Mark Steward makes his living flying big cargo jets for FedEx. But as an Air Force Reserve Officer, his schedule has been interrupted by the fires raging across the western United States.

Steward, 51, of Colorado Springs, is currently on mission at McLellan Air Force Base near Sacramento, Calif., rumbling through the skies in a massive C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS),   dropping fire suppressant ahead of advancing wildfires.

“We’ll have days when we just sit around, and other days when we’re in the air a lot,” he said.

A pilot in the 302^nd Airlift Wing at Peterson Air Force Base, Steward has spent 25 years battling wildland fires.

“This is the kind of mission that has kept me in the Air Force,” he said. “This is challenging flying. It’s more dangerous, but it’s rewarding because you’re making a difference. You’re helping people out.”

Mark Steward never shied from a challenge. His guts and determination as a high school runner caught the attention of legendary Adams State University track coach Joe Vigil who invited him to become a runner in one of country’s most storied college track and cross country programs. Steward made history there, winning two NAIA Championships in the indoor mile in 1985 and ’86. He said the first championship, in his junior season, was one of his best races, though he ran faster (4:08.69) the following year.

“The 1985 race was my best, I think. I just remember that I felt relaxed,” he said. “Everything clicked and it all felt effortless.”

Steward will be inducted into the Adams State University Hall of Fame on Oct. 16.

“It’s a neat feeling,” Steward said. “There were so many tremendous athletes in that era in track and cross country at Adams State. To be included among that group of guys is a real honor.”

Steward was also a member of the distance medley relay in 1986 that took home first-place honors. He finished his collegiate career as a five-time NAIA All-American. He competed in the Colorado Avenue Mile in Old Colorado City in 1985 and ’86, eclipsing the 4-minute mark on a slightly downhill course.

Eight other track and cross country athletes, including 15-time All-American Aaron Braun, Curt Christensen, Aucencio Martinez and Steven Nichols, will all be inducted.

If all goes as planned, Steward may fly during the daylight portion of the Light the Night Air Show on Sept. 4 at the Country Club of Colorado. Tickets are available at http://springsairshow.com/. The event will help raise awareness for the Mt. Carmel Center of Excellence, which will provide key services for our active military and veteran communities.

Colorado Springs residents may not know that Steward helped fight the Waldo Canyon fire. He said the experience was frustrating, as a freak storm created winds that pushed the fire into the Mountain Shadows neighborhood where it consumed 346 homes.

“Seeing those houses burning, it was hard to believe,” Steward said. “It makes you feel a little like a failure.”

Of course, he and many others were hailed as heroes for their efforts in battling the second most destructive fire – in terms of homes destroyed – in Colorado history.