CAMP BULLIS MILITARY TRAINING RESERVATION, Texas Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation –
The 502d Force Support Group hosted a multi-agency meeting on June 23 at Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation to highlight the installation’s mission and operations, and to discuss environmental challenges, wildfire risks and the growing importance of cross-sector collaboration.
Led by Mike Waldrop, installation support director for Camp Bullis Military Training Reservation, representatives from the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Hill Country Fire Coalition of Texas attended the event, which focused on balancing military readiness with environmental stewardship and regional resilience.
Waldrop opened the meeting with an overview of the installation’s role in security forces combat ground skills training, advanced medical education and joint operations support.
“At Camp Bullis, we’re managing a unique blend of historic infrastructure, aging utilities, and a landscape filled with unexploded ordnance, all while supporting critical military training,” Waldrop said. “Through partnerships and conservation efforts like the Sentinel Landscape program and the Department of Defense environmental protection grants, we’re working to preserve the long-term viability of both our critical training areas as well as the unique character of the Texas Hill Country by fostering compatible urban development.”
In addition to urban growth, Waldrop noted concerns related to water and utilities infrastructure, and challenges associated with protecting endangered species such as the golden-cheeked warbler, which nests within portions of the installation’s boundaries for about five months each year.
As part of broader efforts to address wildfire risk, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center established the Wildland Fire Branch, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Colorado State University, Bureau of Land Management and the University of Montana, according to AFCEC. The program supports fuel reduction, prescribed burning and ecological restoration to sustain both habitat and mission readiness.
“Everything we do is tied to natural resource management,” said Roberto Moreno, Midwest regional fire manager for the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Wildland Fire Branch. “At Camp Bullis, that means reducing invasive species like juniper, preserving oak habitat, and using controlled fire strategically.
“One of our biggest challenges is managing mastication debris from years of vegetation clearing,” Moreno added. “To restore and maintain habitat, especially for species like the golden-cheeked warbler, we’re working on long-term plans that include pile burns and targeted habitat improvement, while maintaining mission readiness.”
Waldrop recognized the newest member of the Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape partnership, Christie Wiley, director of the Hill Country Fire Coalition of Texas — a volunteer-led nonprofit that supports implementation of the Kendall County Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
“We formed the Hill Country Fire Coalition to help move wildfire planning from paper to action,” Wiley said. “As one of the highest-risk counties in Texas, we couldn’t afford to wait.”
Structured under an incident command system model, the coalition leads education programs, fire simulations and property risk assessments to help communities prepare before wildfire strikes.
“When we first introduced the concept of fire safe councils in Kendall County, there was some confusion simply because people weren’t familiar with them,” Wiley said. “In Texas, where 94 percent of the land is privately owned and wildfire resiliency isn’t widely understood, that wasn’t surprising. But over time, through consistent public education and community involvement, fire safe councils have become a cornerstone of local wildfire preparedness.”
Wiley highlighted the importance of learning from other states with similar wildfire threats. Programs in Colorado and Utah have served as models for Texas, especially in the wake of major fires that led to the development of the national Firewise program. These programs have demonstrated the impact of proactive fire mitigation and homeowner involvement.
She also emphasized the role of incentives in motivating homeowners to take action, citing insurance benefits and state-supported programs as effective tools for encouraging defensible space improvements and other mitigation measures.
The meeting concluded with a shared call to strengthen community partnerships and increase public education around wildfire risk. As Texas faces hotter, drier seasons, attendees agreed that coordinated action between military and civilian stakeholders is essential to reduce vulnerability and protect people and infrastructure.