Six airmen from the New Jersey Air National Guard’s 177th Fighter Wing were sent to the hospital Aug. 25 after being exposed to chemicals from an F-16’s emergency power system. The airmen were working on the aircraft at about 2:30 p.m. at the Atlantic City International Airport when a line ruptured, according to the Press of Atlantic City. The airmen were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center as a precaution because of possible exposure to a hydrazine byproduct, the Press reported.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.