Airmen continue California firefighting support Published July 9, 2008 By Staff Sgt. Luke Johnson 302nd Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AFPN) -- Aimen from the 302nd Air Expeditionary Group launched their eighth day of Aerial support missions July 3 in a coordinated effort to control wildfires in California. The C-130 aircrews focused their firefighting efforts on the Gap fire in the Los Padres National Forest and the Piute fire located in the Sequoia National Forest. The Gap fire is located about six miles northwest of Santa Barbara with more than 6,300 acres burned. The fire is about five-percent contained. The Piute fire is located about 17 miles northeast of Caliente with more than 14,000 acres burned. The fire is also about five-percent contained. Both fires continue to threaten nearby communities. The 302nd AEG aircraft units include three Air National Guard units -- the 145th Airlift Wing from Charlotte, N.C.; the 146th Airlift Wing from Channel Islands ANGS; and the 153rd Airlift Wing from Cheyenne, Wyo. -- and one Air Force Reserve unit -- the 302nd Airlift Wing from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. The 302nd AEG comprises eight Air Force MAFFS-capable C-130 aircraft operating out of McClellan Airfield, and Navy Reserve and Marine Corps helicopter units operating out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. Three Marine helicopter units -- Medium Helicopter Training Squadron 164 and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 268 based out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 based out of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego -- fly CH-46 Sea Knight and CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters equipped with 2,000-gallon specialized fire fighting buckets. U.S. Navy Reserve helicopters flying from NAS Lemoore are assigned to the Helicopter Sea Combat Support Squadron 85 based out of Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. The squadron is flying MH-60 Knighthawk helicopters with 420- and 360-gallon specialized fire fighting buckets. Fire information is current as of July 3. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page