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The Combat Edge June 2006

Volume 15 Issue l , ACCSP9l-l

2 1Jum:zoo6

GENERAL RoNALD E. KEvs, CoMMANDER

• COLONEL CREID K. JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF SAFETY

4 KATRINA DIARY by Lt Col Randy Coats, Keesler AFB, Miss.

8 STRATEGIC PLANNING by Col John P Good, Shaw AFB, S.C.

1 2 SAGE ADVICE by Lt Col Dave Hagginbothom, USAF (Ret.)

14 WATER REscuE TEAM SAvEs Two by Al C Sarah Gregory, Andersen AFB, Guam

1 8 A BOND STRONGER THAN METAL by SSgt Gregory K. Sims, Jr., Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.

2 2 LIFESAVING CPR by Maj Gregory S. Laffitte, Moody AFB, Ga.

· 2 4 SPINNING OuT OF CoNTROL

Visit us on the web @ https://wwwmil.acc.at.mil/combal-edue

THE COMBAT EDGE

by TSgt Donnie Reid, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

DEPARTMENTS

2 6 MONTHLY AWARDS

30 STAYS

31 FLEAGLE

•••••

LT CoL ANTON KoMATZ

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

MAJ DANIELLE CoLEMAN

EDITOR

MRS. BARBARA TAYLOR

AssociATE EDITOR

SSGT ALEXANDER SOTAK

PUBLICATIONS DESIGNER

TSGT BEN BLOKER

AssociATE PHoTo EDITOR

1sT CoMMUNICATIONS SauADRON

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Focus On Being a Good Wingman This Summer

Stating the obvious, people are Air Combat Command's number one priority. It also goes without saying that preventing mishaps, suicides, and other self-destructive behaviors are directly tied to this priority. Time and time again, commanders and supervisors at every level have focused on mishap/suicide prevention. Perhaps it is time to focus on what it means to be a good wingman.

There are many efforts within the command to raise awareness when it comes to safety and suicide prevention. Events/campaigns like Well ness Days, Safety Days, and the Air Force's 101 Critical Days of Summer provide a wealth of knowledge you can add to your personal toolkit to be a good wingman. So one key duty of being a good wingman is to know what tools are out there to help you. In the past, ACC has set aside a single day for the command to hold a "Well ness" or "Wingman Day," however, there is no reason why individual bases, squadrons, or units cannot take an afternoon to turn the focus inward on the health of the unit and its members. Another duty of being a good wingman is accepting that it is a 24/7/365 responsibility. A good wingman doesn't take time off or is selective when it comes to safety or suicide prevention .

Look to the centerfold of this issue to read our Chief's views on how each of us can work to spot a potential disaster, and how we can help prevent one. The Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) was established to focus on our core value that every Airman is a wingman and responsible for taking care of each other. To prevent mishaps, a good wingman takes action - the key ingredient of being a good wingman. This is easier said than done, but action requires individual courage to step in and ensure our wingman is doing the right thing.

Remember: being a good wingman takes work .. . it takes knowing what programs you can draw on for knowledge, it is a 'life-long' duty, and it takes courage to step up to make a difference. Being a good wingman does save lives and does help us maintain our Combat Edge!

Colonel Creid K. Johnson, ACC Director of Safety

THE COMBAT EDGE JUNE2oo6/3

Conimand -- there's no bet-ter job in the world. After 7years in jobs with "commandauthority" and two squad-

ron commands, I figured I had a goodidea what command was all about. Iwas wrong. What changed my mind?Four words: "Shelter Commander" and"Hurricane Katrina."

From August 28 to September 2,2005, I lived with 730 of my "closestfriends" in 50-year-old Bryan Hall atKeesler Air Force Base, Miss. It wasmy third stint as a shelter commander,but it was unlike anything I had experi-enced before. As life slowly returns tonormal on the Gulf Coast, and I reflecton the experience, I've come to appreci-ate the unpredictably of command andhow much an event like Katrina canchange people and communities.

First, you have to understand somebasics. My shelter is a unique animalon Keesler. Most shelters here are dedi-cated primarily to one unit. Mine is not.I have all the active duty and familymembers from a wide variety of units:two training squadrons; Civil Engineers(CE); and Security Forces (SF) and theirprisoners; 100-plus Marines; commu-nications students, including Noncom-missioned Officers (NCOs) and roughly60 Lieutenants; 150 NCO Academystudents and their faculty; and 50 inter-national officers and their families. Thebuilding is an old nuclear fallout shelter,with no windows and no shower facili-ties. With that setting in mind, I offerthe following memories and thoughts onHurricane Katrina.

August 25th (Thursday): One ofmy sharp young Master Sergeants pointsout Katrina "may grow into somethingover the weekend" and suggests we up-date our shelter/evacuation data sheets.I admire his enthusiasm, tell him "that'snot a bad idea," and then promptly for-get to do anything. After all, Katrina'snot headed our way, and I've got otherthings to do besides worry about a pid-dly Category 1 storm.

August 27th (Saturday): TwoCrisis Action Team (CAT) meetings.Katrina has strengthened and is headedour way, due to arrive Monday after-noon. Tentatively plan to open shel-ters Monday morning. I remember the

14jilt.,

4.1

41JUN E 2006 THE COMBAT EDGE

MSgt's words and begin repeating every officer's golden rule : "Never ignore a senior NCO ... Never ignore a senior NCO."

August 28th (Sunday): Turn on CNN before heading to 8:00 a.m. CAT meeting. Radar pictures show Katrina as a Category 5, taking up the whole Gulf of Mexico and headed straight for us. It was due to arrive before dawn Monday. "Never ignore a senior NCO ... Never ignore a senior NCO."

10:00 a.m.: Initiate full recall and order all personnel to evacuate or shelter no later than 9:00p.m. Many people are out of town for the weekend. Account­ability is a nightmare.

5:00p.m.: Open the shelter. Peo­ple and families begin arriving. Have to stop two refrigerators, one 21-inch TV set, and three mattresses at the door. Students (of all ranks) drafted to help carry bags into the shelter. People are told to bring food and water for 3 days. Most bring food for 2 days; smokers bring cigarettes for 20 days. Have to break the news: no smoking inside the shelter, and, once you're checked in, you can't go outside (Hotel California rules).

THE COMBAT EDGE

10:00 p.m.: Doors locked and boarded up from the outside by CE (one door in an alcove left uncovered).

August 29th (Monday): 5:00 a.m.: Winds howling; can

hear them best through vents in bath­rooms at the end of the hallway (it didn 't sound like this during Hurricane Ivan).

8:00 a.m.: Shelterees (hereafter referred to as "the Natives") start mov­ing around. Smokers are looking for a nicotine fix , but remain calm.

10:00 a.m.: Local news reports indicate rising waters and violent winds. Plywood ripped from external doorways (I start getting uneasy; plywood has never moved in previous storms, much less flown away).

12:00 p.m.: News reports 20-plus feet of water in the local mall. Natives are getting anxious. Smokers are get­ting jittery.

Afternoon: Power goes out; generators

kick in. Not good. CE told us power can only go out if high-tension cables, that survived winds around 200 miles per hour during Hurricane Camille, go down. Air conditioning stops working; ventilation fans stop working. No win-

dows, no open doors, 73 I nervous peo­ple .. . in Mississippi ... in August. Ask for generator fuel status and burn rate. Have enough fuel for 2 days.

• Natives who smoke are starting to visibly shake; many look physically ill.

• Cable TV goes out. Natives get creative with antennas; I spot the bottom half of an NCO sticking out from ceiling tiles. Apparently reception is better if you connect a stripped copper commu­nication cable from the TV to pipes in the ceiling. l appoint a safety observer and hope for the best.

