AMC SAFETY OFFICER OF THE YEAR

CAPT PATRICK L. FRENCH
40 AS, DYESS AFB, TX

CAPT PATRICK L. FRENCH, 40th Airlift Squadron, Dyess Air Force Base, TX, has been announced as the winner of the Air Mobility Command Safety Officer of the Year Award. French led his team to win the U.S. Air Forces Central Command Flight Safety Award of the Quarter through exemplary attention to detail and fleet readiness standards. With a keen eye for identifying critical deficiencies and providing actionable solutions, French managed the revisions and applicable translation for multiple flight and flightline safety protocols and procedures for internal personnel, partner nations, and host airfield use.

French reestablished relations with senior Kuwaiti leaders to update an expired wildlife management agreement and foster coalition participation in proactive wing safety programs. He conducted wildlife management training for the Kuwaiti Chief of Safety, helping prepare a host nation base for operations and safeguarding sorties during Agile Combat Employment mission generation capabilities validation. French also developed and administered a wildlife strike remains collection training program that enabled a positive reporting culture and decreased bird strikes by 56 percent. After revamping the air strike program, he created long-term goals incorporating coalition partners and geographically separated units to obtain a four-year low in bird strikes across six bases. French also removed an aggressive feral canine population from the base, protecting 2,800 personnel from attack and disease through trapping and educational awareness campaigns.

French advocated for the procurement of three new liaison officer positions at a host nation air traffic control facility. Additionally, he helped reduce ground mishaps by 44 percent by completing 17 spot cargo-loading operations investigations in high-interest areas at geographically separated units during 40 combat missions in Iraq. His work on revamping the scope of quarterly flight safety briefs helped support a 23-percent decrease in flight mishaps.

His efforts with the Operational Support Squadron and airfield management created the first host nation airfield driving program and revitalized U.S. and coalition airfield driving programs through the creation of multiple test banks, practical exams, training opportunities, and Arabic airfield signs installation. Unit-specific training for flightline emergency response reduced controlled movement area violations by 57 percent, establishing the longest violation-free period in more than two years.