A team from Travis AFB, Calif., has just won a fourth consecutive Scott World Firefighter Combat Challenge. The team’s time was 4 minutes, 37.89 seconds. SSgt. Matt McGovern reports that the nine-year team captain for Travis, civilian Mike Melton, said they were the “underdogs” in this competition because a top competitor broke his hand and they lost key team member Harry Meyers. Firefighters from around the world came to a more difficult competition this year—they had to wear their full gear while completing five tasks, from climbing a five-story tower to rescuing a 175-pound “victim.”
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.