BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. – Two U.S. Air Force Modular Aerial Spray System
(MASS)-equipped C-130 aircraft from the 910th Airlift Wing, Youngstown Air Reserve Station,
Ohio, deployed to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, to conduct mosquito control aerial spraying missions
starting October 20 and continuing for at least the next week.
At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and upon approval by the
Department of Defense, U.S. Northern Command activated the 910th AW to provide this support
effort following Hurricane Delta to assist civil authorities in Louisiana.
“Our military men and women are privileged to be able to assist the interagency team and people of
Louisiana as they recover from the recent hurricanes Delta and Laura,” said Lt. Gen. Kirk Pierce,
commander, First Air Force, Air Forces Northern. “The Air Force Reserve’s 910th Aerial Spray
Flight normally conducts spray missions at dusk and nighttime hours using night vision technology
when pest insects are most active and the 910th’s men and women are longtime pros at this
mission.”
The heavy rains from the recent hurricanes have resulted in large areas across southwest Louisiana
where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. The aerially disbursed products will be aimed at reducing the
increasing number of mosquitoes, which can spread disease and also hinder recovery workers,
resulting in less time in the field.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management says the C-130′s are
scheduled to spray in Acadia, Calcasieu, Cameron, Iberia, Jeff Davis, Lafayette, and Vermilion
parishes.
The 910th Airlift Wing Aerial Spray missions use only Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
registered materials. Aerial Spray is a highly controlled application using a specially designed
Modular Aerial Spray System (MASS); dispersing no more than one ounce of product per acre.
The 910th Airlift Wing is home to the DoD’s only aerial spray capability and dedicated aerial spray
maintenance flight. The last time the 910th AW supported FEMA with aerial spraying as part of
hurricane support efforts was 2017, when they treated 1.4 million acres of affected areas following
Hurricane Harvey.
AFNORTH, U.S. Northern Command’s U.S. Air Force air component command, is the DoD
operational lead for the mission
