TSgt Corey Clewley 

An Air Force loadmaster found out what it means to be tested under fire while on a special mission in Southwest Asia in 2005. Tech. Sgt. Corey Clewley was loading cargo on his aircraft when he saw a Romanian C-130 come in and make a hard landing. Unbeknownst to the Romanian crew, the aircraft brakes caused a fire, springing Sergeant Clewley into action.

He instructed a fellow loadmaster to inform their aircraft commander of the situation and ensure someone contacted the control tower, while he and a crew chief grabbed fire extinguishers and ran toward the burning aircraft. The Romanian C-130 fire intensified as it spread to the aircraft’s fuselage and ruptured the hydraulic brake line. Despite the danger to himself, Sergeant Clewley got within a few feet of the flames and attempted to suppress the fire.

His sense of urgency tripled when he realized the C-130 crew was still inside the aircraft and unable to get out of the burning airplane.

“I saw one of the crew mouthing ‘please, please,’ and pointing to the troop exit door,” said the 15-year Air Force veteran. Sergeant Clewley refocused his attention to that area and began suppressing the fire, enabling the crew to safely exit the aircraft. He continued to keep the fire under control until the fire department arrived.

Sergeant Clewley credits the team effort that kept the incident from becoming a deadly event – from the pilot who relayed the message to the control tower, to the crew chief who went with him and the fire department that responded. Sergeant Clewley never considered the risk to his own life as he worked t

“To me, in a situation like that, saving the lives of the people on board is more important than who owns the aircraft.”