Is it just me or do others find themselves wondering why the fire department was extracting him instead of military personell????
Something doesn't fit imho
I suspect it is the Air Force "Fire Department".
The Air Force has fire fighters.
Thirty years ago they'd have been military personnel, but as part of the cutbacks in the eighties and nineties jobs that didn't absolutely have to be done by a sworn service member were made civil service. Supposedlt this saves money; an Airman 1c costs less than a civlian fireman, but you need to recruit a new airman every four years or so.
And the reason the fire guys do it, is simple: they have training on extracting people from airplanes. The F-22s crew chief doesn't. In fact, he or she was in tears just about then.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F