2022 CRITICAL DAYS OF SUMMER WRAP-UP

Labor Day weekend has come and gone, which means one thing: summer is over. We now look forward to shorter days, a drop in temperature, and a new season of adventures. We have concluded the Critical Days of Summer (CDS) safety awareness campaign, which spanned from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The campaign’s purpose was to bring safety awareness to all Airmen while enjoying summer activities, road trips, and gatherings. Historically, the summer months are a period of increased mishaps, and Air Mobility Command (AMC) continues to promote CDS to bring awareness of the increased risk.

With our efforts towards mishap reduction, we proudly announce that AMC experienced ZERO fatal mishaps during the Critical Days of Summer period. Unfortunately, the Air Force lost seven Airmen due to off-duty activities, with the majority being motor vehicle accidents. This is a reminder to us all that we need to maintain constant awareness about our actions and our surroundings while traveling.

This year’s campaign theme was “Out & About … Take your Risk Management Tool Kit.” During the past two years the U.S. has been under varying COVID restrictions. These restrictions encouraged people to find new hobbies and stay inside more than usual, and limited the amount of travel our Airmen did during summer months. Nearly all states lifted restrictions and opened up venues this year, and Airmen may have felt the need to travel more for summer vacations. AMC focused a greater emphasis on travel and destination activity safety, targeting highway travel and summertime activity hazards.

Summer is over and the CDS campaign has ended; however, risks and hazards are still present and some have taken new forms. It’s imperative that leaders, supervisors, and wingmen keep up their guard and implement mishap prevention strategies. The fall and winter months present new hazards, and we need our Airmen attuned to them. Our mission of Rapid Global Mobility is not slowing down, and neither should our safety-focused mindset. Airmen need to be focused and practice sound decision-making and personal risk management – through every season.