A team from Travis AFB, Calif., has just won a fourth consecutive Scott World Firefighter Combat Challenge. The team’s time was 4 minutes, 37.89 seconds. SSgt. Matt McGovern reports that the nine-year team captain for Travis, civilian Mike Melton, said they were the “underdogs” in this competition because a top competitor broke his hand and they lost key team member Harry Meyers. Firefighters from around the world came to a more difficult competition this year—they had to wear their full gear while completing five tasks, from climbing a five-story tower to rescuing a 175-pound “victim.”
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.