Navy Reserve Aircrew Sailors assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3 aided the San Clemente Island Federal Fire Department in fighting wildfires on San Clemente Island.

"We were airborne with our buckets in minutes, and we slipped right into the effort with the Federal Fire Department and civilian air assets already on station," said Cmdr. Eric Bernsen, a Navy Reserve pilot who flew in the firefighting mission.

The fire, started Monday morning from ordnance dropped during normal range operations, caused no damage to structures, utilities, or people, according to reports.

Attached to the HSC-3 Southern California Offshore Range (SCORE) detachment, the four-member aircrew teams consisted of five Navy Reservists, working alongside three active duty aircrewmen, who manned two MH-60S helicopters. The helicopters carrying 324 gallons of water each were launched to help with firefighting efforts that began early Monday morning.

Copilots, Bernsen and Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Stender, Search and Rescue Crewman, Aviation Warfare Specialist 2nd Class Kenneth Bell, and helicopter aircraft commanders, Lt. Cmdr. Paul Kramer and Lt. Cmdr. Dean Halton, rely on their readiness and training specifically for responses like this.

Cmdr. Renee May, HSC-3 SCORE detachment commanding officer said, "Reservists embody the true meaning of Citizen Sailor. One day they are embedded in the Southern California community as a firefighter, police officer, drone designers, airplane mechanics, teachers, attorneys, mothers and fathers -- the next day they are trusted experts in the Navy responding to real missions."

The aircrew performed normal Reserve duty requirements when the call came in to respond. The teams dropped more than 30,000 gallons of water using "monsoon buckets," large collapsible buckets made for firefighting, to contain the fire.

Nearly 12 hours and 93 drops concluded the efforts of aircrews that ultimately resulted in containing the fire from damaging nearby communication equipment and preventing damage to the endangered plant species on the island.

"The actions and performance of the HSC-3 SCORE detachment highlights the accomplishments and professionalism of a true Total Force team," said Capt. Mike Mineo, commodore of Maritime Support Wing. "Successful firefighting requires practice and a good crew front to back. The aircrew executed the drops with precision, providing constant feedback to the pilots after each pass. If the drop is too low, you fan the flames. If the drop is too high and fast, the water never hits the fire. We're very proud of everyone involved."

HSC-3 is a multi-role combat helicopter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station North Island (NASNI) as the Navy's active duty West Coast MH-60S Fleet Replacement Squadron. The HSC-3 SCORE detachment is a Reserve unit that is integrated into HSC-3. HSC-3 SCORE provides range support in logistics, range clearance, torpedo targets and recovery, and drone targets.

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