Minnesota National Guard Aviators from the 34th Combat Aviation Brigade conduct their annual Operation Burn Out with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources with UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and CH-47 Chinook Helicopters at Camp Ripley Training Center near Little Falls, Minnesota, on April 21st, 2026. During Operation Burn Out, Minnesota National Guard Aviators lift water buckets, or "Bambi Buckets," which can hold between 100 and 2,500 gallons of water, depending on the helicopter, onto controlled burn fires across Camp Ripley's 53,000 square miles of training area (Minnesota National Guard Video by Army Staff Sgt. Jorden Newbanks).
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) will conduct Exercise FALCON VIRGO, a live-fly air defense exercise, on April 22, 2026, between midnight and 2 a.m. EDT in the National Capital Region.
