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A Back-to-Basics Focus for Safety

  • Published
  • By Col. Gary Goldstone
  • 375th Airlift Wing commander
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Today we are taking time out from our normal duties to review our back-to-basics approach to safety issues. This comes on the heels of some significant flight mishaps throughout Air Mobility Command that led the commander to direct a Back-to-Basics safety down day so each of the wings will focus on flight and ground safety fundamentals. 

According to AMC safety officials, consistent threads in the recent mishaps are complacency, habituation, distraction, inattention to detail and deviations from checklists and technical orders. I echo both AMC and 18th Air Force commanders' concerns that we must be vigilant in protecting our No. 1 resource: our people. 

We can't afford to let carelessness infect our attitudes about the mission. There is too much at stake with our limited resources and manning to let that happen. That's why we need to step back to review our safety programs and to see how well we are complying with those requirements and guidelines. 

This focus comes at a good time because we're also ramping up for our annual 101 Days of Safety campaign. Along with checklists and procedures, we need to be mindful that being safe with our outdoor and off-duty activities are just as important. Traffic mishaps remain the Air Force's No. 1 killer, and we're starting to venture into the motorcycle season, which is another high-risk activity that requires attention to detail and alertness. Other activities such as spring cleaning, yard work, water sports and camping are just a few examples of areas where we also need to pay close attention to safety. 

I've tasked each of the groups and the Director of Staff team to create a Back-to-Basics agenda and some of their good ideas include briefings on patient safety, customer service, infection control, safety during the Operational Readiness Inspection, tornado drill, protecting privacy information, ground safety trend analysis reviews, familiarizations with different types of mishaps and how to report them, facility safety reviews, pre-summer vehicle inspections, household grill safety and more. 

This re-emphasis will help us prevent further mishaps, and will preserve our warfighting capability. We must ensure we move forward in safe manner as we support our DV/aeromedical airlift mission, as we continue to provide superior support and services to Team Scott, and as we deliver combat-ready Airmen to the fight. Enabling combat power means we must pay attention to details and never let an attitude of complacency or lack of discipline enter in to our daily operations. Be safe and stay safe!