Officer 4 Russell Kuhlman, pilot in command, explained that when fighting fires each helicopter carries two pilots as well as two crewmen who serve as spotters and operate the bucket suspended below the helicopter, releasing water on the fire 99 percent of the time where directed by firefighting crews on the ground. (The other 1 percent they use their judgment of which spots to douse.) Water is released at the push of a button then the helicopter returns to refill at a water source. Lake McConaughy served as water source as they battled the Morrill fire, but they can dip water out of about any water source, from ponds to creeks, though sources at least six feet deep are preferred, Dooley said.

Before being called to the Cottonwood fire Wednesday and the Grant County fires Thursday, the helicopter crews, as of March 22, had dropped 265,000 gallons of water through 391 bucket drops, while Nebraska National Guard soldiers and airmen 20-person firefighting crew worked on the ground.

Dooley and Kuhlman were joined in the presentation by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Aaron Teeples, pilot; Staff Sergeant Dylan DeBoer, crew chief; and Sgt. Ryan Olsen, crew chief. All of them volunteered for this fire-fighting mission, Dooley said.

In addition to the N logo, the helicopter has a red cross emblem designating its official mission as a medical-evacuation unit. In battle situations, the helicopter is manned by a pilot, crew chief who operates a hoist if necessary for evacuations and a medic, who will ride the hoist down to render medical aid, if necessary.

The unit stationed in Ogallala also includes two 2,400-2,500-gallon fuel trucks, which are usually dispatched near the fire to provide quick refueling. Shortly after the two helicopters took off for the Cottonwood fire, one of the trucks pulled out to provide support. Two helicopters flying continuously for an 8-hour day (Crews are limited to 8-hour shifts.) will drain one of the trucks, Dooley said. The trucks are refilled at Lee Bird Field in North Platte.

Dooley, 41, a Norfolk native who has been in the Guard 23 years including a deployment in Iraq and two in Afghanistan, said because of the threat of wildfires in Nebraska they train regularly for firefighting, including annual training in Colorado and California. Potential wildfire threats are different in Iowa and the Iowa units don’t have as much fire-fighting training but learned quickly on the job, Dooley said, adding that the Iowa contingent has said they plan to encourage more fire-fighting training for Iowa units when they return home.

In addition to firefighting, the Nebraska units also have responded to floods and assist in search and rescue operations. Community outreach, like the student visit sparked by a Kuhlman invitation, is also part of their job. They are special attractions at events, like the Cornhusker State Games as well as at school and other community events. Underlying the light-hearted nature of those events are the fire-fighting, search and rescue and life-saving medi-vac battlefield missions.

Fighting fires is one of the most fun things to do in a helicopter, Dooley said. And actively supporting Nebraska is one of the best parts of the job, he said.

Dooley said they are not sure how long they will be stationed in Ogallala, but will remain as long as fire officials deem necessary.

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