Holloman kicks off 101 CDOS with Safety Day

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Sondra Escutia
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  On June 1, Team Holloman kicked off the sunny New Mexico summer with a day of go karts, comedy shows and demonstrations aimed to remind everyone to get out and have fun, but to keep safety in mind.

The 49th Fighter Wing Safety Day coincided with "day one" of the 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign - an Air Force initiative to increase safety awareness during the mishap-prone summer months.

"The goal is always to get out there and have fun," said Mike Gann, 49th FW ground safety manager. "Don't be so regimented that you don't have fun, just do it safely. We work hard, we play hard, we want to get out there and have a good time -- but we don't want to get hurt."

Last year alone, the Air Force lost 54 people to vehicle mishaps, according to statistics from the Safety Office. Twenty-eight more lives were lost since Oct. 1, 2009. Mr. Gann said the majority of these fatalities were due to texting or drinking while driving, distracted driving, speeding and poor driving habits.

To combat this ongoing trend with preventable vehicle mishaps, the Safety Day featured a drinking and driving/texting go-kart course at the Enlisted Club.

"The go karts taught people the implications of driving a vehicle while drinking or texting," said Mr. Gann. "They had to put a cell phone in their hands and flip it open to read a text. You had so many of them run right off the road."

"We did the same thing with the drinking goggles. They stuck those on their eyes and tried to drive, and of course they were hitting the cones," he added. "It's basically a nice safe way to see the implications of drinking and texting while driving -- they hit cones instead of real people or cars."

The Safety Day also offered some comic relief from the average safety briefings.

Bernie McGrenahan, a renowned stand-up comedian, taught Team Holloman members about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, sexual conduct and suicide with his "HAPPY HOUR" comedy show. The show began with 30 minutes of comedy, followed by an intense training session, showcased through his own personal experiences.

"Mr. McGrenahan was one of those guys who was down at the bottom of his luck and he stood up and did a comedy show about his life experiences," said Mr. Gann. "He just wants them to be aware of the implications of driving drunk and what happens afterward -- the domino effect -- and how it affects your whole life."

Members of the audience applauded his training technique with a standing ovation, and many Airmen walked away with lessons learned.

"The show was well-played out," said Senior Airman Porsche Bragg, 49th Maintenance Group, who attended the presentation. "He got his point across in a comical way and he related a lot to the military lifestyle."

In between the go-karts and comedy shows was a car seat check hosted by the Alamogordo Police Department and demonstration of the motorcycle safety course offered on base, as well as individual safety briefings throughout the units.

Although the Wing Safety Day only lasted one day, it began the 101 Critical Days of Summer safety campaign that will run until Labor Day. During the campaign, the 49th FW Safety Office, commanders and supervisors will continue to stress the importance of safety over the active summer season in accordance with this year's theme, "No vacation from safety."

"We lose more to vehicle accidents than armed combat in the Air Force. Most of the time, the heaviest losses are during the summer months. So this is why 101 is pushed like it is," said Mr. Gann. "Safety only works if we all get involved."

For more information on safety, or to sign up for motorcycle or ATV safety courses, contact the 49th FW Safety Office at 575-572-3793.

Click here to watch Holloman's 101 Critical Days of Summer video for 2010.