• CE reports primary generator has flames coming out of it, so shut it off. Internet connectivity is lost. Down to one generator; power only in hallways and a few rooms.

• Water stops running. Toilets are overflowing. With medical advice, I brief the Natives on how to use plastic bags for toilet facilities (someone used this method within 10 minutes). Dis­posal of plastic bags in a sealed building is a concern. Adventurous major goes into the basement and finds 1961-vin­tage Civil Defense Survival Sanitation Kits. Basically, a 3-foot tall cardboard

port-o-potty with a hole cut in the top.This does not look fun; however, 44-year -old toilet paper (it was dated) issurprisingly soft.

One hour later: Water comesback on thanks to CE heroes going outin the storm to repair the pumping sta-tion. I hug the first CE troop I can find.Thankfully, sanitation kits are not used,but kept on standby.

CE troops coming off shift re-port half of the flight line is underwater;BX and Commissary are in water 6 feetdeep and it's rising; trees are down allover the base; the CE building has col-lapsed. Natives begin to get the picture-- this is worse than either HurricanesIvan or Dennis.

Evening:6:00 p.m.: Winds still dangerous

so cannot open doors. It's hot ... it'shumid ... Natives are getting cranky;smokers showing signs of extreme du-ress. One is carrying two unlit cigarettesaround. I suggest he tear one open andput it behind his lip for a nicotine fix.He informs me he's already eaten an en-tire pack and it didn't help. I can't thinkof anything to say in response, so I pathim on the back and wish him luck.

Babies and young kids gettinggrumpy; too hot to nap.

Barely-visible news reports (onvery fuzzy TV picture) report massivedevastation in the area. Dead silencein hallway as Natives crowd around thelone TV with a discernible picture. Ten-sion is rising.

8:00 p.m.: Too hot to breathe; 731nervous people generate a lot of sweatand a variety of smells. Command Postsays stay locked down so we don't open

doors. Natives make strange noiseswhen I walk by. Not sure the "ShelterCommander" badge is a good thing tobe wearing right now. First Sergeant re-ports Natives consider me the embodi-ment of evil.

Cops go on shift. The best NCOin the Air Force is assigned to patrolbase housing; he offers to try to checkon my cat during his shift (we left her inthe hallway of my house).

9:00 p.m.: Even hotter. Poke myhead outside; it's ugly, but winds havedied down. Command Post says staybuttoned up. Natives are in small groupsmumbling about how to eliminate acommander. Survival instincts tell meto get some air in here. Posted Marinesat every exit and opened all the doors.I'm a hero; Natives love me. Haven'theard "thank you" this much since I putmy shirt back on at the squadron poolparty.

10:00 p.m.: Smokers running outof cigarettes to eat. Open a side doorand rope off a 10-foot by 10-foot smok-ing area. No more than five people at atime; no more than 5 minutes at a time.Sucking cigarettes look like blow-torch-es in reverse; everyone loves me.

Nobody sleeps much; tough tosleep in pools of sweat.

August 30th (Tuesday):1:45 a.m.: One of my NCOs

wakes me up because, "Cops want totalk to you, Sir." The SF senior NCOis direct. "The good news is your catis fine." Next question was obvious ashe hands back my house key and adds."The bad news is 1 didn't need this toget into your house." "Ilk

DISASTER SUPPLY KITSFOR THE HOME

Use sturdy, easy-to-carry containerslike back acks or duffle bass to storekit supplies. Portability is importantshould you have to move to higherground at a moment's notice. Kits

should be designed to sustain familymembers for a minimum of 3 days;however, as Hurricane Katrinademonstrated, supplies might haveto last up to 1 or 2 weeks. It's alsoimperative that everyone knows wheretheir designated shelters are located.BE PREPARED.

Water (1 gallon per person perday)

Food items (preferably high en-ergy and non-perishable)

Change of clothing and footwearper person

First-aid kit (include prescriptionmedications and mosquito repel-lant)

Emergency tools (include handsaw and/or chain saw, sheet plas-tic)

NOAA Weather Radio with warn-ing alarm tone and battery backup

Portable RadioFlashlights (one per person;

avoid using candles or kerosenelamps)

Extra batteriesExtra set of car keysCredit cards and cashCards, games, booksSpecialty items for infants, el-

derly, disabled, petsWaterproof container for impor-

tant family documentsFull tank of gas for each vehicleKnow where your designated

shelter areas are locally and yourbase's evacuation location (if ap-plicable)

THE COMBAT EDGE JUNE 2006 7

on't you enjoy curling up bya fire, sitting under an elm inthe spring, or sipping tea bythe pool with a copy of Blue

Four News? Do you reminisce aboutthe days when you stood by the ops deskto read the latest mishap report? Doesthe thought of serving on an accidentinvestigation board bring a smile toyour face? If you grimaced or answered"no" to these questions, you're probablynot alone. However, if you answered"yes" to any of these questions, perhapsthat explains why you couldn't wait toread this article.

"NO" you retort? Well, is therean alternative to mishap investigationsand reporting? Is there an alternativethat requires less effort and stress? Ofcourse! It's called strategic planningor, more simply, a targeted mishapprevention plan. Wouldn't we ratherfocus our attention on the simple thingswe can control that measurably reducethe chance of another mishap? Of coursewe would! But, what are these "simplethings," and if they're so "simple," whyaren't targeted mishap prevention planscommon? Plausible explanations tothis latter question are myriad. Whatyou're probably wondering is how youcan escape to this side of safety.

First, you need to define yourmission in operational terms. That'sright! An effective program startswith a clearly defined target, usingsimple but few words, characterizedin a relevant manner. For example, letme suggest that the safety mission is to"enhance combat effectiveness (perhapssome prefer terms like "firepower"rather than "effectiveness") by thereduction of preventable mishaps." Thechallenge is the definition of termslike "preventable mishaps" and how toconfirm your program trains attentionon the right "simple things." For thisarticle, I'll define a "preventablemishap" as any accident caused by theviolation of official guidance (e.g., techorders, policy, Air Force Instructions,law). A useful metric might be asustained increase in sortie production,while quality assurance violationsshow a sustained downturn. Whateveryou choose, clarity is a necessity. Theadage, "you can't hit what you can't see"is certainly applicable when we seek todefine a mission.

8 I JUNE 2006 THE, COMBAT EDGE

Second, get yourself an Air ForceSafety Automated System account(AFSAS). AFSAS is chock full of data.What would you do with this data? Thatcomes next. Sign up for an AFSASaccount at https://sas.kirtland.af.mil.Training on how to use this system isalso provided at this website.

Now, think back to the dayswhen someone told you about goals,objectives, and key focus (or action)areas and how objectives enable goalachievement and key focus (or action)areas enable objective achievement.Consider your "goal" your missionstatement. Now you'll need thatAFSAS account and some appliedthought (although not much of thelatter). Your challenge is to identifythe three to five areas where your nextmishap might occur. Use AFSAS tohelp you identify those three to fivemost likely future mishaps. Start witha 10-year window of AFSAS dataunique to your Air Force role (e.g.,sortie generation, flying, spice launch/ops, supply, medical, force protection)and look for trends and shifts in trends.Make sure you understand why youidentify a trend or shift in data so youcan expand or shrink your window ordiscard data to avoid incongruity in thedata set. Now, hold that sight picture,it's time for an overt assumption.

Events can be cyclical, despiteour best efforts. From a safetyperspective, a recurring mishap "can'tbe good." However, sometimes we re-learn that aircrew discipline, clearingyour flight path, thorough missionpreparation, attention to detail, clearand engaged leadership are basicsthat, as Jed Clampett might say, "don'ttake too kindly" to being forgotten.Unfortunately, such things continue tocrop up as causes in mishaps. Hence,during your AFSAS search, if you finda recurring trend, you should considerthat helpful as you try to discern thethree to five most likely mishapsunder your watch.

But, shouldn't the environmenthave a say in this assessment? Theenvironment influences everything.Therefore, consider the merge of theenvironment with your search forthe next likely mishaps. Considerthe environment especially once you

THE COMBAT EDGE JUNE 20061 9

101JUNE2006 THE COMBAT EDGE

implement your strategy. Changesin the environment, to includesocial influences such as holidayperiods, will have differing effects,increasing the likelihood of certainmishap occurrences over othersduring those periods.

OK, so you have a goal (anoperationalized safety missionstatement) and objectives (i.e., threeto five types of likely mishaps) nowyou're ready to go, right? Go where?Whoa! Hold on there! What are thethings, those "simple things," thatare key to reducing the occurrenceof those three to five mishaps?Some of those things you probablyknow (e.g., adhere to tech orderguidance, attention to detail, keepleadership informed). But, how doyou apply these mantras and gleanfrom a potential mishap area whereto focus new attention? You'll findthat each installation will be uniquebecause of environmental factors,tools, and experience mix, so noone base with a similar mission willhave the same focus areas or mishappotential areas as another base.However, each base will have aboutseven to eight key focus (or action)areas that have a cause-and-effectrelationship with those three to fivemishap areas that fit under the "SAMprinciple" (Simple, Actionable,Measurable). Perhaps one of theseseven to eight key focus (or action)areas is emphasis on certain types orphases of training or spot-inspectionand serviceability of certain toolsor parts or systems. Perhaps whenit rains or gets below freezing someof these seven to eight areas becomemore important to increase attentionon than the others, although all willremain important.

Well, now you're ready to go!Yep, that's right! You've got theground safety discipline in a corner,but what about flight, and weaponssafety? "You mean I have to do thisseparately for all three disciplines?"Yes you do. Fortunately, some keyfocus (or action) areas may crossover into one or more disciplines.However, within a targeted mishap

prevention plan there may be asmany as 24 different key focus(or action) areas to track. Now, ifyou think that's too many items totrack, consider how diverse yourunit or base is in terms of missioncomplexity. With that in view, thenumber 24 might not seem so large.

There's just one moretrick. Make those responsiblefor a particular key focus (oraction) area(s) accountable to thecommander once a week/monthduring unit stand up for the status ontheir focus (or action) area(s) (e.g.,metrics, actions). I am confidentthat if you do this your targetedmishap prevention plan will almostrun itself. The only thing you'llneed to do is a semiannual progresscheck to confirm the direction andmagnitude of metrics to validate ifyour plan focuses on the differencemaking focus (or action) areas; ifthey don't, then change them.

As a former college professoronce said, "that's it, there ain't nomore!" Felt like you've been to schooljust reading this, huh? Your headprobably hurts just from reading,let alone thinking about doing thisyourself. Well, delegate out the tasksto your people and expect this to be amany-week project. Send your draftto other bases and get their inputfor a stronger plan (you'll be gladyou did). It's really not that hard todo, and you'll learn a lot about ourAir Force doing it. Of course, thealternative is reading another copyof Blue Four News (this time aboutyour unit) or wiping that grin offyour face as you look forward to a30-day TDY as an accident boardmember.

Col Good is Director of Safetyfor Ninth Air Force and US CentralAir Forces. He looks forward tohelping you on your way with youown targeted mishap preventionplan. He can be reached at john.good@shaw.af.mil or at DSN 965-3179. Col Good offers special thanksto Colonels Creid Johnson and MikeBeard who were the impetus behindsome of these concepts. W

THE COMBAT EDGE JUNE 2006.1 11

by Lt Col Dave Hagginbothom, USAF (Ret.)

A-,,,,,most.

two and a hall decadesago when I was a brand newAir Force pilot, my first intro-

duction to flight safety was via MilitaryAirlift Command's slogan "Beware TheAWTH" ( Accident Viting To Happen).The AWTH was embb ied in a carica-ture of a menacing-loo g gremlin ala The Twilight Zone. St e retiring.over a year ago, I've spent ti reflect-ing back upon my flying caree whichspanned two decades and four .'orcommands. The pages of my two fli t

log books revealed, at the macroscopilevel, radically different experiencesand required mindsets in each differentaircraft and mission.

What's the applicability to USAFpilots today? You may have just been se-lected for the F-22A or will be sometimein the future for the F-35; your weaponssystem may be modified with a majorblock upgrade; or, you may simply findyourself back flying white jets. Regard-less, complacency about potential haz-ards, whether from an under-exposure orover-exposure to In-Flight Emergencies(IFEs), increases the likelihood of situa-

tions requiring superior skills to prevailover less-than-superior judgment.

My first T-41 flight was on my 21stbirthday and my fini-flight in the mightyTweet was just 2 days prior to my 41st.In the interim, I logged over 3,400 flighthours in five different aircraft. My firstassignment was in Operational SupportAirlift (OSA) flying the CT-39 Sabre -liner and C-21 Learjet.

OSA "seasoning" was second tonone. In 3 years and 7 monthLafter pi-lot training, I flew 920 sorties, loggingnearly 1,600 flight hours. That's rough-

260 sorties and 450 hours per year.ng that entire period, I recorded

onl ne IFEs and about the same num-ber o .ather diverts in my log book.That's o one, out-of-the-ordinary oc-currence ery 50 sorties -- abouttwo or three c ces per year to actuallyapply what we r- about in Section 3 ofthe Dash One.

Contrast that h my next ex-perience as initial cadr 1 the B-1. Afavorite target of criticis le Block BB-1 of the late eighties an' ly nine-ties was significantly differen n the

Block D and E B-1 s that have garneredpraise from the mid-nineties through to-day.

In back-to-back operational toursthat included 5 years and 3 months ac-tively flying "the Bone," I logged 224

sorties and an even 1,000 flight hours.When I tallied the number of IFEs, airaborts for weather or maintenance, andsafety reportable incidents, the total was48! (At that time, a sortie without atleast 2 pages of 781 write-ups was re-markable.) Overall that meant that oneout of every five B-1 sorties had somesort of out-of-the-ordinary incident.Furthermore, flying an average of only41 times each year -- eight of which hadan IFE or air abort -- gave pilots goodreason to add tabs to their "abbreviated"checklists and in-flight guides.

From being an instructor/aircraftcommander in the C-21 to a combatmission ready Instructor Pilot (IP) in theB-1, my sortie count decreased by 84

percent and hours flown decreased by59 percent. These decreases happenedall while IFE/air aborts increased ten-fold from 2 to 20 percenlip an incredibly

more complex weapon system worth 100times more thltr-thecommercial off-the-shelf executive jet.In all fairness though, my paycheck diddouble!

Following a staff tour, my finaltying assignment was as a T-37 IP atSheppard AFB, Texas. There, nearlyevery sortie with a student pilot wasan accident waiting to happen whileactual 1FEs and air aborts werethankfully very rare. But, nevermind their infrequency, emergencyprocedure rims still had to be tak-en seriously and boldface proce-dures memorized exactly.

Like mine, your flyingexperiences may vary widelydepending on the aircraft andits mission. The one constantthroughout your career oughtto be your preparedness tosafely resolve out-of-the-or-dinary occurrences no mat-ter how often they happen.

