Photo By Sgt. Olivia Cowart | A Bambi Bucket attached to a Blackhawk from 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment,...... read more read more
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WHEELER ARMY AIRFIELD, Hawaii - Flying over a blazing fire, helicopter crews navigate through smoke to put out fires where no fire truck can reach. Using Bambi Buckets - large containers suspended beneath helicopters, flight crews from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB) helped contain a brush fire that broke out on Schofield Barracks, around June 11, 2025.
Bambi Buckets are designed to quickly fill and drop water repeatedly on austere terrain. Helicopters hover over man-made ponds and lower the buckets until they are submerged. They then ascend with thousands of gallons of water suspended in the air to release the water along the fire's perimeter.
“The fire lasted 25 days before it was fully contained,” says Capt. Collin Cooley, the 25th CAB Chief of Operations. It grew to nearly 1,000 acres at its largest extent.”
The original fire started on an M4 firing range but was intensified from a brigade-level Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise. Flight crews conducted Bambi Bucket operations for a total of 23 days, including an 11-day continuous period from June 12th - 22nd. At its peak, seven helicopters supported the effort dropping over 152,000 gallons of water in one day.
“This is a critical real-world mission,” said Cooley. Providing a quick and accurate response is the top priority for the 25th CAB when military training impacts civilian and agricultural land.
“We maintained constant coordination with Army Wildland Fire teams-both air and ground, U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii’s Directorate of Emergency Services, and our Hawaii Army National Guard aviation teammates to ensure synchronized efforts and clear communication throughout the operation.”
While Cooley coordinated efforts on the ground, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Andrew Lau, the 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th CAB Aviation Maintenance Officer, was on the airfield preparing to fly. “This is a very strategic, high impact mission that has several failure points at any given time,” Lau said.
High winds, other aircraft in the area, and smoke that obstructs the pilots’ view of the mountainside are all factors that heighten the risk of this operation.
“It takes a lot of coordination from the crew. Everyone is calling out what they see,” says Lau.
Lau’s team consisted of four people: a pilot in command, a copilot, a flight engineer, and a crew chief. The relationship between the pilots and the Bambi Bucket is tethered through the flight engineer and crew chief. They are harnessed in and sit on the sides of the helicopter, facing outward. They’re responsible for timing the release of the water, troubleshooting equipment malfunctions, and calling out safety hazards. Everyone plays a vital role.
“I have complete trust between my copilot and my guys sitting in the back actually looking down at the Bambi Bucket releasing the water. If something goes wrong, they know what to do,” says Lau.
Cooley and Lau are two pieces of a larger puzzle. These operations were a joint effort between the 25th CAB and its local partners. Cooley states, “The mission’s success was the result of a truly collaborative effort and I am proud to have been a part of it.”
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2025 20:30 |
| Story ID: | 545786 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 53 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 25th CAB Conducts Bambi Bag Operations, by SGT Olivia Cowart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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