Safety always

  • Published
  • By Col. Mark Dillon
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing commander
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Last week we kicked-off the Air Force's 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign by doing what a lot of Airmen do in our Air Force -- compete in sporting activities. Thank you to those who organized and participated in our inaugural Sports Day. Initiated in the early 1970's, our service's annual campaign raises safety awareness during the summer when people are enjoying outdoor activities, and consequently, at increased risk. And the statistics are sobering. 

In the past decade, our Air Force family has lost an average of 24 Airmen each summer to off-duty accidents. Although many of us are deployed into harm's way, it is actually off-duty accidents, not terrorists, that are more deadly. Off-duty fatalities outnumber those associated with combat by a ratio of eight-to-one. 

This year's summer safety campaign -- from Memorial Day through Labor Day -- will focus on those off-duty threat wings: traffic safety, alcohol awareness, fatigue and drowning. For the next month, this commentary will touch on these four topics. Let's begin with traffic safety. 

Driving motor vehicles is the single most dangerous activity we do on a daily basis. Sadly, we were reminded of this on the first day of this year's safety campaign when Team Travis lost one of our valued family members as a result of a motorcycle accident. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle accidents in the United States have accounted for the more than 41,000 fatalities annually for the past fifteen years. Air Force-wide, vehicle mishaps are the leading killer of American Airmen. Supervisors, leaders and commanders must work together to reverse this trend.
Thankfully proactive measures can be taken to prevent these off-duty tragedies from needlessly taking the lives of our Airmen. A good starting point is to incorporate your daily work-center discipline -- following checklists and tech orders -- to off-duty activities. 

These "checklist" measures include careful trip planning, proper training, using personal protective equipment, adherence to rules of the road and slowing down. Approximately 13,500 motor vehicle fatalities per year in the United States are attributed to fatigue and speed alone. Make the responsible choice, and do not jeopardize your life and the lives of others by taking short-cuts. 

The safety and welfare of our Airmen -- officers, enlisted, civilians and family members -- must continue to be our number-one priority. And we need to maintain our safety focus year-round, not just during the summer months. So as you enjoy outdoor activities this summer, be on guard and remember more Airmen are killed in off-duty accidents than in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thank you for serving this great nation and be safe out there!