redmond smokejumpersredmond smokejumpers

The roofs and the canopy are over-emphasized, like the parachute of a smokejumper, and create a spacious feeling indoors. In 1946, the Missoula Region had 164 smokejumpers, many of them recent military veterans, college students, or recent college graduates. Smokejumpers must be able to carry this gear to the nearest trail, road, or helispot after suppressing the fire. They had one radio, maybe, and fewer roads, making early smokejumpers pack outs from a fire four times longer, or more, than the 10 mile average now, Janes said. The lobby, which doubled as the student breakroom, is located adjacent to the training room. Joe Sterling ( Missoula 1973 ), Donald Floyd Hostetler ( Cave Junction 1945 ), Vincent Freed Detweiler ( North Cascades 1945 ), Jay Thomas Brazie ( Cave Junction 1952 ), Chester Broommell Chip Beaty ( McCall 1951 ), Ronald L. Ron Borst ( North Cascades 1964 ), Neil Lawrence Dibble ( North Cascades 1950 ), Jan W. Van Wagtendonk ( Cave Junction 1960 ), Charles Melvin Chuck Lockwood ( Missoula 1965 ), Albert Charles Goldammer ( Missoula 1964 ), William Joseph Bill Robertson ( Missoula 1957 ), Walter L. Ozzie Bender ( Missoula 1947 ), LaMonte B.

"Connie" Orr Jr. ( Missoula 1953 ), Darold C. Thornton ( North Cascades 1969 ), Robert W. "Bob" Manchester ( Missoula 1946 ), Milton "Cookie" Callaway ( Johnson Flying Service pilot ), Charles Morten Clemensen ( Cave Junction 1948 ), Robert Jay "Rob" Talbot ( Missoula 1969 ), James A. Operated by the United States Forest Service: Operated by the Bureau of Land Management: The British Columbia Wildfire Service Parattack program operates the only smokejumper crews in Canada. However, due to the quantity of applicants, quality applicants are encouraged to have at a minimum 3-4 years of fire experience with a diverse background of work experience on a good organized crew such as hotshot, helitack, engine, and Type 2 Initial Attack crews, qualified to the FFT1 and ICT5, possess leadership experience, and have a safety conscious attitude. Contact [Smokejumper Bobby Sutton attended the interview, as well.]. Ed Lynn, Missoula Smokejumper from 1995-1997, 2007-Present, Grangeville Smokejumper from 1998-2000, and McCall Smokejumper from 2004-2006, talks about a fire in Wyoming in the Bridger-Tetons where they were treated to coffee on the fireline by some locals. Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Org is organizing this fundraiser to benefit Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization. Although this first experiment was not pursued, another began in 1939 in Washington's Methow Valley, where professional parachutists jumped into a variety of timbered and mountainous terrains, proving the feasibility of the idea. For his 442-page book, Fattig interviewed dozens of pioneering smokejumpers and historians. Shane Orser, 41, will join more than 200 other . Users are responsible for assessing and/or securing use permissions. About 500 training jumps were made by the first 70 CPS smokejumpers in 1943, who went on to fight 31 fires that first season. Multiple factors are analyzed, and then a decision is made as to whether jumping the fire is safe. (Mike McMillan/National Smokejumper Association). A lock ( The camp relocated to Camp Menard in July 1943. 401 NE 19th Ave Suite 200, Portland, OR 97232 A lock ( Back Row (L-R): Justin Cook, Jeremy Zemke, Matt Abell, Marcel Potvin, Ben Bell, Jarret Carle, Bill Selby, Gary Atteberry, Mike Leslie, Sean Wishart, Eliah Pedersen, Jeanine Faulkner, Kevin McCarthy, Jonathan Ugulano, Connor Allen, Arthur Cherry (rappeller), Eric Shilling (pilot), Ron Vail (pilot). For further information, contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475. Bases tend to look for highly motivated individuals who are in superior shape and have the ability to think independently and react to changing environments rapidly. At the edge of the Redmond