Hot Shots deploy

The Vandenberg Hot Shots load their vehicle into a C-17 Globemaster III from March Air Reserve Base, Calif., on the flightline here Wednesday, June 27, 2012. Eighteen members of the Hot Shots are traveling on a military aircraft for the first time in support of a wildland fire in Colorado. (U.S. Air Force photo/Jerry E. Clemens Jr.)

Hot Shots deploy

A Vandenberg Hot Shots vehicle backs into the belly of a C-17 Globemaster here from March Air Reserve Base June 27. Eighteen members of the Vandenberg Hot Shot crew, along with two hot shots crew carrier vehicles, one superintendant support vehicle and one all terrain vehicle deployed to Colorado to support the wildland fire fighting efforts. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Andrew Satran)

Texas Wildfires

A Modular Airborne Firefighting System-equipped C-130 Hercules prepares to drop fire retardant April 27, 2011, onto a West Texas wildfire. The wildfires have spread across parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

Maj. Kevin DeHart prepares to drop fire retardant from a C-130 Hercules April 27, 2011, onto a West Texas wildfire. The wildfires have spread across parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. Major DeHart is assigned to the California Air National Guard?s 115th Airlift Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

U.S. Air Force Maj. Kevin DeHart, 115th Airlift Squadron, California Air National Guard, prepares to drop a line of fire retardant while aboard a C-130J Hercules over West Texas, April 27, 2011. The C-130 is equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System(MAFFS) which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

A wildfire burns in West Texas as fire fighting crews try to contain it, April 27, 2011. Airborne tankers lay lines of red fire retardant to help ground crews contain the fire. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

A U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service King Air lead plane guides a C-130J Hercules from the 146th Airlift Wing during firefighting operations in Scurry County, Texas, April 27, 2011. The lead planes guide aircraft to ensure that the fire retardant is dispensed where it is needed. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

A wildfire burns in West Texas as fire fighting crews try to contain it, April 27, 2011. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

Lt. Col. Greg Ervin surveys the Oasis wildfire as his crew prepares to dispense fire retardant April 26, 2011, during firefighting efforts in west Texas. Lt. Col. Ervin is a C-130 Hercules pilot with the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing. His C-130 is equipped with a Modular Airborne Firefighting System installed to dispense the fire retardant. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

A U.S. Forest Service King Air lead plane guides a C-130 Hercules from the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing April 26, 2011, during firefighting operations in Scurry County, Texas. The lead planes guide aircraft equipped to dispense fire retardant to ensure that the retardant is dispensed where it is needed. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

A U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service King Air lead plane guides a C-130J Hercules from the 146th Airlift Wing during firefighting operations in Scurry County, Texas, April 26, 2011. The lead planes guide aircraft to ensure that the fire retardant is dispensed where it is needed. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

Airmen from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing and members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forestry Service conduct their morning briefing during firefighting operations at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 21, 2011. The Airmen maintain and operate the Modular Airborne Firefighting System(MAFFS) housed aboard a C-130 Hercules which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

Airmen from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing remove a fire retardant hose from a C-130H Hercules equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 19, 2011. MAFFS is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Larry Quinn, 153th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Wyoming Air National Guard, prepares to remove a fire retardant hose from a C-130H Hercules equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 19, 2011. MAFFS is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Texas Wildfires

The Modular Airborne Firefighting System, like the one pictured here, is housed aboard a C-130 Hercules, and is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than 5 seconds. Airmen will use MAFFS-equipped C-130s to fight wildfires which have spread across parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

C-130s drop retardant over Texas wildfires

Airmen from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing remove a fire retardant hose from a C-130H Hercules equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 19, 2011. MAFFS is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in less than five seconds. Wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Air Force support of Texas wildfires continues

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas: A wildfire burns land near Austin, Texas, April 17, 2011. U.S. Northern Command has deployed six C-130 aircraft fitted with the U.S.D.A. Forest Service’s Modular Airborne Fire Fighting Systems to support the fight against ongoing wildfires. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton Russ)

Air Force support of Texas wildfires continues

LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Shane Sturgeon fills up a C-130 Hercules's Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System aircraft with fire retardant before it departs April 17 to support the fighting against the wildfires in Texas. Sergeant Sturgeon is a maintainer assigned to the 302nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron out of Peterson AFB, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Quinton Russ)

Firefighting operations continue in Texas

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joe Burriss, 145th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, North Carolina Air National Guard, prepares a C-130H Hercules for firefighting operations at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 18, 2011. The C-130 is equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System(MAFFS) which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Firefighting operations continue in Texas

U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Chuck Watkins, 115th Airlift Squadron, California Air National Guard, connects a fuel hose to a C-130J Hercules while preparing the aircraft for firefighting operations at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, April 18, 2011. The C-130 is equipped with the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Firefighting operations continue in Texas

Airmen from California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing, North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wyoming Air National Guard's 153rd Airlift Wing gather at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas to prepare for wildfire fighting operations, April 18, 2011. The Airmen maintain and operate the Modular Airborne Firefighting System (MAFFS) housed aboard a C-130 Hercules which is capable of dispensing 3,000 gallons of water or fire retardant in under 5 seconds. The wildfires have spread across various parts of Texas and have burned more than 1,000 square miles of land. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Eric Harris)

Air Force Reserrve aircrews, maintainers gear up for wildfire season

A C-130 Hercules with the Air Force Reserve's 302nd Airlift Wing, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., drops a load of water from the plane's Military Airborne Fire Fighting System as members of the media look on May 6, 2009, at the Tucson International Airport in Arizona. Tucson was the location for the 2009 MAFFS certification week, May 3-9. (U.S. Air Force photo/Capt. Jody Ritchie)

AFRC commander sees 'MAFFS' first hand

A C-130H delivers a powerful blast of water Nov. 12 during a modular airborne firefighting system, or 'MAFFS' demonstration in Lincoln County, Colo. The demonstration was part of an up-close look of the 302nd Airlift Wing during a visit with Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner, Jr., commander of Air Force Reserve Command. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephen Collier)

AEG drops fire retardant on Corral fire

Slurry pours from the back of a C-130 Hercules aircraft June 28 after dropping a load of fire retardant on the Corral fire located more than 180 miles north of Sacramento, Calif. As of 6:30 p.m. June 28, aircrews had seven missions against the fire, dropping 21,000 gallons of fire retardant. The 302nd AEG is made up of two Air National Guard units, including the 153rd AW, from Cheyenne, Wyo., 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/Senior Master Sgt. Dennis Martin)