According to Air Education and Training Command, AB Joshua M. Rolfe, who died on Oct. 29, 2005, after he collapsed during the second lap of a six-lap physical fitness readiness run at Lackland AFB, Tex., had a rare, pre-existing heart condition known as cardiac arrhythmia secondary to the right ventricular cardiomyopathy/ dysplasia. In this condition, fat and fibrosis replace the muscle of the right ventricle. Medical personnel at the track tried to resuscitate Rolfe before he was transported to Wilford Hall Medical Center, where staff continued life-saving efforts but could not revive Rolfe.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.