The North Carolina Air National Guard have sent two C-130s equipped for wildfire duty to Arizona to aid with firefighting operations across the Southwest, reports the Associated Press news service. The National Interagency Fire Center requested the help to back up the civilian fleet of firefighting tankers.
The $4.26 billion Small Business Innovation Research contracting program widely used by the Air Force went into hibernation as the government shut down Oct. 1, but unless lawmakers strike a deal on reforms, the program could reach an abrupt end.


