Lockheed Martin Hosts Tour for NAS JRB Fort Worth Response Crews

Photo By Sandy Owens | Colonel Joseph Wimmer, Commander of Defense Contract Management Agency along with NAS JRB Fort Worth response crews gathered in front of Lockheed Martin before the tour of Production Line Plant 4 F-35. (Courtesy Photo by Alexander Groves)  

TX, UNITED STATES

02.15.2023

Story by Sandy Owens 

Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base

NAS JRB Fort Worth, Texas (February 13, 2023)—on Jan. 26 and Feb. 9, 40 Sailors and Fire Fighters from Naval Air Station (NAS) Joint Reserve Base (JRB) Fort Worth received tours of the Lockheed Martin facilities as a ‘thank you’ for their efforts in responding to the F-35B Lightning II mishap that occurred on Dec. 15.

Colonel Joseph Wimmer, Commander of Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Lockheed Martin Fort Worth personally thanked the response team, and awarded them a Letter of Appreciation. He also coined a few of the Sailors and Fire Fighters for exceptional performance in response to the mishap.

“The professionalism of the NAS JRB Fort Worth team is critical to the safe operation of our F-35 flight operations. Their actions in December gave our aircrew’s peace of mind that in an emergency, their lives were in great hands. Our mission wouldn’t be possible without the amazing partnership we have with NAS JRB Fort Worth personnel – it truly is a special place to work and serve,” said Wimmer.

Captain Robert Crawford, was a part of the NAS JRB Fort Worth Fire Crew that responded to the mishap and received a coin for his contributions to the incident.

“Being that I was there the day of the F-35 crash I was particularly invested in the tour and was impressed with the level of information and detail that was presented. I had the fantastic opportunity of being coined by the Lockheed commander. This was a great honor and I appreciate the recognition and sentiment. I think that the entire team that went that day were shocked at the significance of the operation that exists across the runway,” stated Crawford.  

Petty Officer Second Class Blake Tuttle, was a part of the transient line team who aided in the mishap. He was also a coin recipient and enjoyed the tour experience; particularly, learning about the F-35B Lightning II.

“As an aircraft maintainer coming to a facility where the F-35 is engineered is really special. Seeing the F-35 in different pieces and stages before it gets operational was a really neat experience,” said Tuttle. “My favorite part of the tour was getting to see the B-model and all that goes into the making of that aircraft. A jet hovering is such an interesting concept.”

• Date Taken: 02.15.2023
• Date Posted: 02.15.2023 13:03
• Story ID: 438543
• Location: TX, US