 The third Marine aircraft wing from Miramar took to the skies. Marines there, joining the aerial assault on the flames. Continue to douse the flames. Above Camp Pendleton. Because I live here, I see this when I wake up. You know, every single day I'll come to work. I see it on base here. These fires are close to home, but it's also meaningful in the sense that I can give back to the surrounding community. It shows that we have a platform that's more than capable of performing this mission. And that's exactly what we're doing. We're out there performing this mission exactly as it should be done. The third Marine aircraft wing has worked very closely with Cal Fire over the last several years to develop a relationship that will allow us to respond to the community in the case of a disaster. When the call came that the fires were a threat on Camp Pendleton this past Wednesday, we had aircraft airborne in 75 minutes, hitting those fires. The way that we fight these fires is not too unlike how we fight in combat. We integrate both the air and the ground. So when we went out to execute this mission, our fixed wing and rotary wing platforms were able to integrate with the ground forces. In combat, it's with our Marines on the ground. In this case, it was with the California Department of Fire and Forestry, as well as the U.S. Forest Service, as well as state and local firefighters. And it's just that exact air ground team that is the most effective way to fight these fires. We have the air controlling other air, putting it exactly where the ground forces need it. It's called a water bucket mission. So we basically have big water buckets mounted to the bottom of the aircraft. Drop them into what's called a dip site where we'll pick up water, bring the water to the fire, basically directed by Cal Fire, and dropping the water onto the fire. It's flame suppression, basically. And then it's just kind of a wagon wheel or roundabout. Go make a pick or a dip, as it's called. Come around to the fire, make a drop onto the fire, and then back into the dip just till we run out of gas. Marine Corps has been referred to as America's 9-0-1 force. And here we are taking care of a mission right here in our own back door. This isn't just another mission for the Marines to do. The Marine Corps is woven into the fabric of San Diego. So when we're out there, we're supporting not only our neighbors and our friends, but in fact our own families. It was a privilege for the Marine Corps to be able to leverage all of that capability we have to help the San Diego community.