Tiber ... the AWTH isstill out there! Fly safely,

The fire department waterrescue team rescued twoswimmers at a local beachnear Andersen Air Force

Base, Guam. When the rescue teamarrived on scene just after midnight,security forces were already there, saidMaster Sgt Gregory Chesser, 36th CivilEngineer Squadron assistant fire chieffor training. The victim had been sweptbeyond a reef about 90 to 150 feet out,and another man who tried to help wascaught on the reef.

"This was our first night [on]water rescue," said Senior AirmanKevin Klein, 36th CES rescue teammember. "The man on the reef wassafe, but the person out past the reef wasin more immediate danger, so we wentfor him first." The swimmer had beenin the water for more than 20 minutesand was tired and exhausted whenhe was pulled out of the water, said

Airman Klein, who was riding onthe back of the Jet Ski driven

by Airman 1st ClassKaimana Macam-

Mehrtens.

Swimming at the beach, withits strong currents and unpredictableriptides, is so dangerous that swimmersare prohibited from going into thewater at night. "This incident clearlydemonstrates that our safety briefingsare serious," said Col P.K. White, 36thAir Expeditionary Wing commander."Reef walking not only puts you indanger, it also endangers the lives of therescue team."

"It was a wake-up call," AirmanKlein said. "(The victim's) family wasall out there, screaming and watching.It was very sad and motivating at thesame time." A number of factors wentinto making this a successful rescueeffort instead of a recovery situation. Aphone at the beach connects directly tolaw enforcement members, said StaffSgt John Cartwright, 36th CES mainfire station captain. The victim's familymembers were able to quickly callsecurity forces, who sent rescue forces;which reduced the amount of time thevictim spent in the water.

Sergeant Cartwright estimatedfrom the moment they arrived on scene,it took only 10 minutes before the victimwas pulled from the water. "We got luckybecause (the swimmer) got away from

the reef instead of swimming towardit. and the \\ ater v as calm that

ing." Airman Kleinsaid. "The swimmer

past the reefalso had a

flashlight with him, which is hoknew he was in the water and how wecould locate him " Although the waterrescue team's Airmen train monthly tokeep their response time down and tohave practice in the water, their trainingis usually during the day.

"We have never trained at night,"Sergeant Cartwright said, explaining itwas usually too dangerous to try. Thatnight the tide was low, which increasedthe risk of hitting the reef. The rescueteam had to be exactly in the cut openingin the reef, or their Jet Skis would havegotten stuck on top of it, officials said.

Conducting a night rescuepresented challenges to the team theynormally do not experience duringdaytime. "We couldn't see the man inthe water, and it was difficult finding thecut in the reef because we couldn't tellwhere the waves were breaking," AirmanKlein said. "It's a whole different worldat night -- it's a lot scarier."

The Airmen credit their successto their intense training and theirgroup effort. They have to completea certification course that covers JetSki operations, ocean currents andconditions and a swimming test, Airman

NNW Klein said. "It's s all about teamwork andrelying on your driver," he said.

"I'm very proud of our rescueteam," Colonel White said. "They saveda man's life out there; what they did wasnothing short of heroic"

Photo by AMN Edm- Lind Gibbons

OW

Photo by AMN Edmund Gibbons

P1 to liv S'SW "Clemen

THE COMBA T EDGE JUNI:200

DEPARTMENTOF THE AIR FORCE

OFFICE OF HECHIEF OF STAFF

WASHINGTON DC

1 2 APR 20b

MEMORANDUMFOR ALMAICOM-F0A-DRU/CC

FROM: HQ USAF/CC1670 Air Force Pentagon

Washington, DC 20330-1670

Ten years ago, the theembarked on an unprecedented

communitycampaign to

SUBJECT:Suicide Prevention

prevent suicides.The attached 11 initiatives

of the Air ForceSuicide Prevention

Program

(AFSPP) focuseson our core

value that everyAirman is a wingman and

responsible for taking

We've seen a 30 percentdrop in Air Force suicide rates since the implementation

ofcare of each other.

AFSPP. However,we continue to lose too many Airmen to suicide: 31 in CY05

and 12 so far in

CY06. One recumng theme is that the problemsfaced by Air Force suicide

victims werc often

unknown to the unit, or the unit didn't realize the MI severity of these problems. It is imperative

that frontlinesupervisors take

time to learn what is going on in the lives of their subordinates,

both on and off duty. Frontline supervisorsare our first line of defense in preventing suicide,

and they must know and understand theirpersonnel well

enough to detecttroubled fellow

Airmen and take effectivepreventive action. Commanders

and First Sergeants play a vital role

in engaging with frontlinesupervisors to

identify those at risk and get them help.

EveAirman is a vital national

treasure. I ask commandersto ensure the full

ry

implementationof all 11 initiatives on their installations.

My point of contact for this issue is Col it Campbell,AF/SGOC, DSN

297-5328, or

whit.campbell@pentagon.af.mil.

Suicide preventionis a total community effort,

and I need your

full engagementin caring for our Airmen.

T

MICHAELUS AFGeneral'

AF

Chief °1,Staff

A11Initiatives of the Air Force Suicide Prttachment:

evention Program

atabase thattrack s on alt Air Force

The11 initiatives

of theAir Force

Suicide andPrevention

Programare described

m detailm

PAM 44..160.

nitia<>< .,..,es ec~rutn her sen or suicide

lOr lcaa ~ efforts. crs, and

: Suicide Prevention

riew is > 'h a high.

and-<>ff' is then !he Jvidcr ·r

I any

A.t lhe Air m.1 reView orlhe ~rdinate Obietns.

iiSCd n). ·or lils).

In January 2005, my life was changedforever. That was the month I

decided that I was going to learnhow to ride a motorcycle. I made thisdecision even though I had lost a closefriend in a motorcycle accident almost 5months earlier.

I prepared by taking the requiredmotorcycle safety course and consultingmy mother, who also rides. As a FirstSergeant in the U.S. Army, my motherhas dealt with many motorcycleincidents and explained to me thedangers of riding. I have to admit I wasexcited, but also a little apprehensiveabout buying a bike.

I was lucky to have manycoworkers in my flight help me to makethe transition. Like many people doin their first couple months of riding,I did drop my bike, but a close friendreassured me and advised me to takemy time becoming comfortable withmy bike. All of my training and advicefrom others resulted in me having thebest time ever this past summer. Andthe fall riding season was going great ...until one fateful Saturday in October.

The weather had been terrible forthe previous couple of weeks, but a goodweekend had finally arrived. I called upmy close friends to see if anyone wantedto ride, but no one was home, so I left abunch of messages. Around 11:00 a.m.,one of my friends returned my call. Hetold me a group of people were ridingover to Greenville, N.C., to eat lunch,ride around town, and then come back.I couldn't leave at that time, so I toldthem I was going to stay back.

Around 12:30 p.m., the sameclose friend who had helped me getcomfortable with riding called. Hewanted to know if I still wanted to rideto Greenville and meet up with theothers. I jumped at the opportunity sowe made plans for him to come to myhouse at 2:00 p.m. I went outside andcleaned my bike, checked the tires andbrakes, and filled the tank.

My friend showed up on time asusual. I grabbed my jacket and madesure I had a reflective belt in the pocketin case we headed home after dark.When I got outside, I saw that he hadhis girlfriend riding along with him asa passenger. She and I were coworkersand good friends; she was an awesomeperson to work with and we hung outoften. Needless to say, I was excited

18 I JUNE 2006 THE COMBAT EDGE

she was coming along for the ride. AsI got on my bike, I prayed (as I alwayshad) for a safe journey. I need all thehelp I can get when tackling the inherentdangers of riding! We were on our waybefore long, and it was an absolutelyperfect day: no clouds, light traffic, andno wind. That meant we could open upa little on the throttle if we wanted to; inother words, speed.

