LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
Staff Sgt. Phillip Crews, 47th Civil Engineer squadron fire emergency and logistics non-commissioned officer in charge, was chosen by wing leadership to be the “XLer,” for the week of Aug. 30.
The “XLer,” a wing-level award program sponsored by Col. Charles Velino, 47th Flying Training Wing commander, and presented by Col. Michelle Pryor, 47th FTW vice commander, is awarded to those who consistently make outstanding contributions to their unit and Laughlin’s mission.
Crews, a firefighter, helped improve his squadron’s “live fire” training program by researching and coordinating a new type of burning material for use when practicing a response to a fire.
“It burns hotter, longer and is cleaner than traditional materials,” Crews said. “This new material is not only better for the environment, but provides a more realistic fire reaction than the materials that were used before.”
When faced with a task of replacing more than 100 fire extinguishers on the flightline, Crews lead the project. From basic evaluation to draining and rendering an expired fire extinguisher unusable, every fire extinguisher under his charge was replaced.
“Having a great foundation of information and people willing to work together makes this process go as fast as it did,” Crews said. “[The replacement extinguisher] ends with our fire prevention office, and the outstanding work they do on a daily basis.”
Crews also helped his shop replace his FACs and tracking system for their work orders by streamlining the process, and creating a more efficient system.
“This is our second home, so the up most attention to detail has to be placed as a priority when it comes to safety. It's an overall team effort of people caring about a place where we live every other day,” Crews said.
According to Crews, no award winner goes without their mentors or team to help along the way with achieving such accomplishments. From his fire chief to his training coordinator, everybody plays a role in receiving the award.
“The fire station is a huge family that works wonders together,” Crews said. “It may be one person accepting the award but it's really just highlighting the work that everyone puts in helping each other out.”
For helping his shop not only increase the efficiency of their training, but also creating a safer environment for both his shop and the flightline, Crews was awarded this week’s “XLer.”