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Photos

Snapshots of what’s happening in the Defense Department.

Tom Burden, a weapons mechanic with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, stands with the tool mat he invented using his civilian background in mechanical engineering. While working on one of his unit’s F-16 Fighting Falcons, Burden almost fell while trying to retreive a tool that had slid down the aircraft’s curved surfaces. Burden’s mat allows mechanics to safely keep needed tools handy, even on curved surfaces.

Ohio Airman shows invention to hold tools safely

Air Force Tech Sgt. Tom Burden, a weapons mechanic with the Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing, shows off the tool mat he invented using his civilian background in mechanical engineering. While working on one of his unit’s F-16 Fighting Falcons, Burden almost fell while trying to retrieve a tool that had slid down the aircraft’s curved surfaces. Burden’s mat allows mechanics to safely keep needed tools handy, even on curved surfaces. Ohio Air National Guard photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Shane Hughes

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