Routine commander’s call … sort of

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Tammie Adams
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. (AFPN) --  Many bases have a commander’s call right before the holiday season to see everybody off safely and wish them a merry vacation. It was no different  here … except for how the information was delivered.

The stage of the base theater looked like a late-night talk show, complete with a band, desk, couch, background cityscape, plants and other decorations. But that’s just the beginning. 

One by one, guest speakers appeared on stage and spoke to the crowd as the host asked questions related to safe driving and responsible drinking. The guests included the mayor of Goldsboro, N.C.,  Al King; the general manager of a local car dealership, Hal Howard; Goldsboro Chief of Police Timothy Bell; 4th Fighter Wing ground safety manager, Tim Edwards; and Master Sgt. Troy Harris from life skills. 

During the transition between guests, a sequence of funny and educational video clips played on the movie screen behind the couch and desk setup. 

The main purpose of the commander’s call was to educate Airmen ages 25 and under about the impact, dangers and consequences of drinking and driving. 

“We typically see an increase in DUIs during the holiday season and New Year’s because of the extra time off and more people attending parties,” Mr. Edwards said. “I think the information that was presented reached a lot of people and reminded them that they’re not invincible. I think the different delivery method was effective and will make people think about what they’re doing when they get in their car.” 

A new drinking program called 0-0-1-3 was also introduced.  It promotes responsible
drinking.

“0-0-1-3 is an Air Force program that establishes the goal of zero underage drinking incidents, zero DUIs, one alcoholic drink per hour and no more than three drinks per night,” Sergeant Harris said. 

For a contest during the show, two volunteers were asked to put on “beer goggles,” which distort vision to simulate the body’s response to alcohol intake. While wearing the goggles, the volunteers had to ride a tricycle to the stage, get off the tricycle and then walk in a straight line, heel to toe. All participants made comments on how the goggles made it more difficult to reach their destination. 

The secondary message conveyed during the event covered safe driving and seatbelt usage. 

Mr. Edwards was dressed up with fake wounds on his body that he supposedly received from a driving accident while not wearing his seatbelt. Video clips of crash test dummies were shown in slow motion to show the difference between wearing and not wearing seatbelts. 

Senior Airman Rebecca Hall, of the 4th Aeromedical Dental Squadron, said the material presented affectedher so much that she will not only think about it during the holiday season, but also long after that. 

“I have my own family starting, so it made me think a lot about my husband’s safety, my safety and our future,” Airman Hall said. “This was a very unique way of presenting the material. I think it was way more effective than watching the same old videos or just hearing one person tell us what we should or shouldn’t do. We got to see video clips and hear personal stories we could relate to.”