Story by: Lt. Cmdr. John Edwards, HSC-3 SCORE DET
Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3 (HSC-3) Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE) Detachment answered the call to provide three days of around-the-clock aerial firefighting support to fight the massive fire aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) from July 12-15.
Within two and a half hours of initial notification, HSC-3, through a tightly coordinated effort between Active and Reserve personnel, manned two crews and launched two MH-60S helicopters to provide aerial firefighting support to federal firefighters engaged with intensifying fires aboard the ship.
“I was impressed by how quickly we were ready to launch, thanks in no small part to the tightknit relationship of our Active and Reserve personnel at HSC-3,” said Lt. Cmdr. Nicholas “Zoo” Memering, a Full Time Support (FTS) Officer.
At approximately 9:30 p.m., the crews were ordered to launch and provide airborne fire suppression. Landslide 18 and 02, with all-Reserve flight crews under direction of the Federal Fire Department, commenced night water drops to support ground crews battling the intense heat and expanding fire. Airborne firefighting persisted with two to three helicopters, and a mix of Active and Reserve aircrews, providing around-the-clock support until July 15 when they turned the mission over to HSC-23. With the support of Naval Air Station North Island, the “Merlins” of HSC-3 contributed more than 57 hours of uninterrupted fire suppression, 1,649 water bucket drops and 545,076 gallons of water to the firefighting efforts.
“The mood was somber yet focused, with both Active and Reserve [personnel] volunteering to do everything we could for the Bonhomme Richard,” said Lt. Cmdr. John “Senator” Edwards, an FTS pilot.
Naval Operational Support Center North Island assisted with the short notice activation of three local area Reserve aircrewmen to fly with their Active Duty counterparts. Two Reserve pilots and one aircrewman augmented the SCORE detachment’s eight FTS pilots to provide critically needed experience and scheduling flexibility. The availability and initiative of HSC-3’s Reserve personnel enabled SCORE detachment crews to execute over half of the firefighting flights and provide 57 percent of the total aerial water bucket drops.
Commander Naval Air Forces, Commander Naval Air Force Reserve, and Commander Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific have entrusted the Reserve component to maintain the procedures, equipment, and local agreements required to assist state agencies and federal firefighters with aerial capability. HSC-3 SCORE Detachment, with its senior aircrew and interagency firefighting relationships, serves as the Navy’s Aerial Firefighting Program Manager and subject-matter-expert for this specialized capability. The swift, coordinated action between Active and Reserve component personnel enabled an effective response and highlighted the value of Reserve surge capability in a crisis.
"We are saddened by the extensive damage to the ship but we are proud that we were able to assist and believe we had a significant positive impact,” concluded Lt. Cmdr. Zach West, Officer in Charge, HSC-3 SCORE DET.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 08.24.2020 13:16 |
| Story ID: | 376669 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 415 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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