"This is our choice, and we really enjoy what we do. And ... we take pride in it," said Col. Wilt

Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Ronald Wilt and Master Sgt. Reserve Jeffrey Flight spoke with bloggers on the DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable today about the Air Force Reserves' firefighting mission in Southern California.

Airmen and civilians from the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group hastily move fire retardant 'slurry' June 26 after loading the red powder onto a C-130 June 26 at Chico Municipal Airport in California. The group received its first execution order to launch fire suppression missions since first arriving June 23. The Airmen waited up to three days for smoke to clear enough over the wildfire to allow for modular airborne firefighting system fire suppression drops. The group is made up of three Air National Guard units, including the 153rd AW, from Cheyenne, Wyom.; the 146th AW, from Channel Islands, Calif.; and the 145th AW, Charlotte, N.C. One Air Force Reserve unit, the 302nd AW from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., is the only Air Force Reserve unit in the 302nd AEG.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Heldwin Brito)

Both Reservists are from the 302 Airlift Wing, based out of Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Lt. Col. Wilt is the 302 Operations Group Commander and MSgt Flight is the 302 OG Chief Loadmaster Flight Evaluator.

Joining the call was Chuck Simmons, www.northshorejournal.org.