The Mobility Forum Posts

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5,486 fatal work injuries, or 3.7 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers, were reported in the United States in 2022, representing a 5.7 percent increase year over year. The Air Force Times reports seventy-five noncombat U.S. Air Force mishaps occurred in fiscal year 2023, representing an approximate 12 percent increase year over year.

A human reflex is defined as an automatic response to stimulus that does not require conscious thought. A superhuman reflex can be referred to as an automatic reaction to danger with great speed or heightened abilities. Superhuman reflexes encompass enhanced reactions, enhanced reaction times, and enhanced preparedness. All of these are characteristic of Airmen. When Airmen are involved in or witness an emergency (e.g., hearing an explosion or watching a life-threatening situation unfold), their human and superhuman reflexes kick in. They start running toward the scene, rather than away, displaying courage, and executing solutions.

Anyone who has taken an athletic endeavor seriously craves the satisfaction that comes from pushing past your predetermined physical limits and progressing further in your abilities. The feeling is the force that keeps a person’s hand from hitting the snooze button on their phone alarm for a 4 a.m. run or motivates them to hit the gym for a late-night workout after a stressful day at work. A good obsession with progression is the thing that makes a personal record (a “PR”) on the “big three” weightlifting exercises (bench press, squat, deadlift) such a sacred text for committed powerlifters. Dedicated runners hold a similar reverence for their fastest mile or longest distance traveled on foot.

Storytelling is an intrinsic part of the human experience. Before written language was created, stories were transmitted visually and orally. This custom has served mankind well as innovations have been born from accumulating knowledge from stories across generations. For example, Elias Disney, who worked as a carpenter at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition, better known as the Chicago World’s Fair, shared stories with his son, Walt, which later inspired him to create the famous Disney amusement parks.

Although it is a familiar and often routine activity, between 2017 and 2021, cooking caused forty-four percent of all reported home fires in the United States. Other leading causes of home fires are candles, electrical systems/lighting equipment, heating equipment, Christmas trees, and smoking. House fires can also be intentionally or unintentionally started. Intentionally set fires include arson; unintentionally set fires usually start from unexpected sources. A fire can start from items you may not even think about, such as furnaces, an abundance of lint in clothes dryer filters, and plugged-in appliances.

In the fall and winter seasons, we know—as avid riders—that there are a few different things to consider, unlike in the spring and summer when traveling safely on roadways. For instance, as temperatures drop, the rubber compounds of motorcycle tires lose some of their traction (or “stickiness”) and cannot adhere to road surfaces as well as they do in warmer climates. Hence, in anticipation of how tires can react to coldness, riders should reduce their speed while cornering and allow for more stopping distance.

Over the past five years, a substantial increase in dangerous actions in contested territories has occurred, translating to increased risk to Airmen’s safety. These hazardous behaviors, released via a collection of declassified images and videos by the Department of Defense, include the following:

At the Air Mobility Command (AMC) Flight Safety Division, we are committed to maximizing capacities while minimizing risks. We work tirelessly every day to collect data, trends, and feedback to identify possible hazards, risks, and errors using proactive safety programs. In addition, we maintain constant communication with the Wing Chiefs of Safety through monthly crosstalk, Teams threads, and digital correspondence.

Aircrew members assigned to the 6th Airlift Squadron run to a C-17 Globemaster III while conducting Flush checklist procedures on Yokota Air Base, Japan, in support of Valiant Shield 2024, June 14, 2024.

One summer day in 1997, young Cadet Kelley, while visiting Ramstein Air Base, Germany, stood in the cargo yard looking at his newly issued U.S. Air Force Motor Vehicle Operator Identification Card. He had just earned his first qualification on U.S. Air Force equipment, a 10K Hyster powered industrial truck (forklift). Fast-forward eighteen years, Lt Col Kelley was standing in the Ground Transportation office jokingly attempting to check out a 10K with the same ID card. The wise Staff Sergeant behind the desk proceeded to raise one eyebrow and rightfully declared, “Not a chance, Sir!”

According to Maj Magin A. Day—a Mental Health Element Chief and Clinical Psychologist from the 375th Operational Medicine Readiness Squadron—mental health care is phenomenal. As someone with an advanced degree in clinical health psychology, she declared, “Every human being can benefit from therapy.”

In a Just Culture environment, we sincerely appreciate crewmembers who share their errors so we can all learn how to improve our performance. Additionally, the crewmember showed true professionalism and candor in assessing the human factors that contributed to the error chain. Thank you for contributing to Proactive Safety!