Deadliest week in summer lurks near

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Brandy Dupper-Macy
  • 355th Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. (AFPN) --  As summer comes to a close, the “101 Critical Days of Summer” fades away, but keeping safety in the forefront should remain a priority, officials here said.

This year, the Air Force lost 24 Airmen. Most of these losses were preventable. However, the worst week historically in the Air Force, Aug. 21 to 27, is right around the corner.

“(The Air Force) loses approximately six people during this week as opposed to three,” said Michael Barnes, 355th Wing ground safety manager.

“We do not have concrete evidence as to why; however, we surmise this increase is (because of) two factors,” said Lt. Col. John Massee, 355th Wing chief of safety.

“(The first reason) is complacency -- everything has gone fine for the individual to this point and the person’s guard may drop,” Colonel Massee said. “The person may overlook this time period by thinking more about Labor Day weekend, when we, as an organization, place greater emphasis on safety.”

“Ninety percent of the time we have the time to get the job done without risking life and limb ... and 100 percent of the time we have the time to do it without foolishly risking life and limb,” said Gen. Ronald E. Keys, commander of Air Combat Command. “In our off-duty time, it is even more devastating to have people maimed and killed (because of) misplaced attention or enthusiasm. We are a force that must do dangerous things as our calling. But we need to do them with full knowledge of the risks involved, be properly prepared for them, and execute our tasks flawlessly.”

“The second reason is people rushing to get it all in. The summer is winding down and people may try to get all their plans accomplished … and end up taking too much risk or not accounting for the risks involved,” Colonel Massee said.

With an air and space expeditionary force rotation right around the corner, the number of Airmen trying to get in those last days of leave is on the rise.

“Summer is ending, children are going back to school and we want to take that last vacation or visit friends,” Mr. Barnes said. “With our Airmen deploying, they will want to get in as much fun time and family time before leaving.”

The combination of these two factors may raise concerns about the number of Airmen the Air Force may lose this year.

The most common accident during this time frame is vehicular, Mr. Barnes said.

“Over half of the off-duty motor vehicle fatalities this year are the result of noncompliance with civil laws and Air Force directives,” said Lt. Gen. Randall Mark Schmidt, 12th Air Force commander. “Similar noncompliance issues are just as evident in the majority of weapons incidents that have occurred this year.”

These mishaps commonly include, “driving long distances without rest, driving drunk, driving at a high rate of speed or doing all of the preceding,” Mr. Barnes said.

“Preventable accidents and injuries reduce our readiness, increase personnel ops tempo, and can adversely affect morale,” said Michael L. Dominquez, acting secretary of the Air Force.

The single most important action to prevent a death while driving is to buckle up.

“Always use the safety equipment that is available for driving, boating, riding, biking and other activities,” Mr. Barnes said.

Besides using safety equipment, supervisors can also have an active role in preventing mishaps.

“Targeted prevention efforts should obviously be aimed at those areas that have historically resulted in losses,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper.

“Supervisors need to know their Airmen and what they do in their off-duty time,” Mr. Barnes said. “They should help their Airmen make good decisions and reinforce the use of the buddy system by not letting them do things alone.”

“Supervisors, peers and family members can not let their guard down,” Colonel Massee said. “The ‘101 (Critical Days of Summer)’ is mainly about personal risk management while off-duty during the time of year we tend to take vacations and increased activities with increased risk. It’s the unnecessary risk we try to get our folks to eliminate. Commanders, supervisors, and friends want to see every Airman return safely after time off from work.”

“Taking care of each other in this Air Force family pay great dividends in giving peace to the world and maintaining freedom at home -- we can’t afford one loss from accidents,” Mr. Barnes said.