Ellie Hansen, 4, and Stephanie Hansen wave as Ellie’s father and Stephanie’s husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Hansen, leaves the Utah National Guard’s aviation facility in West Jordan with 8 other Guardsmen on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped to help fight wildfires in California. Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
By Deseret News Photographers
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Ellie Hansen, 4, and Stephanie Hansen wave as Ellie’s father and Stephanie’s husband, Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Hansen, leaves the Utah National Guard’s aviation facility in West Jordan with 8 other Guardsmen on Thursday. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped to help fight wildfires in California. Once on location in Mather, California, the Guardsmen will undergo a two-day training and then be placed into firefighting duty. Currently, it is anticipated they will support operations for approximately 15 days, making repeated trips to nearby water sources to dip their 600-gallon buckets and, from the air, drop water on the flames.

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Lt. Col. Jeremy Tannahill, officer in charge and pilot, prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Staff Sgt. Joseph Shelley, a critical care flight medic, prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Sgt. Bernardo Velazquez, crew chief, prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Ellie Hansen, 4, talks to her father, Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Hansen, as he prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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The Utah National Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment prepares to deploy to California from the Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Command Sgt. Maj. Robert B. Thornsbury, left, hugs Lt. Col. Jeremy Tannahill before Tannahill deploys to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Kathy Snodgrass poses for a photo with her son, Sgt. 1st Class Zach Kesler, a critical care fight paramedic, as Kesler prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Sgt. Bernardo Velazquez, a crew chief, puts on his flight vest as he prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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Chief Warrant Officer 3 John Hansen prepares to deploy to California from the Utah National Guard's aviation facility in West Jordan on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, to help fight wildfires. Nine soldiers and two UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters from the Guard’s 97th Aviation Troop Command, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment have been tapped for the mission. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
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