Wrapping up end of summer Published Sept. 25, 2006 By Lt. Col. Sandra Chandler Wing Chief of Safety Grand Forks AFB, ND -- Incredible job this summer by everyone, you've proven once again that there is always time for safety, and that we've come a long way in continuing to build our safety-conscious, Wingman culture. We're Air Mobility Command's busiest tanker wing supporting an unprecedented operations tempo in the Global War on Terror; we earned an "excellent" on the Operational Readiness Inspection and had no reportable safety incidents; we presented the base and some awesome aviation to more than 35,000 visitors during the first air show here in eight years and, again, had no reportable safety incidents; we've changed out numerous personnel this summer to include many of our leaders and supervisors, and we still managed to enjoy the 101 Critical Days of Summer with zero major safety incidents. I'd like to wrap up this year's Air Force 101 Critical Days of Summer safety campaign with its lessons learned. Every year, the Air Force runs the 101 CDS campaign for mishap prevention focus during the "normal" peak mishap occurrence period: during the summer, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when everyone is out enjoying beautiful weather and vacation time. This year, the Air Force as a whole lost 18 Airmen to fatalities (one of those was a fellow AMC Airman during Labor Day weekend). Seventeen of them occurred during off-duty time, the majority were in private motor vehicle accidents (not wearing seatbelts was a trend - wear your seatbelt and ensure everyone in your vehicle is wearing a seatbelt before you move the vehicle); four Wingmen died in motorcycle accidents (three were struck by a four-wheel motor vehicle - watch out for motorcycle riders, they can sometimes be hard to see, but are very easily injured if struck by your larger vehicle); and we lost four Wingmen to sports and recreation activities (three water-related - use the buddy system when on/in the water, so someone can monitor and assist if you get into trouble). The goal has always been, and will always be, zero fatalities. Even though we didn't quite get there this summer, we did manage a 38 percent reduction in fatalities since 2005 and a 44 percent reduction from 2004... so we are at least moving in the right direction toward not losing any of our precious human assets to preventable mishaps, and Grand Forks Air Force Base did their part in moving towards that goal of zero fatalities... thank you for your efforts this summer. Remember there is always time for safety... and now is the time for our local Warriors of the North "264 Critical Days of Winter" safety campaign. The weather is turning - time to get out and brush off your "Cold Hard Facts" pamphlet and make sure your vehicle, your home and you are prepared for the deep freeze that is the North Dakota winter -- it will take you longer to do almost every activity; count on it and allow enough time so you don't find yourself rushing. The arrival of fall also means hunting and harvest season is here. Vehicle drivers need to slow down and watch out for deer darting out on the road, and be very cautious with the large, slow moving harvest vehicles out on the roads -- sugar beets falling off a truck and striking a vehicle following too closely can get ugly, not to mention deadly. Your wing safety office will be publishing more detailed winter safety articles about these topics and more in upcoming Leader issues. The "Cold Hard Facts" pamphlet and more safety information and answers to questions can be obtained by contacting the safety office at 747-3366. Remember, recognizing the hazards and risks associated with your activities both on and off duty (regardless of the season), and taking appropriate preventive and risk-reducing measures will help keep you alive and well for many more "101 Critical Days of Summer" to come. Staying alive and well, and helping others to do the same, is a personal goal worth setting and working hard to achieve.