MAFFS Mission Report

July 5th, 2008

Today’s Topic: A Special 4 th of July Visitor

Something was going on at the edge of the tarmac. Something that must have been big.

By the mass of people gathered around something, it was obvious that the mid-morning activities at the McClellan airtanker base had been disrupted. And a large portion of the people was busily clicking pictures with their digital cameras and cell phones. Given the number of military people as well as uniformed fire agency employees from CAL FIRE and the U.S. Forest Service assigned to the MAFFS activation, it should have been either a high-ranking official or someone famous—possibly even a movie star—that would garner that level of attention.

As it turns out, it was both.

Only one person could claim title as the highest ranking official in the State of California AND as a movie star known world wide. And that one person is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he was gracious enough to drop in to visit the almost two hundred people that make the MAFFS operation fly. And drop in he did.

As he toured the MAFFS base and walked across the massive expansive of the concrete tarmac he was surrounded by a throng of thrilled followers. The Governor stopped at the tail of MAFFS 1 and showed great interest in the fire retardant dropping system of tanks and huge twin pipes. His knowledge of fire fighting led to some informed questions and discussion with the MAFFS and agency personnel.

Then, after another round of personal photographs and many hardy handshakes, the Governor returned to his vehicle and drove off for his next official duty.

Accompanying the Governor as he toured the tanker base was The Adjutant General William H. Wade, II, of the California National Guard, who is a two-star Major General. General Wade leads the largest, most tasked National Guard force in the United States, with an authorized strength of 18,000 Army National Guard and 4,900 Air National Guard members.

To cap off the mid-morning hubbub, a scrumptious lunch-time barbeque was provided by a couple of the airpark businesses. Shade canopies cooled tables covered with clean, white tablecloths, festooned with red, white and blue centerpieces.

Based on the flock of smiling amateur photographers following the celebrity visitor and then being offered a delicious lunch meal it was obvious this was much appreciated by the many people far from home for an extended period of time.