[darrels joy]

Holloman NCO steps up, helps to control in-flight emergency


?There?s a bomb on the plane, I know it!?

Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Drew was on a commercial flight while returning from leave recently when he heard an unruly woman scream this suspicion.

?She went on yelling this a few times,? said Sergeant Drew, who is assigned to the 49th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here. ?I kept thinking, ?Where is the air marshal???

Sergeant Drew said the woman was walking back and forth from her seat in the front of the plane near his seat to the rear lavatories.

?Two members of the crew were blocking the woman from moving any closer to the flight deck, and the other (crewmember) was a few seats behind me, attempting to block her from moving towards the rear,? Sergeant Drew said. ?I kept thinking I should do something, but I didn?t know if I should get involved. I was thinking, if I (didn?t) get involved, this could get more out of hand.?

After the aircrew?s failed attempts to calm the woman down and put her in her seat, she became aggressive.

?Once she started the physical activity towards the crewmember and an air marshal had not come forward, I realized I had to do something,? he said.

Once the woman turned around, Sergeant Drew stood up and helped the air crew restrain her.

After helping the aircrew bring the situation under control, the flight was diverted to Texas where the woman was taken into custody by the authorities.

?The only thing I can think that made me step up was the fact that it was evident an air marshal was not aboard, and I (was) worried what she was going to do next,? Sergeant Drew said. ?I think second nature caused my reaction. It all happened pretty fast, and once it was over, my adrenaline was flowing, and I remember thinking to myself, ?I can?t believe I did that.??

Officials at Holloman?s Office of Special Investigations said reporting suspicious activity and taking action is everyone?s responsibility.

Everyone can make a difference by being vigilant and keeping an eagle eye out.

?The Eagle Eyes program is an anti-terrorism initiative that relies on the eyes and ears of Air Force members and local citizens in combating terrorism,? said Special Agent Matthew Sarkissian, of Holloman?s OSI. ?Because security forces teams and law enforcement agencies can?t be everywhere at once, your vigilance is a critical asset to our mission. Everyone deserves to be safe and secure; your eyes and ears are critical weapons in the war against terrorism. This is your chance to make our whole community safe.?

by Senior Airman Vanessa LaBoy 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. (AFPN)