Wingmen on and off duty making safety a priority Published May 19, 2006 By Gen. Bruce Carlson Air Force Materiel Command Commander WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- When the clock strikes 4 p.m. May 26 it marks the beginning of the 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign. Before the campaign ends at 7 a.m. Sept. 5, most of us will have increased our outdoor activities. It is no surprise increased outdoor activity often raises the number of outdoor recreation mishaps. I want every member of Air Force Materiel Command to understand that nothing takes a higher priority for me than the safety and wellness of our work force. The essence of being good wingmen is getting involved, being alert and taking action. To ensure no one in our AFMC family is exposed to undue risks, we need to use the Wingman BASICS – which means Being there, Awareness of needs, Shared planning, Implementation of the plan, Continuing Support. In other words, it’s Airmen taking care of Airmen, people working together to help prevent off-duty vehicle mishaps and related fatalities. During the 2005 101 Critical Days of Summer, AFMC suffered one fatality when an Airman lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree. It was one of eight fatal auto accidents in the Air Force. Additionally, there were nine fatal motorcycle mishaps. Thus, private motor vehicle accidents accounted for seventeen of the Air Force’s 30 fatalities. Please focus on preventing mishaps in the following high-risk areas: vehicle safety – always use seat belts, alcohol use/abuse – know your limits and stick to them, motorcycle / ATV (all-terrain vehicle) riding, water sports and proper pre-conditioning and training. Our nation needs us, our families need us, and I need each of you to meet our nation’s daunting and expanding challenges in the safest way possible. Let’s strive to make this the safest year on record for all of AFMC and the Air Force.