At this point I need to confess tohaving a history of speeding. Speedingis a reckless behavior on a bike, and 1,like many other riders out there, havesped. However, that practice came to anabrupt end after a ride I took down a 10-mile stretch of road where I pushed mybike to the limit. When I got home thatday, I couldn't wait to tell my wife whatI had done. My excitement was quicklyextinguished when she went ballistic.She yelled at me so bad that my 4-year-old son had to consol me afterwards.Out of respect for my wife, I made apact with her that I would never speedlike that again.

My friend on the other bike knewabout this pact and had thought it was agood idea. He had been riding all typesof motorcycles for about 8 years and wasvery experienced and knowledgeableof road conditions. It was because ofhis advice that I had steered clear ofother reckless behaviors (e.g., wheelies,endos, etc.) being done in some of thelocal riding clubs. Of course, I alwaysgot to hear a lot of jokes about being inthe "puppy pack," but for me, thingswere cool.

As we left town and turned onto thecountry road that leads to Greenville, wecruised moderately down each stretchand around each curve. We eventuallycame to a light and turned onto a two-lane road that runs for about 10 milesand has very small curves in-between.About 2 miles down the road, an openstraightaway came up where you couldsee almost a mile ahead. I was ridingbehind my friends and saw his girlfriendadjust a little bit on the back seat andhug him tight. There appeared to be nooncoming traffic, so I figured they weregoing to take off, and that's exactlywhat they did. I gave them a 4-secondcushion and proceeded to do the same.But as soon as I shifted, I rememberedthe pact I had made with my wife andlet off instantly. I knew I was going tohear the "puppy pack" jokes again, but

that was fine. The group I normally ridewith waits for me, and anyone else, tocatch up after they dart off, so I figuredmy friend would do the same thing.

As I eased up, I rememberseeing my friend come up behind abrown truck, which kind of blendedinto the foreground. On the oppositeside, further down the road was a darkcolored vehicle. My friend was able toget around the truck in time, but thenI noticed the brake lights on the truckcome on as the dark colored car beganto turn around. It was a State Trooper,and he was going after my friend to pullhim over. I remember thinking howmuch his insurance was going to shootup from the ticket when I realized thatthe trooper had his lights on, but not hissiren. What I witnessed next made timestand still.

The road curved slightly asit approached an intersection. Alarge white truck was coming to the

intersection from the left. It came to arolling stop and then proceeded to turnleft onto the road going in the samedirection we were. I am sure the truckdid not see my friend coming becausehe was traveling so fast.

My friend struck the passengerside of the truck near the headlights.After the initial contact, his bike raninto the back of a smaller truck furtherahead of the intersection. I saw both myfriends fly off the bike and make contactwith that smaller truck.

It took about 7 or 8 seconds forme to catch up to the accident scene.By the time I arrived, the trooper wasalready out of his car checking people.He checked both my friends' vitals andthen checked the passengers of the twotrucks.

As I approached both my friends,I did not think about how bad the scenelooked. Instead, my training kickedin, and I thought about the aid I could

try to administer. They were both inbad shape. My friend's girlfriend wasclosest so I checked her first. Herhelmet had come off and, she had nopulse and was not breathing. I ran andchecked my friend and did not see himbreathing either. They were both lyingon their stomachs and I was afraid toturn them over and administer CPR incase that would worsen a possible neckinjury. I felt so completely helpless.

Shortly after, the emergencymedical technicians arrived. Theyconfirmed that my friend's girlfriendhad died on impact, and, although hewasn't breathing, he still had a pulse.In about 5 minutes, which seemed likean eternity, he was flown to the nearesthospital, where he later passed away aswell.

I stayed until the scene had beencleared. It was the most devastatingevent I have ever witnessed in my short25 years of life. I remember on my ride

home feeling empty inside. Visions ofthe accident played back and forth in myhead. It took a day or two to realize myfriends were gone.

My chain of command somehowfound out about the reason I didn't speedthat day. While I was proud of myselffor keeping my pact with my wife, ithurt to think about the difference thathad made. I was thankful I had trustedmy heart, but also upset at myself fornot reminding my friends about the pactbefore riding that day -- a day when itcould have made the difference betweenlife and death. I realize the responsibilitylies with each rider, but that is moredifficult to rationalize when you careabout the people involved or when youactually watch them lose their lives.

I will never forget having tomake those calls to tell friends aboutthe accident or seeing the expressionon the faces of the First Sergeant andCommander. If I had been able tocapture their faces on film, those pictureswould have spoken a thousand wordsabout the depth of the loss we were allexperiencing.

I know from the bottom of myheart, I will forever remember myfriends. While I thought that telling mywife that day about my speeding was thewrong move, it turned out to be the bestthing I have ever done. Without thatpact with my wife, I am sure I wouldhave followed my friends and ended uplosing my life. While I had felt "forced"to make it with her, it ended up savingmy life. I will always remember that. I

will also always let others know aboutthat terrible day with the hopes that itwill save another life. What I discoveredthat Saturday was that the bond betweentwo hearts ended up being stronger thanthe welds holding the metal pieces ofthat motorcycle together. '11F

by Maj Gregory S. Laffitte, Moody AFB, Ga.Photos by SSgt E. Samuel Rogers

lifesavinJune 2, 2005, was a special day forour family because my daughterwas turning 16. The evening plan

was to have a small dinner party witha few of her friends. My responsibilityas "Dad" was to prepare and serve myworld famous hickory smoked chicken.

I was particularly excited aboutmy daughter's gift this year. After alengthy search for the perfect present,I had purchased a pellet rifle completewith metal silhouettes of big gameanimals for target practice. Whatmore could a 16-year-old girl ask for?Smoked chicken and target practice; itjust doesn't get any better than that!

I was standing in my drivewayanticipating that flavorful hickory aromawhen I saw my neighbors assistinganother neighbor across the street. Thewoman appeared sick and in need ofattention. While I only knew her asthe middle-aged neighbor who alwayswaved when I passed her, somethingdefinitely was not right.

22 I JUNE 2006 THE COMBAT EDGE

I ran down the street to her houseand went right in. Her dogs werebarking out of control and the otherthree neighbors were standing aroundcasually, unsure about what to do.The woman was lying on a couch in acompletely unnatural position with hereyes rolled back and not breathing. I

quickly realized no one else was awareof the seriousness of the situation.

When I asked what was wrongwith her, the three neighbors told meshe had blood pressure and blood sugarproblems and did not like to go to thedoctor or take medicine. Staring at thislifeless woman, I experienced the classicsensation of "time standing still."

I immediately performed theclassic "look, listen, and feel" drill,confirming that I had a non-responsive,non-breathing victim without a

palpable pulse. My Cardio PulmonaryResuscitation (CPR) training kicked inand I began to go through the steps I hadbeen taught over the years.

I

Someone helped me get theunconscious woman to the floorwhere I then initiated the rescue breathsequence. When the two rescue breathsfailed to revive her, I directed someonecall 911 and asked another person toassist me in performing two-personCPR. Together we accomplished thechest compressions and rescue breathsexactly by the book.

After what seemed like aneternity the victim opened her eyes andappeared to breathe on her own! Westopped CPR and rolled her onto herside. This "recovery" position wouldallow her to vomit without aspiratingher stomach contents into her lungs.She did get sick and within secondswas once again unconscious and hadstopped breathing.

