A person on a bike in the mountains

Critical Days of Summer: Out & About … Take Your Risk Management Tool Kit

By

Memorial Day weekend starts the AMC’s Critical Days of Summer safety campaign. This campaign spans the entire summer and ends on Labor Day weekend. At this time of year, AMC experiences a rise in off-duty mishaps related to travel and recreational activities. This year we may wish to take a bit more caution as much of the nation is easing COVID restrictions, and we shift from a pandemic to an endemic mindset.

For 2022, the Critical Days of Summer theme is “Out & About … Take Your Risk Management Tool Kit.†This year we are emphasizing tools such as Deliberate and Real-Time Risk Management to maximize summer fun while staying safe. Simple methods, including Gear/Plan/Skills (GPS), will help our Airmen identify potential hazards in their leisure time by asking these three crucial questions before any activity:

  • Do I have the adequate Gear to perform the task?
  • Are my Plans as well thought out as they could be?
  • Do I have the necessary Skills to perform the activity?

If the answer is “no†to any of these questions, Airmen have exposed potential pitfalls that could lead to a mishap if not addressed.

During the 2021 span of Critical Days of Summer, AMC lost three Airmen to separate motorcycle mishaps. All three of these mishaps could have been prevented if our Airmen, their peers, and their supervisors had taken the time to employ the risk management tools they have available to them. As Airmen, we must recognize when we are pushing our own limits and mitigate risk when it becomes too great. As peers, we need to hold each other accountable when other Airmen are putting themselves and others at risk. As supervisors, we need to be aware of which recreational activities our Airmen are doing off-duty. This knowledge will mitigate any blind spots that may impact not only our Airmen’s safety, but civilians’ safety as well.

Summer 2022 will undoubtedly be different from previous COVID-era summers. With COVID restrictions easing and ongoing global tension increasing, our Airmen may feel the need to take a breath and get out and about. While more Airmen relax by spending time with friends and family this summer, we ask them to go the extra mile and bring along their Risk Management Toolkit. Then they will be fully charged for Air Mobility duty and prepared for tomorrow’s fight.