Quick thinking—and action—last month by four airmen with the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, saved about $52 million worth of aircraft parts from being damaged or destroyed in an electrical fire. SSgt. Akeilee Murchison, SrA. Heather Libiszewski, A1C Mayra Colon-Santiago, and Amn. Martin Renzi responded within moments of detecting the Sept. 22 fire, which was caused by a broken gaslight fixture, in the unit’s parts store. Together they used a fire extinguisher to smother the flames, called for and directed members of the base’s fire department to the scene. “What these airmen did is a great thing, and we need to make sure all our airmen are prepared to take the initiative if a fire breaks out in their work centers,” said SMSgt. James Ferrari, 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing ground safety manager. Faulty wiring was later determined to have caused the fixture to burst. (Balad report SSgt. Don Branum)
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.