We rolled her again onto her backand gave her two additional rescuebreaths. She opened her eyes again, butwas obviously confused and completelydisoriented. That was when I noticed a

droop on the right side of her face andthat her speech was remarkably slurred.

We returned her to the recoveryposition where she again stoppedbreathing for the third time! Fortunately,we were able to revive her withinminutes of the ambulance arriving.The paramedics then took over andtransported her to the EmergencyRoom for follow-on care. It was laterdetermined that she had suffered astroke.

After the ambulance left, I walkedhome, finished cooking dinner, andcelebrated my daughter's 16th birthday.

The chicken was good-to-go, and sheloved the pellet rifle!

Many of us have had CPR training.Those of us who have actually had theopportunity to use it know how criticalthis training is. According to the RedCross, last year 220,000 Americansdied of sudden cardiac arrest, which isalmost one person every 2 minutes. Younever know when you will find yourselfin the vicinity of one of those people.Take the training seriously and be readyat all times - someone's life might justdepend on it. 'IF

The two goals of CPR are to keep ox-ygenated blood flowing through the body(especially vital organs like the heart andbrain) and to keep air flowing in and outof the lungs. The cardiac chain of survivalbegins with CHECK-CALL-CARE:

1. CHECK. When you recognize anemergency situation requiring CPR, youshould first check to make sure the sceneis safe for you and any bystanders.

2. CALL. Once the scene is secured,call or have someone call 911 or the localemergency number.

3. CARE. These are the basic CPRsteps for an adult:

a. Check the person for responsivenessby tapping and shouting. If the persondoes not respond, check their airway.

b. Open the person's airway by tiltingtheir head and lifting their chin. Checkthe person's breathing by looking, listen-ing with your ear, and feeling the person'schest. If the person is not breathing,check their circulation.

c. Circulation can be determined bychecking the person's pulse. This is doneby placing your hand at the side of theperson's neck. If you do not find a pulse,begin CPR.

d. With the head tilted back, give tworescue breaths by pinching the nose,

covering the person's mouth with yours,and blowing until you see the chest rise.Each breath should take 2 seconds. If

the person does not respond by breath-ing normally, coughing, or moving, beginchest compressions.

e. Position palms of hands in the centerof the chest and firmly push down 1 1/2to 2 inches on the chest 15 times. Pumpat the rate of 100 per minute, which isfaster than once per second.

f. Continue with two breaths and 15pumps until help arrives. In two-personCPR, the person pumping the chest stopswhile the other gives mouth-to-mouthbreathing.

Both the American Heart Association(AHA) and the American Red Cross pro-vide CPR training. To find a class nearyou, contact your local Red Cross or theAHA at 1-800-AHA-USA-1 or 1 -800-242 -8721. You can also locate a classby going to the AHA website, www amen-canheart org If a CPR course is not avail-able near your location, the AHA offers aself-directed personal CPR kit for under$30.00 that takes 22 minutes to learnthe core skills of CPR.

by TSgt Donnie Reid, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Dusk had descendedupon us, and it wasjust starting to getdark. We'd turnedon the "Lite-Alls"about 10 minutesbefore, and the

lights on the gantry were starting tomake a difference at the "Off-load" sideof the Munitions Assembly Conveyor.We had six MK-82, 500-pound bombswith low drag fins fitted with fuzes leftto wire and place on a trailer before wewere done for the day.

The shift supervisor, a Staff Ser-geant, had left me in charge of the op-eration prior to leaving for the flight lineto answer a maintenance call. That leftfive of us working on the pad; myself(a Senior Airman who had taken over as

241JUNE 2006 THE COMBAT EDGE

crew chief), another Senior Airman whohad sewn on the stripe about a monthearlier, two Airmen First Class and afairly new Airman. About 20 minutesafter our shift supervisor departed forthe flight line, the Quality Assurance(QA) Inspector pulled up to the pad.

I picked up my crew book, andlet my crew know I was leaving to gotalk to the QA Inspector. As I pickedup the book, I noticed that the book stillshowed the SSgt as the crew chief andit listed my name as handling a fire ex-tinguisher. I quickly lined through theSSgt's name and put my name in thecrew chief block. I also added the QAInspector's name as a casual observer aswell as updating the crew size to five.As I began briefing the inspector, I no-ticed movement out of the corner of my

eye, and quickly glanced over in time tosee the young Airman with a safing pinin his left hand, while turning the arm-ing vane with his right pointer finger.

I stood frozen for what seemedlike a lifetime, but was only a couple ofseconds, unsure as to what to do next.I came out of my trance and asked theQA Inspector to evacuate following thecrew member that was tasked to per-form evacuation in case of emergency.With that done, I went over to checkthe fuze. In my mind, I began to real-ize I had a partially or fully armed fuzeon my pad, and I quickly snatched thesafmg pin away from the young Airmanand told him to evacuate as well. WhileI was putting the safmg pin back into thearming vane, I called Munitions Controlto have them notify Explosive Ordnance

Disposal (EOD) to come out and checkon the safety of the fuze. The armingwindows still showed green (unarmed)but I didn't want to take any chances.

EOD responded and confirmedthe fuze was safe. The crew and QAreturned to the pad as we finished upstringing the arming wire.

I learned a couple of things thatday. First, when you are responsible forany operation, not just one where a po-tential explosive mishap can kill every-one in the area, ensure that the operationstops if you have to leave it for any rea-son or any length of time. In my case,briefing the QA inspector would havetaken a couple of minutes, but stoppingthe operation and preventing over 45minutes of headaches would have onlytaken seconds.

Second, when taking an opera-tion over as the crew chief, take a lookat your crew book (or safety data pageor whatever your team uses to brief re-sponsibilities and duties for the opera-tion) and ensure everyone knows whatthey are assigned to do. Ensure to docu-ment the changes and fill out paperworkproperly and completely.

Finally, I should have taken moretime to understand what the young Air-man had been doing up to that point, aswell as what he knew about the currentoperation and if he was trained to per-form the task at hand. I later discoveredthat, prior to me taking over the opera-tion; the young Airman's only job was toshadow the crew chief. When the youngAirman had asked me what I wanted himto do, I set him to work on stringing the

arming wire. Stringing the arming wireis only a small part of the entire opera-tion, but the Technical Order (T.O.) spe-cifically states that if fuze safing devicesare not present, or if an armed indicationis present, the fuze is considered partial-ly armed or armed. The T.O. also statesthat the appropriate personnel need tobe notified should a partially armed orarmed condition exist.

Ultimately, I learned a great dealabout what I need to be doing a's a crewchief. , Luckily a potential explosivemishap was avoided and we all lived tosee another day. Although it would havetaken the young Airman a bit more timespinning the arming vane before get-ting the fuze to arm, the situation neverwould have come up if I had properlybriefed and monitored him. W.