Airport on Tuesday, a group of around 10 smokejumpers went through a brief preparation exercise on the tarmac, then promptly boarded a propeller plane The views expressed in the stories and videos on the site are those of the participants alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Smokey Generation, its sponsors, the participants employers, or other associates._. Ben has been a Smokejumper for the US Forest Service based in Redmond, OR for nine years and worked in fire as a member of the Zig-Zag Hotshots before jumping. Bob Beckley , Former Smokejumper (RAC 83), Leonard Blixrud, Former Smokejumper (MSO 53), Peter Carpenter, Former Smokejumper (RDD 59), Fred Cooper, Former Smokejumper (NCSB 62), Jeff R. Davis, Retired Smokejumper (MSO 57), Harold Dramstad, Former Smokejumper (MYC 87), Troop Emonds, Former Smokejumper (CJ 66), Don Halloran, Former Smokejumper (MSO 53), Robert Hough, Former Smokejumper (NCSB 51), C. Richard (Dick) Hughes, Former Smokejumper (MSO 64), Stephen Latham, Current Smokejumper (MSO 11), Bruce Marshall, Former Smokejumper (BOI 71), Kim Maynard, Former Smokejumper (MSO 82), Robert Parcell, Former Smokejumper (MSO 71), Ronald Stephens, Former Smokejumper (MSO 46), Bobby Sutton, Current Smokejumper (MSO 91), The Smokey Generation; Copyright 2021. The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion gained fame as the only entirely black airborne unit in United States Army history. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. | And, yes, lets all get in there with the Go-Fund-Me deal. Payette, NF The digital images were donated to Eastern Washington University Libraries by the National Smokejumper Association. If you have information about the the rights holder, please contact Eastern Washington University Libraries, Archives & Special Collections at (509) 359-2475. Robert Parcell, Missoula Smokejumper from 1971, 1980-1983, and 1987, and Grangeville Smokejumper from 1972-1974, talks about a fire where he sustained a minor injury from a falling rock. . > Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Today, a fire could be suppressed or monitored as it is being managed for resource benefits, said Josh Cantrell of the U.S. Forest Services Redmond Smokejumper Base. From the start, smokejumpers have made and repaired their own gear. Shortly after smokejumpers touch ground, they are supplied by parachute with food, water, and firefighting tools, making them self-sufficient for 48 hours. Since the earliest years, they were taught to sew to repair and adjust their gear, and innovate to solve a problem, Janes said.

) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. [5], The examples and perspective in this article, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "History of Smokejumping | US Forest Service", "These are the airborne firefighters that handle the most intense wildfires", BBC Radio 4 - Book of the Week, Fire Season, Episode 1, US Forest Service - National Interagency Smokejumper Training Guide, CPS Unit Number 103-01, World War II Smokejumpers, Smokejumpers and Smokejumping: Information and Photos, Spotfire Images: Quality Smokejumper and Fire Photos, US Forest Service list of smokejumper bases, Nick Sundt Smokejumpers Oral History Project, Civilian Public Service Smokejumpers Oral History Project, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smokejumper&oldid=1106760306. the most authentic World War II-era smokejumper museum, fronted by two, 1940s Beechcraft jumper planes, Smokejumper to Global Pilot: A True Odyssey,, The Mouse that Soared: Tales of the Siskiyou Smokejumpers,. A smokejumper was seriously injured Sunday May 15 during a training parachute jump. FAQ Official websites use .gov ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In "Just a Few Jumper Stories," Dow's campfire-style storytelling recounts the pranks, mishaps and adventures of his time on the fire line. (509) 997-9761 "Bob" Scofield ( Cave Junction 1949 ), Gerald Boyd "Jerry" Taggart ( McCall 1953 ), Donald Edwin Meltvedt ( North Cascades 1952 ), Arthur Theodore Honey ( Cave Junction 1948 ), Forest D. Hindman ( North Cascades 1954 ), Ward Vance Speaker ( Cave Junction 1948 ), William Murdock "Bill" Joyner ( North Cascades 1953 ), Kenneth Melvin Vancil ( North Cascades 1965 ), Richard Lincoln Denison ( Missoula 1947 ), Roland K. "Rollie" Fisher ( Missoula 1947 ), Frederick Albano Fuchs ( Smokejumper Pilot ), Joe E. "Grey Eagle" Wright ( Grangeville 1958 ), Grover Sumpter "Doc" Tyler ( Missoula 1947 ), James Charles Allen ( North Cascades 1946 ), Alvin Fleming Baker ( Cave Junction 1960 ), Charles A. Crowley ( Cave Junction 1960 ), Robert Lloyd "Bob" Nolan ( Cave Junction 1947 ), Daniel James O'Rourke Jr. ( Cave Junction 1946 ), Joe M. "Pipas" Martinez ( Missoula 1946 ), Charles Joseph "Charley Joe" Muehlethaler ( Missoula 1946 ), Willard Sterling "Bud" Wyatt ( McCall 1946 ), Paul Ellis Hankins ( Cave Junction 1946 ), Andrew H. "Ed" Henry ( Cave Junction 1946 ), Wilfred C. "Jack" Larson ( North Cascades 1946 ), Edward John Adams Jr. ( Cave Junction 1946 ), Michael Alden "Mike" Holmes ( Missoula 1966 ), Millard W. "Bill" Green ( Cave Junction 1945 ), Clarence Hershey Kreider ( Missoula 1945 ), Richard Townsend Henley ( Missoula 1945 ), Raymond Emerson Miller ( Cave Junction 1945 ), Robert Clarence Goering ( North Cascades 1945 ), Edmund Dantes Christopherson Jr. ( Missoula 1945 ), Michael Erwin Ritzman Jr. ( McCall 1944 ), Kolmer Benjamin Spangler ( Missoula 1944 ), George W. "Walter" Pursley ( Missoula 1944 ), Robert Blanchard Cochran ( Missoula 1944 ), Richard "Dick" Rehfeldt ( Missoula 1943 ), William Clayton "Bill" Wood ( Missoula 1943 ), William Edgar Nafziger Jr. ( Missoula 1943 ), Marvin William Graeler ( Cave Junction 1943 ), Addison Reynold Carlson ( Missoula 1943 ), Walter Ralph Buller ( Cave Junction 1943 ), William S. Laughlin ( Cave Junction 1943 ), Carroll Eugene "Gene" Yoder ( Missoula 1945 ), Daniel Nathan Kauffman ( Cave Junction 1945 ), Charles Emerson Schumacher ( Missoula 1944 ), Henry Michael "Mickey" Smith ( Missoula 1942 ), Charles Raymond "Ray" Hudson ( Cave Junction 1943 ), William B. Bristol ( North Cascades 1945 ), Robert A. Photo by Bill Gabbert. Applicants must meet the minimum 90 days of wildland fire experience and have 12 months of qualifying experience at the GS-04 level. Don Halloran, Missoula Smokejumper from 1953-1955, reminisces about his time smokejumping, including summer romances, project work, and the first couple of jumps. Stuart Roosa became an astronaut on Apollo 14. > Boise, ID 83705, Todd Jinkins, Boise Base Manager Typos, let us know HERE, and specify which article. The staff has a private entrance directly to the office space with a conference room. Other fire-related operations at the Redmond Airport include the Redmond Smokejumpers, the Northwest Fire Training Center, the Redmond Hotshots, and the Regional Air Group which supplies pilots for the jumpers and lead planes. He rookied in Redding, CA, in 2014 then transferred to Redmond in 2015 to be closer to home and his family. Tom Wilks, Grangeville Smokejumper in 1987, talks about the last fire of his smokejumping career where he sustained life-threatening burn and back injuries. "Gid" Newton ( Cave Junction 1955 ), Kenneth Reed Harrison ( Grangeville 1960 ), Walter Forrest "Walt" Kramis ( Missoula 1946 ), John Timothy Koester ( Cave Junction 1955 ), Edwin Leon "Ted" Burgon ( Idaho City 1952 ), Malcolm Crostin "Mac" Montgomery ( Missoula 1956 ).

In an ironic twist, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Bens family by the Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization, an often necessary step taken by many federal firefighters who are injured on the job. EWU Libraries Photo by Bill Gabbert. The test is taken in one time frame with five-minute breaks between specific exercises.

