A group of men in military uniforms standing next to each other.
Left to right: Mr. Evan Moran (USDA), Col Sergio Anaya (62 AW Commander), Mr. Brett Bassler (USDA), Maj Noah Hanks (Flight Safety), Mr. Kia Camarao (Weapons Safety), Mr. Tom Thompson (Nuclear Surety), SSgt Noah Delano (Occupational Safety), CMSgt Timothey Hodgin (Command Chief), Mr. Ryan Meeks (Occupational Safety), Mr. Ken Heath (Occupational Safety), and Mr. David Tsitiridis (Flight Safety). Not pictured: Lt Col Bradly Wills (Chief of Safety), and MSgt Alex Holmes (Occupational Safety).

AMC SAFETY OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, CATEGORY IV

By STAFF WRITER

62 AW/SE JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA

THE 62D AIRLIFT WING SAFETY OFFICE (62 AW/SE), Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA, led by Col Sergio E. Anaya, has been announced as the winner of the Air Mobility Command Safety Outstanding Achievement Award, Category IV. The wing consistently championed a safety message of “Aggressive Safety,†supporting approximately 3,000 personnel and 40 C-17s worth $8.6 billion, resulting in crucial contributions to the completion of 6,767 worldwide sorties and more than 24,946 flying hours.

Their benchmark occupational safety program demonstrates an exceptional safety record, having only one Class A mishap in 22 years, two Class B mishaps in 18 years, and maintaining a record of zero on-duty A and B incidents for 18 years. The leadership of the 62 AW/SE ensured due diligence with exemplary commanding officer involvement. Additionally, the wing promulgated a culture of safety, education, and awareness by directing 110 courses, training 225 supervisors, mentoring 47 Unit Safety Representatives and 35 Motorcycle Safety Representatives, and publishing a bimonthly safety newsletter.

The 62 AW/SE provided expert oversight of the nuclear surety mission by executing 11 missions that airlifted approximately 724,000 pounds of cargo, conducting nine annual and 88 spot inspections, fixing 66 deficiencies, and completing a Nuclear Surety Inspection lauded by the Inspector General. The wing spearheaded a training guide for a Risk-Based Explosive Safety Siting software that provides step-by-step instructions, improves proficiency, and expedites risk analysis by an estimated 20 percent for 24 Air Mobility Command Weapons Safety Managers. They also revamped the Additional Duty Weapons Safety Representative program by training 21 personnel across seven units, validating and issuing 10 explosive licenses, and conducting 26 inspections to ensure safety compliance for 113 airfield and munition storage sites. In collaboration with the Joint United States Air Force Expeditionary Center, the 62 AW/SE served as a safety ambassador for the 627th Air Base Group of 800 Airmen by meticulously reviewing 44 mishaps and evaluating unit programs to ensure compliance with Air Force safety standards.