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)
As President Donald Trump’s commission to study a U.S. Space Academy formulates recommendations, experts say they’ll be watching for more detail on the academy’s mission and scope as well as efforts to garner feedback from members of Congress, who will ultimately get the final say on whether the U.S. needs…