Very sad to see this, Ben is a textbook example of what sort of change motivated firefighters can make from the ground up. The non-profit National Smokejumper Association is dedicated to preserving the history of airborne firefighters of the past and providing a voice for today's smokejumpers. There are numerous crews located throughout the United States with the majority being in the West. When it comes to individual courage and group teamwork, Ive yet to meet their equals, said Fattig. Candidates must be in top physical condition prior to reporting for work to enable themselves to complete the training program successfully. Smokejumping was first proposed in 1934 in the Intermountain Region (Region 4), by Regional Forester T.V. They also talked with Marty Walsh, the Secretary of Labor, who oversees the Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP), an agency that has been criticized for slow-walking or failing to appropriately process the claims and pay the medical bills of firefighters injured on the job. A Redmond smokejumper is embarking on a historic trip next month to participate in a commemorative D-Day invasion jump in Normandy, France. If I was to jump ten straight seasons down here and had to chose between doing it with a round or square, Id take a square.

(c) 2023 Oregonian Media Group, a subsidiary of Advance Local Media LLC. The Redmond Smokejumper Welfare Or. Fort Wainwright, AK 99703, https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/smokejumpers/bases. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS [citation needed] Many smokejumpers have previous experience as hotshots, who provide a strong foundation of wildland firefighting experience and physical conditioning. Most smokejumpers of the era were not career professionals, but seasonal employees lured by the prospect of earning as much as $1,000 over a summer. And, although the square has some problems with stalling close to the ground if the jumper stays in deep brakes too long, I can say without reservation that when I came south from Alaska to jump fires in the Lower 48, I was really glad to have a square on my back. "Bill" Morin ( Missoula 1946 ), Vernon Eugene Sylvester ( Missoula 1947 ), Forest Frank "Woody" Liebe ( Missoula 1954 ), Daryle T. Starkovich ( North Cascades 1958 ), Herb William Krissie ( Cave Junction 1946 ), William H. "Bill" Roberts ( Cave Junction 1958 ), Marshall Felix Sullivan ( Missoula 1958 ), Paul Edward Sulinski ( North Cascades 1959 ), Ray John Farinetti ( Cave Junction 1964 ), Walter "Bud" Lloyd ( North Cascades 1949 ), Marshall Eugene Spencer ( Missoula 1942 ), Keith V. Fitzjarrald ( North Cascades 1963 ), Jack G. Heintzelman ( Cave Junction 1943 ), John C. "Pat" Harrison ( Missoula, 1975 ), Jack Albert Fitzjarrald ( North Cascades 1962 ), Philip Daniel Davis Jr. ( Missoula 1948 ), Donald Oliver Whitmarsh ( Missoula 1942 ), Thomas Wiaotte Marshall ( Missoula 1949 ), James S. "Jim" Diederich ( Redding 1970 ), Richard Allen Strohmyer ( Missoula 1977 ), William R. "Bill" Terrill ( Missoula 1973 ), Leland M. "Hardrock" Jensen ( McCall 1969 ), Charles F. "Chuck" Paluso ( Missoula 1951 ), Eugene Patrick Dougherty ( Missoula 1948 ), Willard Stanley Krabill ( Cave Junction 1945 ), Charles D. "Chuck" Parker ( Missoula 1947 ), Don G. Fitzjarrald ( North Cascades 1962 ), Harold J. I jumped both the round and square for years. Front Row (L-R): (Rookies) Shane Taylor, Melissa Moore, Gabe Dommershausen, Josh Ross, Rubel Aguilar, David Neydlin, Luke Bromley, Douglas Thomas, Sam Johnson, Nick Foey. The USFS goals include a functional space that is low-maintenance, and designed sustainability to support their mission. If his name seems familiar it is because on Wildfire Today we reprinted an opinion article he wrote that was published in The Oregonian, titled, A USFS firefighter in Oregon can be paid more at McDonalds. Ben was also a member of a group that traveled to Washington, D.C. in March where they met with White House officials about pay issues and passing the Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act(H.R. NSA_CREWPICS He also provides some thoughts on the changing philosophy of wildland firefighting from when he started to what were seeing today. Ben is an excellent dude and a shining example of the kind of leaders and advocates we need more of in the Fire community. Using an audiometer for measurement, there should be no loss of 25 or more decibels in each ear at the speech frequency range. 10 thoughts on "Serious injury sidelines Redmond Smokejumper" Will says: May 19, 2022 at 5:26 pm. Photo via Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization. Alaska the Alaska Smokejumpers in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Click on the boxes below to watch some of our favorite stories from the interviews collected during the 2015 Smokejumper Reunion. View all posts by Bill Gabbert. "Bob" Johnson ( Missoula 1951 ), Winton Howard Stucky ( Cave Junction 1943 ), Charles Donald Leaphart ( Missoula 1942 ), Arild Christian Nielsen ( Missoula 1942 ), Thomas Edward McFadden ( Pendleton 1945 ), Benjamin Alexander Skillman ( Missoula 1942 ), Richard L. "Dick" Wessell ( Cave Junction 1956 ), Karl Glades(Nussbacher) ( Missoula 1941 ), Richard A. Hinnenkamp, 35, an eight-year veteran with the Redmond Smokejumpers, is one of about 400 men and women across the United States who leaps into veils of smoke for a living, tackling the hardest-to-reach fires before they combust into headline news.

