Critical Days of Summer starts May 24; 'Safe 'n Sound - All Year Long' is theme

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Heather Campbell
  • 82nd Training Wing Safety Office
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  It's that time of year again: time to pull out the beach clothes, time to rev up the motorcycle, time to just relax at the pool. For those of us lucky enough to be stationed in Texas, summer weather is here already. Many of us look forward to this time to take an extended vacation, spend more time outdoors, and spend more time with our families, often incorporating recreational activities.

For the Air Force, this is a time of increased vigilance and worry about our members. While we want everyone to be able to relax and enjoy themselves on their off time, we also want them to do so responsibly and use basic risk management principles to stay safe. It could be as simple as making sure you have a basic plan for any activity you do: I'm going outside to run...do I have water and did I put on sunscreen; or I'm going boating with friends...does the operator have a boating license and will everyone on board wear their personal flotation devices?

Since statistics show the military experiences more fatalities over the summer months than the rest of the year, the Air Force promotes the Critical Days of Summer campaign. This year's motto is "Safe 'n Sound - All Year Round." The campaign officially runs from 24 May to 3 September, spanning 14 weeks.

Here's a look at the topics for the weeks ahead: On the Road Again; Stone Cold Sober; Friends (the importance of being and having a good Wingman); Hot Fun in the Summertime (outdoor activities and grilling); Stormy Weather; Living in America (fireworks); Born to be Wild (motorcycles); Built for Speed; Boatman; Gonna Fly Now (sports); Basketball Jones; Bicycle Race; Rocky Mountain High (extreme sports); and Funeral in the Rain (Labor Day weekend).

Leading up to each week of the campaign, the Sheppard Ground Safety Office will send out the current topic along with some resources to unit safety representatives and leadership to disseminate to their units. The intent is for each workcenter supervisor to share the provided information with their personnel.

Although the Air Force requires us to address these issues, which as times tends to take the fun out of things, we can put the fun back into these mandatory safety briefings by being creative. Have a funny mishap to share regarding one of these topics, a "so there I was," or "you see, this is what had happened" story? As long as there is a lesson learned to the story, share it with your office or your unit! Try something other than the standard kill 'em by PowerPoint method, instead try performing a skit, show a video, or go on an office outing to learn safety for an event such as zip lining. One of the most memorable safety demonstrations I've seen was at a commander's call. Three volunteers (two males and one female) of different ages and weights drank the same amount of alcohol in an appointed amount of time. Then after waiting 30 minutes, they each took breathalyzer tests and sobriety tests, i.e. walk a straight line, touch your finger to your nose, all with hilarious results. The purpose of the demonstration was to show how alcohol can affect each one of us differently based on differing physiological characteristics. What made it memorable was that it was presented in a hands-on, personal, and amusing way.

The goal of the Air Force every year is zero preventable mishaps, and every mishap is preventable in some way. Since we never meet that goal, we have safety campaigns to at least remind people to include safety in everything they do, just like our core value of excellence in all we do. The point is not for you to have "fun-free" summer, but to take a few minutes or more before participating in activities to make sure you and those around you are educated on, prepared for, and protected against hazards associated with those activities.

Please, have fun this summer. All we ask is that you return to us "safe 'n sound, all year round."