Combat Edge articles from December 2003

Combat Edge archives from December 2003

I thought i was prepared.
December 1, 2003... As an Air Force "Hog Driver," I never imagined that I'd end up flying Prowlers with the Navy. I came from a single-seat community and suddenly found myself one of four crewmembers. Two airplanes take off and there are eight people in a two-ship...

Riders: why don't they think?
December 1, 2003... Last year, I wrote an article about motorcycle safety titled, "What were they thinking?" I should have called it, "Why weren't they thinking?" For as many years as I have been a rider, even longer, I have been concerned about motorcycle...

Still flying: Stan Hardison creator of Fleagle.
December 1, 2003... Fleagle [fle'gull], n. a bedraggled-feathered bird, son of a common loon and a ruddy duck from Pea Island, N.C.; a total screw-up; typically spotted in World War I flying cap and goggles. Stan Hardison [stan'hard'i sun], n. graduate of...

Aircrew safety award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)
December 1, 2003... Capts Stan Shuttleworth and Jason Hilburn, call sign "Kong 22," were number two of a two-ship formation of F-15Es. Shortly after a planned formation takeoff, Capt Hilburn, the Weapons System Officer, noted a Master Caution light with an unsafe...

Weapons safety award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... TSgts Shane Johnson and Ted Gacek identified the need for both the Battle Staff and Disaster Control Group (DCG) to communicate the same language during any Major Accident Response Exercise (MARE). Since these two functions are in two different...

Unit safety award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Capt Tucker established and led a 10-person team from the 28th Logistics Readiness Squadron through the complete development of a Hot Cargo checklist for use in the Installation Deployment Plan. His determination to have a tested document in...

Pilot safety award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Capt Cook and his flight lead were accomplishing a Battle Damage (BD) check following a Tactical Intercept Mission Qualification Training sortie. During the BD check, he noticed that his F-15C wasn't handling correctly. The pitch and roll...

Aircrew safety award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)
December 1, 2003... Mishap aircraft (MA) was number two in a two-ship tasked to respond to a Troops-in-Contact (TIC) situation. At rotation, the mishap pilot (MP) noticed, in the rearview mirror, a single self-protection flare bounce down the runway. The flight...

ACC Safety salutes superior performance.(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2003... October's Aircrew Safety Award of Distinction was printed incorrectly. The picture accompanying the award was incorrect. The individuals in the photo were Capt Bryan Wickering and Lt Col Richard Vanderburg who won the previous award in...

Wear your seat belt! Don't learn the hard way.
December 1, 2003... We all know we're supposed to wear seat belts, right? Then why do Department of Transportation statistics show nation-wide seat belt use for 2002 at only 75 percent? Apparently, there are still a lot of people who don't understand why they...

The Blizzard of '88: it was while we were packing up that everything with our weather went from good to bad quick!
December 1, 2003... Working in the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) business has its ups and downs--literally. The work can be long. However, the satisfaction of knowing the importance of what you're doing and the lasting effect our work has on the...

Drunk drivers kill!
December 1, 2003... The summer of '92 holds especially bittersweet memories for me. The summer was incredibly hot and humid. My friends and I had just graduated high school and were very excited about the adventures we were going to soon be having in college. ...

Can you see me now? This electro-luminescent technology called ELMO-lyte helps a driver see the security forces member before the person is in the car's headlights!
December 1, 2003... On November 17, 1999, TSgt Wesley Simmons III, a security police patrol supervisor at Nellis AFB, Nev., quickly sealed off and evacuated an area during a bomb threat. It was dusk when he began directing traffic, which was backing up at a nearby...

Mishap statistics scoreboard.
December 1, 2003... Aircraft Notes And thus begins a new fiscal year. Warrior leaders, if it doesn't look right, smell right, or taste right, it probably ain't right--stop it. Warrior aviators, if it's not briefed, scheduled, or specifically authorized...