SANDY, Ore. – The roar of CH-47 Chinook rotors filled the air at Sandy River Airport as Oregon Army National Guard aviators and Clackamas Fire's Water Rescue Team completed groundbreaking training that could revolutionize the state's response to flood emergencies.
The Aug. 12 exercise marked the culmination of a two-phase joint training program designed to develop rapid deployment capabilities for water rescue operations across Oregon and beyond. The partnership between Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, and Clackamas Fire demonstrates how military aviation assets can quickly deliver specialized rescue teams to disaster-affected areas.
"This operation would go such that we would get a phone call from a state authority saying that they need to utilize our water rescue team for, let's say, a flood event," said Lt. Mike Gasperson, a firefighter with Station 19's Water Rescue Team. "We could rally our team, get all our gear ready in a relatively quick time frame, and utilize the Guard to get us to where we need to go."
The training began on July 24 at Aurora State Airport, focusing on equipment familiarization and loading procedures. Fire rescue personnel learned aircraft safety protocols while Guard crew members inspected water rescue equipment to determine optimal loading configurations and weight distribution.
"The biggest thing it did is open the door to communication," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Anthony Ives, pilot-in-command for the Aug. 12 mission. "Now we have some phone numbers. We have some emails, and with obviously recent events happening in the United States, with floods and the ever-present possibility of a Cascadia tsunami, we could go pick them up."
The August exercise simulated a real-world deployment scenario. Guard aviators transported six water rescue specialists and their equipment, including inflatable rafts, chainsaws, rope rescue gear, and emergency medical supplies, from Aurora to Sandy River Airport in approximately 15 minutes – a journey that would take significantly longer by ground transportation.
"We have night vision capabilities so that if we need to operate at night, we have that. So we've got a lot of tools at our disposal if we need them," Gasperson said, describing the team's comprehensive equipment package.
Division Chief Kyle Olson, who oversees Clackamas Fire's special operations teams, said the partnership addresses a critical capability gap identified in recent flooding events nationwide. The Texas flooding earlier this year helped spark conversations about rapid deployment strategies.
"The idea is we need to be able to deploy fast and not have to drive 18 hours and hopefully get there and help," Olson said. "Whether we can at that point, we're going to deploy quickly and get out around Oregon or the Northwest or even go further."
The training revealed both capabilities and challenges. While equipment loading and transport proceeded smoothly, radio communication between military and civilian agencies required workarounds and remains an area for continued development.
"Communication, I think, is probably the number one challenge dated back since the Civil War, and it's still a problem, whether it's civilian or military," Ives said. "The biggest problem that we had was they were calling a frequency something that they were familiar with, and we were calling it something different that we were familiar with."
Despite communication challenges, the exercise demonstrated significant tactical advantages. The CH-47's auxiliary fuel tanks provide approximately four hours of flight time, enabling deployment anywhere in Oregon on a single tank of fuel.
"Within six or seven hours we could be picking them up and deploying them in the event of an emergency," Ives said.
The Water Rescue Team, headquartered at Station 19 in Damascus, operates as part of a regional consortium including agencies from across Clackamas County. The 16-member team has provided mutual aid for 30 years, responding to a range of incidents, from river rescues to major flooding events.
"We are a regional team, and have been for 30 years," Olson said. "It takes way more agency help to be able to pull some of these things off."
For Guard aviators, the training provided valuable experience working with civilian emergency responders while fulfilling their state mission.
"We're a big helicopter. We're loud," Ives said. "The biggest thing is when I think back to flight school the first time you turn those engines on and the rotors start turning, it even intimidates us sometimes. So from the standpoint of a civilian that's never hot loaded on even a Black Hawk, a CH-47, it's very intimidating."
The successful training establishes a foundation for future cooperation. Plans call for annual exercises to familiarize additional personnel with aircraft loading capabilities and procedures.
"All the training flights we go on, when we go on a real-world mission, whether it's a fire or a rescue, it makes the training pay off," Ives said. "For us, it makes what we do every day worth it."
Oregon National Guard members serve part-time, typically one weekend a month and two weeks a year, while maintaining civilian careers. They stand ready to respond to state emergencies such as wildfires and floods, while also training to defend the nation when called to federal service. Guard members live and work in the same communities they serve, creating a unique connection between military service and local communities.
The Aug. 12 crew included Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeremiah Williams, Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Hickman, and Staff Sgt. Skyler Leasy is also working alongside Ives to ensure mission success.
"This just adds on one more thing that will benefit the state, being able to load the rescue team and the raft and take them anywhere in the state," Ives said. "Now we've established a working relationship."
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Sgt. 1st Class Marcus Hickman, a crew chief with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, gives a preflight safety briefing to Clackamas Fire Water Rescue Team members during joint training at Aurora State Airport, Oregon, July 24, 2025. The training exercise focused on developing efficient procedures for rapidly loading water rescue equipment and personnel aboard CH-47 Chinook helicopters during emergency response scenarios. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
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Oregon Army National Guard crew members inspect and secure Water Rescue Team equipment during static load training at Aurora State Airport, Oregon, July 24, 2025. The crew methodically checked tie-down procedures and weight distribution as part of joint training between Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment, and Clackamas Fire's Water Rescue Team to develop standardized loading procedures for emergency flood response operations. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
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Members of Clackamas Fire's Water Rescue Team practice hot load procedures with rotors turning during joint training at Aurora State Airport, Oregon, July 24, 2025. The hot load training allowed firefighters to experience loading equipment and personnel aboard a CH-47 Chinook helicopter under operational conditions, preparing them for rapid deployment scenarios during actual emergency responses. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Sgt. Jeremiah Tanael, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
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Members of Clackamas Fire's Water Rescue Team and Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook crew stand together following successful joint training at Aurora State Airport, Oregon, July 24, 2025. The training focused on developing procedures for transporting water rescue personnel and equipment, including inflatable rafts and specialized gear, aboard military aircraft to enhance rapid deployment capabilities for flood response operations across Oregon. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
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Clackamas Fire Water Rescue Team members load their inflatable raft into a fire department vehicle at Sandy River Airport, Oregon, Aug. 12, 2025, as an Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter prepares for departure in the background. The exercise demonstrated the team's ability to rapidly offload, reconstitute equipment, and prepare for deployment to simulated flood rescue operations after being transported by military aircraft. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Maj. W. Chris Clyne, Oregon National Guard Public Affairs)
