Firefighters at Eglin AFB, Fla., have been testing a new chemical protective suit that would be worn as an undergarment not an overgarment, as is the case now. The new kit would be lighter and more flexible and features a mesh-like design that makes it cooler, said officials. The 16 firefighters in the test went through standard firefighting exercises, including dragging heavy hoses, a 150-pound “victim,” and consecutive trips up and down a ladder.
A three-month continuing resolution that ended in December inflicted less pain on the Department of the Air Force than it had expected, as procurement and construction continue in the new year. The federal government operated under a stopgap spending measure that stretched from the beginning of the fiscal year on…