THE COMBAT EDGE JUNE 20061 25

Award of Distinction

Capt Jesse Winters and AlC Sean Gillespie distinguished them­

selves while demonstrating their exceptional airmanship while

faced with multiple aircraft emergencies. On the first occasion ,

Capt Winters and AlC Gillespie were recovering an MQ-1 aircraft that

was experiencing a flight control malfunction. With an aileron servo

overheating and facing impending aileron failure, they successfully re­

covered the aircraft with only minimal aileron control available. They

prepped and launched a second aircraft as a spare. Takeoff and climb

out were uneventful , but upon reaching altitude, an engine oil seal failed and the aircraft lost all engine oil within seconds. With the loss

of oil , the engine failed entirely. Demonstrating excellent crew re­

source management skills they were able to successfully position the aircraft for and execute a flawless engine-out recovery to Salad . Later

in the same month, the same crew took control of an aircraft that was

missing the nose wheel and much of the nose strut. The aircraft was

low on fuel and winds out of aircraft limits and increasing. Capt Win­

ters and AlC Gillespie had no option but to attempt a landing. Again,

l

Award of Distinction

Capt Nicholson was #2 of a 2-ship on an F-15C continuation

training sortie. Shortly after entering the airspace, the flight

was performing a nose low descent to transition into the low altitude structure. During his descent at approximately 30 degrees

nose low and 450 knots , the master caution light illuminated with a

roll ratio and pitch ratio light and the sluggish flight controls. Despite the flight control difficulties, Capt Nicholson leveled out and retarded

the throttle and began to slow the aircraft. Upon level out, the roll and

pitch ratio lights went out and the hydraulic and left ramp light illu­

minated indicating a hydraulic problem. Capt Nicholson immediately

made a decision to return to base. After a short period, the Utility A

light transitioned to a Utility B light, which is indicative of a Utility hy­

draulic leak. He immediately accelerated the aircraft to expedite the

recovery. Capt Nicholson took the lead and directed his wingman to

perform a battle damage (BD) check to look for any leaking hydraulic

fluid . The BD check revealed a significant amount of hydraulic fluid

on the belly of the aircraft. Capt Nicholson immediately declared an

261 JUNE2oo6 THE COMBAT EDGE

displaying remarkable crew coordination and superb airmanship, they

successfully landed the aircraft without further incident. Capt Win­ters managed to keep the nose strut clear of the ground , maintaining

runway alignment with rudder, until the aircraft, aided by the wind ,

was at nearly a complete stop. There was no further damage to the

aircraft or to Salad 's only instrument runway. Capt Winters' and Al C

Gillespie's demonstration of remarkable skill and top-notch crew re­

source management saved three of the Air Force's and CENTCOM's

most requested theater assets in the course of a single month - mak-

ing them more than ~~=~~~!!~~~~~~~~~ deserving of this

award for which

they are nominated .

Capt Jesse Winters, AlC Sean Gillespie 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron

Balad Air Base, Iraq

in-flight emergency with air traffic control and informed the supervi­

sor of flying. He noted a drop in hydraulic pressure by a few hundred

psi; realizing the problem was quickly escalating and would result in

a total utility hydraulic failure, he wisely decided to continue the ap­

proach without delay and get the aircraft on the ground . After safely

'landing and stopping the aircraft , and awaiting the fire crew, Capt

Nicholson noticed a rapid drop in hydraulic pressure. Additionally, the

right hydraulic pump light began to flicker and the left brake was los-

ing pressure. Recognizing this fiiiiiiiiiiiii~~~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiil as an imminent total utility hy-

draulic failure, he had the fire

crew immediately chock and

pin the aircraft before loss of brakes and landing gear pres­

sure. During maintenance

investigation , a break in the

hydraulic pressure line forward

of the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger

was found.

Capt Matthew J, Nicholson 60th Fighter Squadron

33rd Fighter Wing Eglin AFB, Fla.

AV.) u ui Lii6tIFICtiU;

SSgt Michael Pettus and SrA Charles Willis averted a potentialdisaster due to their safety awareness during the recent Phase IIexercise. Both men were inventorying weapons to be given out

to the 20 CES security team at the start of their shift. They started

loading the empty magazines with ammunition after their inventorywas complete; however, they immediately noticed the rounds to beloaded were live rounds and not blanks. They immediately secured

all rounds and weapons once they realized the presence of live am-munition. The 20 CES unit deployment managers and security forceswere quickly notified. All weapons, magazines and ammunition weresecured until the completion of a security forces investigation. Au-

thorization was given to reissue weapons several hours later onceeverything was deemed safe; however, base leadership later decidedto continue the exercise without weapons due to the possible safetyconcerns. Every member of the 20 CES is armed during an exerciseand they typically fire hundreds of rounds. Firing live rounds instead

of blank rounds could have led to fatalities and the subsequent inves-tigations would have crippled the wing's ability to effectively continue

the mission. The Phase II exercise was completed with no safety

incidences as a result of the ammunition problem. SSgt Pettus and

SrA Willis' confidence and quick decisions saved Shaw AFB from po-tential disaster and ensured the safety of all Airmen involved with the

exercise.

SSgt Michael E. Pettus, SrA Charles D. Willis20th Civil Engineer Squadron

20th Fighter WingShaw AFB, S.C.

lEXTALINT'X'9103E3-.PREFERABLY ALIVE

ONE NOMINEE PER CATEGORY,EACH MONTH AND QUARTER

FROM EACH NAF/DRU, NGB ANDAFRO UNIT.

THE COMBAT EDGE

rew Chief Safety Aw do Di tinction

SSgt Randall's attention to detail and superb commitment to

maintenance safety prevented a possible U-2 Class A mishap.

Whi le supervising the installation of a U-2 aircraft's empen­

nage (aft sect ion), SSgt Randa ll noticed that the lett lower attachment

mount bol t was uncharacteristically difficult to install . He instructed

his crew to remove the aft section tor a cleaning and inspection of the

bolt and nut plate assembly. Immediately, he discovered a crack on

the nut plate and a broken nut plate retaining pin. SSgt Randall then

removed the reta ining pin and nut plate tor a more thorough inspec­

tion and found marks on the pin that led him to believe the bolts were

too long. He then initiated a thorough investigation of the remaining

mount assemblies and researched technical data and blueprints tor

the proper nut plates and hardware . His investigation revealed that

the two bolts used to secure the aft section to the fuselage were too

long. Further inspection identified the right lower aft section mount

nut plate and retaining pin was also damaged and broken. During the

many previous aft section installations, the bolts pressed against the

light Line Safety Award of Distinction

M Sgt Morton led the development and implementation of pro­

tective cover faceplates tor the B-2 tire extinguishing control

panel and engine/APU control panel to prevent safety-ot-

tl ight incidents which could resu It in the loss of an aircraft. These

systems have been inadvertently activated in-flight due to accidental switch depression , leading to engine shutdowns. Within 2 days of the

Flight Safety office request to Research Engineering to investigate a

solution to the problem, MSgt Morton had prototype designs ready tor

review and approval. His concept involved installing Plexiglas face­

plates over the panels to provide protection from accidental contact.

The faceplate does not cover the actual switches rather it provides a

raised framework around the buttons essentially recessing them while

allowing for positive access at all t imes tor emergency use. He cre­

ated detailed three-dimensional computer-aided drawings and quickly

arranged Metals Tech support to locally manufacture the first article

test faceplates . Less than a week later they were available tor safety

28 1 JUNE 200b THE COMBAT EDGE

retaining pins causing significant damage to the structural integrity

of the lett and right lower aft section mounts. SSgt Randall ordered

the necessary parts and oversaw the maintenance effort to return this aircraft to a tully mission capable status in just under 2 hours.

Since there are only tour bolts that secure the aft section to the fu­selage SSgt Randall 's discovery is of extreme significance. Had this

grounding condition gone unnoticed any longer, the aircraft's aft sec­

tion may have broken loose in flight rendering the aircraft completely

uncontrollable. SSgt Randall 's r============~ investigative initiative and out­

standing dedication to safety

certainly prevented the loss of life and safeguarded an invalu­

able national asset.

