Senators: upgrades to Nevada Air National Guard's fleet will benefit firefighting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) wrote a letter to Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett requesting eight new state-of-the-art aircrafts for the Nevada Air National Guard Base
in Reno.

Upgrading the Nevada Air National Guard’s C-130J fleet would help improve the Nevada Air National Guard’s readiness and increase their abilities to fight wildfires across both Nevada and California.

“The decision to upgrade the Nevada Air National Guard’s C-130H fleet would have a substantial impact on the Nevada Air National Guard’s readiness and firefighting capabilities in both Nevada and California,” the senators said.

“As devastating wildfires become more common occurrences in Nevada,
California, and the western United States, it is critical to have support
across states for these firefighting missions,” the Senators continued.
“Ensuring that the National Guard is ready to assist the response to these
emergencies in a swift and effective manner should be a priority for the Air Force as it considers where to send the new aircraft.”