The courageous actions of MSgt. Alan Andrews and MSgt. Michael Wingler, production supervisors with the 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at an air base in Southwest Asia, helped save lives and prevent the loss of a B-1B bomber on Jan. 18, according to a Feb. 1 release. The B-1 had just launched from the base when it began to experience problems and had to come back to make an emergency landing. After touchdown, the aircraft’s No. 3 tire and brake caught fire. As the aircrew began to evacuate the aircraft, the two master sergeants rushed to the burning, munitions-laden airplane to extinguish the flames. “We just knew we had crew members on board, and we absolutely wanted to make sure they were safe,” explained Andrews. Both airmen are deployed from Ellsworth AFB, S.D. (379th AEW report by SSgt. Kelly White)
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