Harold Dramstad, McCall Smokejumper from 1987-1989 and Missoula Smokejumper from 1990-1991, talks about a couple of memorable jumps and enjoyable moments. All smokejumper candidates are required to pass the standard smokejumper physical training (PT) test on the first day of smokejumper training. The Smokejumper Project had become a permanent establishment of the USFS in 1944. Visit spotfireimages.com for more photos and videos. A group portrait of the Smokejumper crew for the Redmond Smokejumper Base. Accessibility Redmond Smokejumpers Redmond Air Center 1740 SE Ochoco Way Redmond, OR 97756 (541) 504-7280. The building is similar size and scale to the neighboring buildings and becomes a centerpiece of the campus. The design is inspired by the outdoors, where wildland firefighters spend the majority of their time. Unfortunately, none were . Ben and his wife Amber have two boys, ages 4 and 1. The United States has about 450 jumpers at nine smokejumper bases across the western U.S. NSA Trails Restoration & Maintenance Project Specialists, Smokejumper Cow Pasture Campout II-Update 4/4/23, TRAMPS scholarship program makes its debut -- click here for details, Son of smokejumper coaches NCAA team that recorded major upset, Happy birthday to Howard Barnett (MSO-64), Challenge coin featuring historical bases of smokejumping, (TRAMPS) NSA Trails Restoration & Maintenance Project Specialists, Daren Belsby-Good Luck on Your End Of Jumping, Wildland Firefighters Not Served Well By Albuquerque Service Center. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. In subsequent years, the Ninemile Camp operation moved to Missoula, where it became the Missoula Smokejumper Base. Smokejumper gear and tools weigh up to 115 pounds per person. The Omenica Smokejumpers in Mackenzie, British Columbia. Owens success, even though he didnt meet the height and weight requirements, opened doors for women to become smokejumpers, Fattig found after interviewing Deanne Shulman, the first woman smokejumper. WWII, when good men were hard to come by, 1074 women quit their jobs to become pilots for the war. The Interagency Hotshots, the Redmond Smokejumpers, and the Pacific Northwest Training Center call RAC home. Individuals must be able to read printed material the size of standard typewritten characters. 23 Intercity Airport Road Daren Belsby, North Cascades Base Manager (509) 997-9761 Okanogan National Forest Filtered natural daylight mimics light in a forest and permeates through the building. A hearing aid is not permitted. "Jim" Kahl ( North Cascades 1966 ), Dean N. longanecker ( North Cascades 1968 ), James L. "Jim" Hagemeier ( Missoula 1957 ), Charles R. Mansfield ( Cave Junction 1959 ), James A. The solution is not just to donate. Robert Hough, North Cascades Smokejumper from 1951-1955, describes conquering fear during a fire--when he was stuck in a tree while the fire was growing downslope from his location. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. All applicants must meet specific medical, physical, and firefighting work experience requirements to be considered for these positions. Oregon smokejumpers Retired smokejumper Gary Buck stands in front of 1940s Beechcraft jumper planes on the runway of the Illinois Valley Airport at the Siskiyou Smokejumper Museum. Inscription on back reads "The greatest job in the world." Ben . The training manager at the Redmond Smokejumper Base in Central Oregon explains why and g. The first base recruits were World War II conscientious objectors, pacifists by philosophy or religion. Fred Cooper, North Cascades Smokejumper from 1962-1963 and Redmond Smokejumper from 1964-1967, describes a couple of memorable fires he jumped in Oregon and Idaho. The museum property, part of the Illinois Valley Airport, is open for self-guided tours year-round. The doctors took him into surgery and found 6 fractures, placing 3 plates and 10 screws in order to fix the damage.