SSgt Jeremy Randall 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

9th Reconnaissance Wing Beale AFB , Calif.

team review and demonstration on actual aircraft components. Once

the final design was confirmed , MSgt Morton coordinated certification

testing at Tinker AFB and assisted in preparation of the proposal pack­

age to make the faceplates a permanent modification to the B-2 . He

performed the first aircraft installation as part of the time compliance

!echnical order (TCTO) evaluation tor proper fit, funct ion, and main­tenance procedures. MSgt Morton's tireless efforts resulted in the

validation and verification of TCTO 1 B-2A-952 on 8 Mar 06, provid­

ing the B-2 and her crew permanent protection from accidental engine

shutdown.

MSgt Carl A. Morton 509th Maintenance Operations Squadron

509th Bomb Wing Whiteman AFB, Mo.

aircraft boost pumps. This inspection identified depot-level discrep­

ancies with aircraft maintenance records, corrected this potentially di­

sastrous hidden problem, and provided sufficient data to initiate an Air Force-wide Safety Time Compliance Technical Order (TO 1 F-15-1533

dated 23 Jan 06) to inspect all .-----------.... F-15 aircraft for fuel cell foam

An inspection of fuel tank 3A in an F-15A at Otis Air National

Guard Base resulted in the unexpected discovery of deteriorat­

ng fuel cell foam . A meeting was immediately called by the

102 FW Plans and Scheduling Section to address the safety implica­

tions . With the cooperation of the 102 FW Fuels Systems Section,

a self-initiated one-time inspection of the entire 102 FW F-15 fleet

was directed to validate what type of foam was in each aircraft and

to confirm the condi t ion . This inspection discovered that numerous

aircraft had either deteriorating fuel foam or the incorrect type of foam

when compared to depot-level documentation in the aircraft forms .

Those aircraft with deteriorating fuel foam had particles in the pump

and filters of the Jet Fuel Starter (JFS) unit with severe deposits in the

deterioration . The foresight of

the 102 FW Plans and Sched­

uling Section and the aggres­

sive action of the Aircraft Fuels

Systems Section averted a po­

tentially catastrophic fuel sys­

tem failure for the entire F-15

fleet of aircraft.

102nd Aircraft Fuels Systems, Plans, & Scheduling Section 102nd Fighter Wing

Otis Air National Guard Base, Ma.

ACC Safety Salutes Superior Performance

Maj Barry Hutchison, B-1B IP Capt Jason Jackson, B-1 B IWSO

1 Lt Ryan Jodoi , B-1 B Student Pilot

1 Lt Robert Stinson, B-1 B Student ·wso

28th Bomb Squadron 7th Bomb Wing

Dyess AFB, Texas

TSgt James T. Jennings Pneudraulic Craftsman

57th Component Maintenance Squadron 57th Wing

Nellis AFB, Nev.

SSgt David S. Mendenhall Stockpile Surveillance Inspector

509th Munitions Squadron 509th Bomb Wing

Whiteman AFB, Mo.

SrA Matthew P. Bruce Computer, Network, Switching, &

Crypto Technician 9th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

9th Reconnaissance Wing Beale AFB, Calif.

Col David H. Sammons, Navigator Maj Leo D. Cissell , Pilot

Capt David M. Kendall , Pilot 1 Lt Joseph M. Kreykes, Pi lot Capt Deborah A. Mitchusson,

Navigator MSgt Scott A. Beavers,

Fit Engineer MSgt Joe A. Saxton

Airborne Maint Technician, 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron

55th Wing Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Maj Kevin M. Dydyk F-16 Pilot _

421st Fighter Squadron 388th Fighter Wing

Hill AFB, Utah

THE COMBAT EDGE JU E2oo6l29

i.e . -so.

FY06 AircraftAs of April 30, 2006

8 AF

9 AF

12 AF

AWFC

ANG(ACC-gained)

AFRC(ACC-gained

AircraftDestroyed

AircraftDamaged

44

FY06 Ground

8 AF

9 AF

12 AF

DRU's

Fatal

illlili

As of April 30, 2006

Class A Class B

1 4

3 2

4 1

1 1

= Fatal I. Fatal due to misconduct

FY06 Weapons As of April 30, 2006

8 AF

9 AF

12 AF

AWFC

Legend

Class A Class B

0

0 0

0 0

0

Aircraft Notes

April was a busy month for mishaps. ACC hadthree Class As and again we got lucky with NOfatalities. We lost an F-16 following a GLOC,and trashed an engine with a birdstrike. We alsohad an F-15 suck up a gear pin during groundops ... Ouch! From the host of other smallermishaps, several things come to mind. First,ACC averages about one midair or near midairevery 12 to 18 months. That's something worthbriefing up again at your unit. Second, birds areon the move in the spring and fall, but it pays tobe ready for that lone bird in the summer thatdecides to dive down your engine or fly throughyour canopy! There are tools to help you out.BAM models and AHAS real time NEXRADwww.usahas.com are worth a look.

Ground Notes

There have been no Class A mishaps for thepast 2 months. However, Class B mishaps havejumped to eight so far this year. There were noClass Bs for the same time period in FY 05. TheClass B mishaps have included four permanentpartial disabilities and four property damagemishaps.

Weapons Notes

All of your hard work has paid off. ACC expe-rienced only one reportable mishap for April.Good job by all!! Please continue to send outimportant safety information to your units andpersist in your vigilance in spot inspections.

Class A - Permanent Total Disability; Property Damage $1,000,000 or more

Class B - Permanent Partial Disability: Property Damage between $200,000 and $1,000,000

Class C - Lost Workday; Property Damage between $20,000 and $200,000

"Non-rate Producing

30 JUNE 2006 THE COMBAT EDGE

F-16 B-2 U-2 E-4

HH-60 F-15 RQ-4 T-38

E-3C C-130

UOP IN 1U' BOAT AtJ I'LL.

E GOT FOOl>, LaT~ OF BArT, RADIO, bRlNK~, COLI> WA1ER tit~' BEER, 1ACK-LE BOX, EXiRA ROl>~, COA1~ •••

PA~G IT DOWN.

THE COMBAT EDGE JUNE zoob I 31

. ;;CLIVIN

WXYZAB

Portable Generator HazardsPortable generators are useful when temporary or remote electric power is needed, but they can be

hazardous. The primary hazards to avoid when using them are carbon monoxide poisoning, electric shockor electrocution, and fire.

The United States Fire Administration (USFA) would like you to know that there are simple steps youcan take to prevent the loss of life and property resulting from improper use of portable generators.

To Avoid Carbon Monoxide Hazards:

Always use generators outdoors, away from doors, windows and vents.NEVER use generators in homes, garages, basements, crawl spaces, or other enclosed or partially en-closed areas, even with ventilation.Follow manufacturer's instructions.Install battery-operated or plug-in (with battery backup) carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in your home,following manufacturer's instructions.Test CO alarms often and replace batteries when needed.

To Avoid Electrical Hazards:

Keep the generator dry. Operate on a dry surface under an open, canopy-like structure.Dry your hands before touching the generator.Plug appliances directly into generator or use a heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cord. Make sureentire extension cord is free of cuts or tears and the plug has all 3 prongs, especially a grounding pin.NEVER plug the generator into a wall outlet. This practice, known as backfeeding, can cause an elec-trocution risk to utility workers and others served by the same utility transformer.If necessary to connect generator to house wiring to power appliances, have a qualified electrician installappropriate equipment. Or, your utility company may be able to install an appropriate transfer switch.

To Avoid Fire Hazards:

Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool. Fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.Always store fuel outside of living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers.Store fuel away from any fuel-burning appliance.

For more information on how you can protect yourself from the threat of fire during or after a disaster, visitthe United States Fire Administration web site at: http.//www usfa fema gov/safety/bps/disaster shtm(Reprinted courtesy of the United States Fire Administration)