During the last holiday weekend of CDS, the Air Force lost two Airmen, one in a private aircraft mishap and the other in a motor vehicle-pedestrian mishap. There were 17 fatalities during the entire CDS period, May 23 through Labor Day weekend, down from 20 for the same period last year. 

"Fortunately, losses were lower this year, but that's not good enough," said Bill Parsons, the Air Force Chief of Ground Safety. "We have to be unrelenting in our ‘Quest for Zero.’

"As we move into fiscal year 2015, our focus will continue to be on our Airmen. We intend to help every Airman understand how risk management factors into everything they do -- on and off duty," Parsons continued. 

According to safety professionals, most fatalities are preventable. Air Force Ground Safety initiatives for fiscal 2015 include an increased awareness of risk management. 

"When we all concentrate on every task at hand and consciously consider every risk associated with each task, every one of us becomes central to saving lives and preventing injuries," Parsons said. "Supervisors should continue to stress the use of the risk management tools and the guidance available for every activity. 

"We need every Airman to weigh every risk before they act, and remember: my job, my life, my choice," Parsons said.