Phone: (541) 388-9897 The longer, more intense fire seasons also require increased time allotted for training to safely operate in an increasingly complex fire environment.. Corrected distant vision must test at least 20/20 (Snellen) in one eye and at least 20/30 (Snellen) in the other. Oregon author Paul Fattigs new book, The Mouse that Soared: Tales of the Siskiyou Smokejumpers, is full of fascinating true stories of the Cave Junction crew, including Allen Owen, a 4-foot-11-inch smokejumper, better known by his nickname Mouse.. Smokejumpers are specially trained wildland firefighters who provide an initial attack response on remote wildland fires. "Hal" Weinmann ( North Cascades 1947 ), Wallace W. "Pic" Littell ( Missoula 1944 ), Wilson Bennett Conner ( North Cascades 1948 ), Carl Dean Johnson ( North Cascades 1957 ), John L. Harnish Jr. ( Cave Junction 1945 ), William Kay Johnson ( North Cascades 1954 ), E. Clifford McKeen ( Cave Junction 1958 ), Roy Emerson Wenger ( CPS-103 Administrator ), Richard Allen Dillingham ( Missoula 1959 ), Melvin R. Northcott ( North Cascades 1955 ), Alman W. "Bill" Hegland ( Missoula 1948 ), John Milton "Jack" Wilcock ( McCall 1946 ), Ellis Everett Moncrief ( Idaho City 1951 ), Conrad O. Missoula, MT 59808, Tory Kenrick, Missoula Base Manager All rights reserved. It was a big world out there and we all wanted our piece of it, said Gossett, who lives in Central Point and contributes to the smokejumper museum.

Chris Christensen ( Idaho City 1955 ), Lester H. Les Tschohl ( Missoula 1966 ), Ellsworth J. Redmond, OR 97756, https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/fire/smokejumpers/redmond. It's not hard to compare the nation's smokejumpers to elite U.S. special forces, like the Navy SEALs. Okanogan National Forest, Region 5 Smokejumpers The biggest difference: Decades ago, the goal was to suppress a small wildfire before it spread. "Smokey" Alexander ( Missoula 1940 ), Ernest J. Longanecker ( North Cascades 1970 ), Charles E."Charley" Moseley ( Cave Junction 1962 ), Robert Charles Kersh ( Pioneer Redding Loft Foreman 1957 ), James Buckey "Jim" Foresman ( McCall 1957 ), Charles "Chuck" Reinhardt ( Missoula 1966 ), Scott Francis Wicklund ( North Cascades 1991 ), Duane C. "Gil" Gillmore ( Missoula 1946 ), William "Bill" Recinos ( Fairbanks 1977 ), Theodore McRoberts "Ted" Smith ( Missoula 1962 ), Parley E. "Bill" Cherry ( Missoula 1947 ), Andrew "Big Andy" Stevenson ( Redding 1966 ), Donald A. Brennan ( North Cascades 1954 ), William A. 1740 SE Ochoco Way Highly trained smokejumpers created a glamorous public image for the forest service a year before the fictional fire prevention spokesman Smokey Bear made his debut in 1944. The interior space is adorned with decades of USFS Smokejumper and Hot Shot team photos. Photo via Redmond Smokejumpers Welfare Organization. Redmond Air Center [citation needed]. They tended to be well-behaved, self-motivated, and responsible. | Seven years before that, he was a teenage pilot who earned money for college by working as a Cave Junction smokejumper during summers. Any smokejumper candidate unable to meet these minimum physical requirements must be dropped from the program. For more than 75 years, smokejumpers have quietly and effectively shown these traits as they've battled wildfires in areas inaccessible to ground vehicles. The non-profit National Smokejumper Association is dedicated to preserving the history of airborne firefighters of the past and . Grangeville, ID 83530, Mike Blinn, Grangeville Base Manager These crews receive valuable training and experience in fire suppression work. A smokejumping and wildland fire education center could be on its way to the Redmond Air Center in Oregon. Photo by Bill Gabbert. The U.S. Forest Service has about 320 smokejumpers at seven bases, from Idaho and Montana, to California and Washington. In May 1978, members of the Army National Guard's 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and other western military units briefly began airborne training at the Missoula Smokejumper School.