Mike Nelson writes:

As a Californian watching my state burn for the 6th year in a row I got motivated to document an idea of mine. I brought this to Tom's attention and he was kind enough to offer to post it here so that it might get some visibility among those in a position to consider and act on it.

Specifically I propose that the Air Force rework their refueling tanker contract to include the mission of Fire Tanker, and see the C-17 airframe as an ideal candidate. In addition I assert that this platform would provide better utility for our emerging SysAdmin mission requirements as well as the foundation for supporting international disaster relief. I figure if we're going to spend $35B+ on this program, why not get a platform that also meets additional important needs? The attached PDF provides a summary of this idea.

My thanks to Tom for the assist in circulating this.

Tanker Idea Summary (pdf)

Update 7/28: Mike sent in an updated pdf with an added introduction for greater clarity: Tanker Idea Summary v2 (pdf)