'101 Critical Days' ends, safety continues Published Oct. 17, 2006 By Chrissy Cuttita 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs TYNDALL AFB, Fla. -- Although the Air Force's 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign ended Sept. 4, Tyndall officials are encouraging personnel to continue to practice operational risk management and focus on safety year-round. During this year's annual campaign, the Air Force experienced 18 fatalities compared to 29 during 2005. "This year the base did great, but everyone needs to continue to be on their guard to prevent the next mishap lurking right around the corner," said Ken Jolley, 325th Fighter Wing chief of ground safety. As in past years, motor vehicle and motorcycle fatalities accounted for most of Air Force fatalities and mishaps. Some of the factors in these mishaps included losing control of the vehicle, not using seat belts and consuming alcohol. Other fatalities occurred during off-duty recreational activities. With decreasing manning, it becomes increasingly important to protect every resource, especially our people. "The warriors of the 325th Fighter Wing have excelled," said Brig. Gen. (S) Tod Wolters, 325th Fighter Wing commander. "We continue to focus on winning the Global War on Terrorism and sending our expeditionary Airmen abroad with war-winning attitude. Team Tyndall has lost no lives during this campaign ... a credit to the professionalism of our Airmen." The 'critical days' campaign has run annually since the early 1980s and was developed to counter an increase in Air Force mishaps and fatalities that occur during the summer months. The campaign attempts to increase personal awareness of risks and reduce the number of mishaps and fatalities. "We should always be applying ORM to our decisions while off-duty the same way we do on duty," said Mr. Jolley, who is also the wing ORM point of contact. "Our mindset shouldn't change just because the campaign is over; proper safety precautions and decisions should be applicable year-round. It needs to be a true mind-set for everyone at all times." ORM is a critical process, and all three courses of ORM training are available on the Air Force Safety Web site for download. "The first and maybe biggest step in ORM is to identify hazards that surround any activity we want to do," said Mr. Jolley. "It's like what we were taught when we learned to cross the street. You have to stop, look and listen. If you stop and think about what you are planning to do, you are basically applying ORM to everyday decision making." Tyndall keeps those efforts running year-round by continuing to ensure the principals of ORM are learned and applied. Events like Wingman Day, Safety Day, courses such as motorcycle training and programs like Airman Against Drunk Driving all contribute to better ORM and aid in educating the wing populace on aspects of safety. "ORM is everyone's responsibility," said Mr. Jolley. "The trick is to know what the risk is, and take the necessary steps to counter it."