Combat Edge articles from July 2004

Combat Edge archives from July 2004

Remember, celebrate safely.(ACCent on Safety)
July 1, 2004... We are nearly one-third of the way through the 101 Critical Days of Summer '04, so ask yourselves: "How are we doing so far?" I say "we" because safety isn't the responsibility of just one person, or organization, it's something we all own and...

Heat stress.
July 1, 2004... Heat stress is a combination of direct environmental variables (mainly temperature and humidity), work rate and clothing requirements. These factors combine with indirect acclimatization and physical conditions to increase body temperature and...

Got fuel? There's an old saying that "the army runs on its stomach." Well, the Air Force runs on jet fuel and lots of it!
July 1, 2004... The job of running fueling operations plays a critical role in maintaining the high ops tempo for aircraft supporting Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF). As far as the job goes, there are two ways to provide fuel in a forward operating location....

Rockets red glare: amputation, 3rd degree burns, loss of sight, loss of hearing ... sound like battlefield injuries, or maybe a car crash?(Cover Story)
July 1, 2004... How about the aftermath of an off-duty get-together of a few friends or family members--guess again! These are real life, recreational fireworks injuries seen by our military and civilian physicians during their professional careers. Seemingly...

Eye on safety.
July 1, 2004... Heritage Flight LANGLEY AFB, VIRGINIA A formation of an F-86, A-10, P-38 and P-51 fly over as a part of Langley AFB's annual air show [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Photo by TSgt Ben Bloker Masters of Disaster LANGLEY AFB,...

Aircrew safety: award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)
July 1, 2004... On takeoff, at approximately 135 KIAS, the Master Caution Light and the Hydraulics-Reset light illuminated; the aircraft commander of Doom 90 then noticed zero hydraulic pressure on one of two main hydraulic systems. Because the airspeed was...

Flight line safety: award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... While deployed to Nellis AFB, Nev., in support of the Weapons Instructor Course (WIC), TSgt Roark, SSgt Hamilton, A1C Borja, and Amn Jackson were performing aircraft de-arm duties. While in the process of de-arming aircraft 79-0050, they...

Ground safety: award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)
July 1, 2004... Mr. Erik Brown's non-stop efforts as Unit Ground Safety Monitor have moved our squadron to the highest level of safety awareness to date. As the principal safety and risk management advisormentor to the squadron leaders, he developed multiple...

Unit safety: award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The maintenance operations center alerted flight line personnel of a weather warning for approaching severe weather, including lightning and 50 knot winds. The warning was valid from 0900 to 1800L; therefore, wing leadership issued an order to...

Weapons safety: award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... SSgt Downey was towing two each 4x JDAM munitions trailers from the MSA to the flight line with a US Navy escort. As he approached the last mile, of the 7.5-mile trip, he heard what sounded like an explosion. SSgt Downey immediately stopped the...

Pilot safety: award of distinction.(Monthly Award Winners)
July 1, 2004... First Lieutenant Radoescu was descending out of medium altitude in preparation for a low altitude close air support training mission. Descending through 10,000 feet MSL, the A-10's right engine low oil pressure master caution light illuminated....

Ground safety: award of the quarter.(Quarterly Award Winners)
July 1, 2004... Technical Sergeant Woodruff has distinguished himself as an outstanding Safety NCO overseeing the well-being of 399 airmen in the Component Maintenance Squadron. TSgt Woodruff has taken a number of innovative steps to ensure that his safety...

Weapons safety: award of the quarter.(Quarterly Award Winners)
July 1, 2004... The 12 AF Weapons Safety Office is comprised of two highly motivated, knowledgeable and professional NCOs. MSgt Haught and TSgt Rexin make up the weapons safety team that flawlessly manages the explosive safety program for 12 AF. These experts...

Flight safety: award of the quarter.(Quarterly Award Winners)
July 1, 2004... Captain Betts and Major Hunter flew with call signs Kraut 3 and 4 respectively as part of a four-ship defensive counter-air training mission. During the second engagement, Maj Hunter's F-16 aircraft registered a warning light with a...

ACC safety salutes superior performance.
July 1, 2004... Capt Cameron Dadger, Capt Anthony Pelkington, Pilots, 27 FW Cannon AFB, N.M. Maj Charles Surman, Human Factors Flight Test Analyst, 31 TES Edwards AFB, Calif. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] MSgt Dean Anderson, SSgt...

For Pete's sake!
July 1, 2004... Simply put, I should have been more alert to my surroundings while riding my motorcycle. Of course, I didn't realize it until after the fact when I had time to reflect. I'm not writing this article because I enjoy recollecting unfortunate past...

Redwhite, & bbq.
July 1, 2004... Cooking outdoors was once a summer activity shared with family and friends. No more than half of Americans say they are cooking outdoors year round. So whether the snow is blowing or the sun is shining brightly, it's important to follow food...

Are you really in full control?
July 1, 2004... In 2002, pedestrian fatalities accounted for over 11 percent of all fatal motor vehicle crashes 1,394 of those fatalities occurred due to improper pedestrian crossings of roadways Roughly 3,200 of the pedestrian fatalities occurred when dark or...

Aircraft notes.(Mishap Statistics Scoreboard)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... First, a moment of silence please for the aviator we lost in May. We also lost 2 F-16s in that midair. A bird strike caused May's other Class A. Fortunately, the crew safely ejected from their F-15E. Summer flying is dangerous business, so...

Ground notes.(Mishap Statistics Scoreboard)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... The command has suffered 15 Class A mishaps this year, 14 fatalities and 1 permanent total disability. This represents a 25 percent reduction over FY03 where we had 20 Class A mishaps, resulting in 19 fatalities and 2 permanent total...

Weapons notes.(Mishap Statistics Scoreboard)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2004... So far this year we have seen an increase in missile mishaps. There have been three in the past two quarters (all personal errors). I challenge everyone who handles, loads, and stores missiles to make a concerted effort to reduce the number of...