Risk management key to having a safe 101 Critical Days of Summer

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Eric Schloeffel
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  While the upcoming Memorial Day weekend serves as the unofficial start of summer, it also marks the beginning of the 101 Critical Days of Summer where the Air Force experiences a sharp rise in incidents involving fatalities and injuries. 

The 101 Critical Days of Summer lasts until Labor Day weekend and with the warmer weather, the 23rd Wing Safety Office would like to remind Team Moody to remain cautious while performing summer-related activities, said Lt. Col. Denis Doty, 23rd WG chief of safety.

"We see the most accidents and fatalities during this period of the year," he said. "There is typically an increase of family, outdoor, swimming and boating activities, and it's important to use operational risk management in all of these situations. We all want to have fun, but just one bad decision could take you along the path of doing something that is not in the best interest of yourself, family or country." 

One of the most important techniques to preventing a mishap is using the wingman concept to ensure somebody is always watching and can prevent dangerous behavior before it starts, said Colonel Doty. 

"The wingman is not just a concept for flying, but a culture of responsibility that involves looking out for each other," he said. "One person is all it takes to stop a bad chain of events, and that is precisely what a wingman is for. There are 6,200 people in this wing, and we all need to take care of each other." 

In addition to the wingman concept, it is imperative that supervisors stay involved in the lives of their subordinates, said Joe Bell, 23rd WG ground safety manager. 

"We are often reluctant to be concerned as to what our Airmen or workers are doing in their off-duty time," he said. "After an unfortunate event occurs, I think the feeling of 'what could I have done to prevent this' is in the back of every supervisor's mind. Make sure you know what your Airmen are doing on the weekend, and always ask questions." 

With the typical increase of road trips and family vacations during the summer season, a majority of incidents occurring during this time are traffic-related. Many of these cases could be prevented by using common sense while driving and before hitting the road, said Mr. Bell. 

"We ask people who are driving during the summer months to use prudence, make sure they safe-check their vehicles before a trip and not to drive too far too fast," he said. "Department of Defense instructions stipulate we can't use our cell phones while driving on-base, but statistics say it doesn't matter where you are; it's unsafe. Seatbelt usage is also imperative and can save lives, even if on just a short drive to the gas station." 

Some of us might have heard the Air Force's 0-0-1-3 initiative, which entails zero driving under the influence and underage drinking cases, one drink an hour and three drinks maximum prior to driving. Though the policy is intended to promote responsible choices, 0-0-1-3 is not a get out of jail free card and it is highly advisable to abstain from drinking any alcoholic beverages before getting behind the wheel, said Mr. Bell. 

"If .08 is the magic number when determining a DUI charge, those numbers don't really mean anything even if you have been doing everything right and are involved in an automobile accident," he said. "If you only have one drink and the authorities smell alcohol, drinking could be cited as a contributing factor to the mishap. I would strongly advise not to have any drinks before driving and always have a plan before going out." 

To maintain a proper military image and promote safety in the local area, Colonel Doty also urges Team Moody members to remain aware of their driving habits in the local area. 

"It's just plain irresponsible for an Airman to be speeding on Bemiss Road," he said. "As an institution, we need to show local citizens we do things the right way instead of being the people who break the law. There is a reason the speed limit is 45 miles per hour, and the last thing we'd want is for someone to get hurt." 

In addition to road safety, wearing proper gear during sporting activities is also imperative to prevent mission-affecting injuries, said Mr. Bell. 

"When performing recreational activities, people need to be aware of the environment and have the proper gear on at all times," he said. "Just the other day I went to an intramural softball game on-base, and the catcher wasn't wearing a mask. In this case, the individual could receive a severe head injury. It's the responsibility of the person involved in the activity, but it's also important for leadership, other players, referees and the gym staff to make sure everyone is playing safely." 

Apart from the human element of the 101 Critical Days of Summer, the Air Force needs every Airman at work to complete the mission of maintaining world-dominating air power in the Global War on Terror. The stakes of this mission are simply too high to risk losing integral parts to unsafe and often unwise actions, said Colonel Doty. 

"A fatality, injury or even DUI has a large ripple effect that takes you out of the picture and impacts the entire combat capability of the 23rd Wing, U.S. Air Force and our nation's capability to fight wars," the colonel said. "Our goal for the 101 Critical Days of Summer is not to record any fatalities. Everybody wants to have a good time this summer, but just make sure you think of the consequences before taking action."