Summer Fun and Safety Fair

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Capt. Michael Warner, 36th Rescue Flight pilot; 1st Lt. James Outland, 36th RQF copilot; and Tech. Sgt. Devin Fisher, 336th Training Support Group flight engineer, hoist Master Sgt. Cameron Aaron, 336th Training Support Squadron independent duty medical technician, into the helicopter during a search and rescue demonstration here May 22. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Melissa Barnett)

Summer Fun and Safety Fair

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Shawn Welch, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter; Airman 1st Class Marc Villano, 92nd Medical Operations Squadron emergency medical technician; and Senior Airman Edward Crowe, 92nd MDOS paramedic, remove Col. Roger Watkins, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander, from a wrecked car during a vehicle extrication exercise at the Summer Fun and Safety Fair here May 22. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Melissa Barnett)

Summer Fun and Safety Fair

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Senior Airman Edward Crowe, 92nd Medical Operations Squadron paramedic, Shawn Welch, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron firefighter; and Airman 1st Class Marc Villano, 92nd MDOS emergency medical technician, carefully remove Col. Roger Watkins, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander, from a wrecked car during a vehicle extrication exercise at the Summer Fun and Safety Fair here May 22. In the event of a car crash careful handling of victims is crucial to prevent further injury. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Melissa Barnett)

Summer Fun and Safety Fair

FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Joe Mirasole and Shawn Welch, 92nd Civil Engineer Squadron fire fighters, wrench open the doors of a vehicle with the jaws of life, preparing to remove Col. Roger Watkins, 92nd Air Refueling Wing vice commander, from a wrecked vehicle during a vehicle extrication exercise at the Summer Fun and Safety Fair here May 22. (U.S. Air Force photo / Airman 1st Class Melissa Barnett)

AMC commander: 'Be your own safety manager'

Published May 27, 2008
By Roger Drinnon
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Personal responsibility, traffic safety awareness and a wingman attitude are the key tenets during the 101 Critical Days of Summer, according to Air Mobility Command commander Gen. Arthur Lichte.

AMC's safety campaign for this season, which runs May 24 - Sept. 2, is themed "Be Your Own Safety Manager."

The effort supports the Air Force campaign, which runs annually to counter the increase in fatalities and mishaps during the summer months. The campaign attempts to increase personal awareness of safety risks and thereby reduce the number of summer fatalities and mishaps.

"As an Air Force, we continue to lose more Airmen in traffic accidents than we do conducting operations around the globe," said General Lichte. "In response to last year's Air Force fatality statistics, our focus during this year's 101 Critical Days of Summer will be traffic and vehicle safety."

The general said Air Force wide, 14 of 19 Air Force fatalities last season were from vehicle-related accidents, and six of those fatalities involved motorcycles - primarily sport bikes.

AMC safety officials say traffic safety awareness includes "human factors" such as avoiding distractions, driving courteously and defensively, and being alert to pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds and other forms of transportation on the road while driving. Obeying traffic laws and wearing safety belts are other important factors.

"Traffic safety involves a shared responsibility on a variety of issues," said Johnny Wood, AMC chief of ground safety. "Much more than following the speed limit, traffic safety includes attention to a variety of topics and settings and obeying laws on the highways."

The Air Force's vehicle-related fatalities in 2007 could have been avoided, said General Lichte.

"The causes of all of last year's traffic fatalities were preventable," he said. "The common factors were poor decision-making, excessive speed, drinking and driving, or a failure to use seatbelts. In each case, the driver either failed to evaluate the risks associated with his or her actions, or his or her wingman failed to intervene."

General Lichte said among the command's safety initiatives is a recently-developed Sport Bike Training Course for Airmen, which is designed to prevent sport bike accidents by increasing an understanding of the vehicles' unique handling characteristics. The general emphasized that while safety courses help prevent accidents, a wingman attitude ensures mobility Airmen take care of one another and avoid putting themselves at risk.

"Providing great safety courses and adopting a safety mindset is only half the battle," said General Lichte. "The other half depends on all of us looking out for each other. So, 'Be(ing) Your Own Safety Manager' is more than just looking out for yourself - it's also about being a trusted wingman to those around you."