Fighting fires
A C-130 Hercules readies for takeoff at the 145th Airlift Wing in Charlotte, N.C., on Sunday, June 25. The orange number "8" is the designation given by the USDA Forest Service to the modular airborne fire fighting system loaded on the aircraft. It can spray 3,000 gallons of fire retardant or water onto forest fires. Two C-130s from the 145th AW are deployed to Arizona to help combat forest fires. (U.S. Air National Guard photo/Tech. Sgt. Brian E. Christiansen)