The "Flying Jennies"
Firework safety tips Posted 6/30/2010 81st Training Wing Safety Office and Public Affairs 6/30/2010 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- *NOTE: Please remain vigilant of current oil spill updates as they may affect beach availability for 4th of July firework demonstrations off highway 90. Go tohttp://biloxi.ms.us/Oil_Spill/index.html for further information.* Dry weather in south Mississippi makes fireworks a dangerous proposition for Independence Day. James Palmer, Keesler's fire prevention chief, stressed that fireworks are strictly prohibited on base and in surrounding cities, but fireworks continue to be sold in Harrison and Jackson counties outside city limits. "Some people insist on buying and using them, regardless of the dangers," Mr. Palmer said. A June 2010 report from the National Fire Prevention Association noted that in 2008, the most recent year for which statistics are available, about 7,000 fireworks-related injuries were treated in U.S. emergency rooms. About 53 percent involve injuries to the extremities and 37 percent to the head. About 40 percent of the injuries involved young people under the age of 15. Sparklers, often considered "safe" for young children, caused 22 percent of the injuries, and small firecrackers accounted for 18 percent. The safest way to enjoy fireworks is at an outdoor public display put on by professionals. Stay at least 500 feet from the launch area. For people who opt to light their own fireworks, here are some safety reminders: Fireworks are not toys. They burn at about the same temperature as a household match. Buy fireworks from reliable merchants. Never attempt to make your own homemade fireworks. Mixing chemical powders can result in an untimely explosion that can cause death or injuries. Know the difference between a legal consumer firework and a dangerous explosive device. Items such as M-80s, M-100s and blockbusters are federally-banned explosives that can cause serious injury or even death. If you know of anyone selling such devices, contact your local police department. Different fireworks mean different hazards, so read the instructions on each one and follow them carefully. Avoid anything that isn't clearly labeled with the name of the item, the manufacturer's name and instructions for proper use. Light the tip of each firework at arm's length, using a fireworks lighter or fuse wick. Move back immediately. Light one firework or sparkler at a time. Rockets should be launched from a rocket launcher, not from glass or metal containers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so make sure that anyone holding one wears gloves and puts each spent one into a bucket of water as soon as it's gone out. Never give fireworks to small children. Close adult supervision of all fireworks activities is necessary. Don't throw fireworks onto a bonfire. Store fireworks in a cool, dry place. Don't carry fireworks in your pocket. Always ignite fireworks outdoors. Never throw fireworks at another person. If a firework doesn't go off, it could still be live and could go off unexpectedly. Douse the "dud" with water, then bury it. Pets hate bangs and flashes and get frightened around fireworks, so keep pets indoors and close curtains to make things calmer. Before lighting any fireworks, make sure enough room is available in a safe place. Have a full bucket of water handy for any emergency, and for disposing of used sparklers. Loose clothing or scarves can catch on fire very easily. If clothing catches fire, stop, drop to the ground and roll over to put out the flames. Drinking alcohol adds to the danger when there are fireworks and bonfires around. Consider not having any alcoholic drinks available until after all fireworks have been set off. For more information, call the safety office, 377-2910, or fire prevention office, 377-8441. | |||||||||||||||||||
Posted 9/9/2009 By Angela Cutrer 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- When Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog assumed command of 2nd Air Force at Keesler Air Force Base Sept. 9 from Maj. Gen. Alfred Flowers, Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz called the two generals "two of the finest leaders the Air Force has known." "When I meet with Airmen, I always tell them 'you're the next great generation' and it's true," said General Lorenz, Air Education and Training Command commander, during the change of command. "With the training, professionalism, pride and values the 2nd Air Force instills in them, great Americans are born, and they are the heart and soul of the Air Force. "Your watch is full of outstanding accomplishments and highlights, and your fingerprints are etched upon Airmen's lives across the command," he told General Flowers. Second Air Force is the AETC organization that oversees technical and combat training for 250,000 students annually. General Flowers, the first career finance and budget officer to command a numbered Air Force, is heading to the Pentagon as Air Force budget director. General Hertog, accompanied by her husband, Herm Hertog, a retired chief master sergeant, smiled when General Lorenz commented that "success is a family business" for the Hertogs. "I am honored and thrilled to be home again in 2nd Air Force," General Hertog said. "I look forward to candid feedback about our training, because every aspect of training supports the Air Force. We train and graduate 250,000 students a year, but it's not just training that we do; we provide leaders." General Hertog is a career security forces officer whose most recent assignment was director of the Air Force's security forces. She has worked at the unit, major command and Air Staff level in various positions, including commanding several large security forces units and a technical training group. Prior to her assignment in Washington, D.C., she was commander of the 37th Training Wing at Lackland AFB, Texas, one of the largest training wings in the Air Force. General Lorenz welcomed General Hertog "back into the AETC family" with the comment that, "The chisel is now in your hands; the stone is before you." General Hertog replied, "It all starts here. Training helps determine our future because leadership makes a difference. I thank you for the honor and the privilege." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Commander hopes not to be just first, but also, best
(www.sunherald.com)
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(Photos by Keesler Air Force Base)
| By Jonathan Hicks 81st Training Wing Public Affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE -- Team Keesler celebrated the life and time of retired Col. Lawrence Roberts Friday with a ceremony dedicating the 403 Wing's consolidated aircraft maintenance facility in his honor. The new $22.6 million structure is used to perform maintenance on equipment for aircraft of the 53rd Weather Recon-naissance Squadron "Hurricane Hunters" and 815th Airlift Squadron "Flying Jennies." The Hurricane Hunters fly the WC-130J model aircraft and the Flying Jennies fly the C-130J-30 stretch model cargo planes. Colonel Roberts began and ended his military career at Keesler -- as an Army Air Corps pre-aviation cadet private at Keesler Field in 1943 and as commander of Keesler's maintenance and supply group when he retired from the Air Force 32 years later. In 1944, he was assigned to the Tuskegee Airmen pilot training  program and flew Piper Cubs, Boeing B-25 Bombers, C-54 transports and F-86 fighter jets. | A mural representing Colonel Roberts' military career was created by KAFB artist Suzy Templin. |
