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Guardsmen Battle New Jersey Wildfire With Black Hawks

New Jersey National Guardsmen assisted the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and other state agencies to fight the Ocean County wildfires. Members of the 1st Battalion, 150th Assault Helicopter Regiment, New Jersey Army National Guard, used UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters equipped with a bucket firefighting system to combat the wildfires.

An airman sits in a helicopter's open cabin watching a smoky forest below.
Seeing Smoke
Army Spc. Aidan Lazas, a crew chief assigned to the 1st Battalion, 150th Assault Helicopter Regiment, New Jersey Army National Guard, watches smoke from a UH-60M Black Hawk in Ocean County, N.J., April 28, 2025.
Credit: Army Sgt. Michael Schwenk, Army National Guard
VIRIN: 250428-Z-IB607-1630
A Black Hawk carries a bucket filled with water while in flight.
Water Load
An Army UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter picks up water using the bucket firefighting system to extinguish flames in Ocean County, N.J., April 24, 2025.
Credit: Army Sgt. Michael Schwenk, Army National Guard
VIRIN: 250424-Z-IB607-1059
An airman leans over the open cabin of a helicopter as a bucket is filled with river water below.
Water Refill
Army 1st Sgt. Timothy Witts uses a bucket firefighting system from a UH-60M Black Hawk to combat wildfires in Ocean County, N.J., April 28, 2025.
Credit: Army Sgt. Michael Schwenk, Army National Guard
VIRIN: 250428-Z-IB607-2770

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