Weapons safety: award of distinction

Combat Edge, Nov, 2004 by John S. Teed

On 26 May 2004 at the Strategic Integrated Maintenance Facility (SIMF), after a successful missile transfer of an Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) from the Weapons Maintenance Bay to the engine bay, SrA John S. Teed and his team prepared their equipment for another missile transfer. As a monorail track channel was repositioned to allow movement of the hoist in the opposite direction, a bolt assembly securing the end of the monorail section to the wall worked itself free. SrA Teed immediately stopped the hoisting operation to investigate the problem. Realizing the seriousness of this bolt assembly to the monorail track, he quickly removed the hoist from over the ALCM and sent his team members throughout the SIMF to halt hoisting operations. Simultaneously, SrA Teed expeditiously notified the mid-shift production supervisor and SIMF Support Section, who launched a thorough inspection of the monorail system. A safety of maintenance, personnel, and weapon system determination was made to place the monorail system in a red "X" condition, shutting down all hoisting operations until the appropriate authorities were notified and the monorail system was inspected for integrity and repaired. Civil Engineering (CE) personnel arrived at the SIMF Flight to perform an investigation of the engine bay, and a thorough inspection of the entire monorail system. After the inspection, CE personnel deemed engine bay station number five as unfit for daily hoisting operations until the repair was accomplished. SrA Teed's quick thinking and keen awareness to the mishap potential of the monorail system saved the SIMF Flight and Air Force from a potential major mishap and/or accident. If it was not for his adept maintenance practices and keen sense of awareness, the Air Force would have experienced a tragic loss in personnel and/or equipment.

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SrA John S. Teed, 2nd Munitions Sqdn.,

2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana