Active duty and civilian firefighters from Travis AFB, Calif., took first place in individual heats during the 2006 US National Firefighter Challenge Oct. 13 and 14 in Atlanta. The former two-time world champions also placed third in the relay contest. Explaining their success, team captain Sgt. Mike Melton said, “Our team dynamic is one of unity and working together to get to our goal.”
Retired Col. Carlyle "Smitty" Harris, known for introducing the "tap code" by which American POWs in North Vietnam could surreptitiously communicate with one another, died July 6. Harris was brutalized by the North Vietnamese over almost eight years of captivity.