Airmen assist BLM during wild horse round-up

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alyssa C. Wallace
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Members of the 366th Operations Support Squadron and 266th Range Control Squadron recently supported the Bureau of Land Management during its emergency gathering of 198 wild horses after a wildfire charred the land the animals usually roam.

To perform this rescue mission, BLM officials needed access to the Mountain Home Air Force Base range complex, or military airspace. Maj. Blake Richardson, a 266th RANS ground and control intercept instructor, and Staff Sgt. Derek Sidberry, a 266th RANS mission crew technician, provided oversight and traffic advisory to a contracted helicopter pilot, allowing him to herd the horses within military airspace, without disturbing scheduled military and civilian flights.

"We made sure that all military aircraft coming in were aware of helicopter operations and that they were separated safely," Major Richardson said.

Although members of the 266th RANS weren't sure of the horses' exact location, the helicopter pilot said he didn't have to worry about military or civilian flights getting in his way.

"We allowed maximum flexibility for him to do what he needed to do to round up horses, and for us to conduct training within close proximity without worrying about running into each other," Major Richardson said.

The 266th RANS is the nerve center for the Mountain Home AFB training range, including Saylor Creek and Juniper Butte, covering an area of more than 6,000 square miles of Military Operating Areas in Southwest Idaho, said Jack Peterson, a BLM senior military adviser. Since the emergency gather is taking place in close proximity to Saylor Creek Range and within the Jarbidge, Idaho, MOA's restricted areas for MHTR, this coordination is critical.

"Today's flight training schedule includes F-15E (Strike Eagles) from Mountain Home (AFB), F-22 (Raptors) from Eglin AFB, Fla., F-15SGs from the Republic of Singapore air force, Electronic Warfare E/A-6Bs from Whidbey Island, Wash., and A-10 (Thunderbolt IIs) from the Idaho National Guard," Mr. Peterson said. "Add our emergency horse gather with its low flying helicopter to the mix, and you can appreciate the value of the seamless coordination.

"Everyone is talking, cooperating and working together to assure both a safe and successful emergency wild horse gather and safe and successful military training," he said.

While the horse roundup was unique, working with BLM is a regular occurrence for the major, as the local area is prone to wild fires.

"We both have important work to do," the major said. "They need to get access quickly to fight fires, and our mission never stops. We have our training that needs to be conducted. I'm just glad we were able to help out."

Of the 198 horses, six or fewer horses remain on the range -- all in unburned areas with easy access to food and water. Livestock trucks are transporting the other wild horses to the BLM Wild Horse Facility near Boise, Idaho, where they will have food, water, veterinary care and a horse management specialist to care for them until grass returns to the burned area.