101 Critical Days of Summer: ‘Live to Play and Play to Live’

The 101 Critical Days of Summer will officially begin at 4 p.m. May 22 and end at 7 a.m. Sept. 9. To support this year’s 101 Critical Days of Summer, the Air Force Safety Center is promoting the theme “Live to Play and Play to Live,” with private motor vehicle operations and water safety headlining this season’s campaign.

“From fiscal year 2007 to present, members of the 435th Air Base Wing experienced 22 reportable off-duty sports and recreational mishaps, at a cost of 296 lost workdays,” said Tech. Sgt. Fred Gamblin, 435th Air Base Wing Safety Program manager.

Of the 22 mishaps, 10 were basketball- and football-related. The top three injuries received were fractures, internal injuries and strains and sprains, totaling 19 of the 22 injuries.

“To meet the Air Force Safety Center’s previous goal (of) reducing mishaps by 75 percent, KMC residents will have to reduce off-duty sports-related mishaps by 17 mishaps over the next two fiscal years,” Sergeant Gamblin said. “We need your help.”

To help launch the start of the campaign, U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s Safety Office is taking their road show to bases throughout Europe. The show includes a multi-media presentation consisting of music, PowerPoint presentations, video clips and personal testimonies, with the goal to change the current safety culture.

Members of the 86th Airlift Wing should attend the safety road show Tuesday at the Nightingale Theater as follows:
8 a.m.: Operations Group and Wing Staff Agency
10 a.m.: Air and Space Communications Group
1 p.m.: Contingency Response Group
3 p.m.: Maintenance Group

For members of the 435th ABW, the show is scheduled Wednesday at the Hercules Theater as follows:
7:30 a.m.: Medical Group, Mission Support Group and Wing Staff Agency
9 a.m.: Civil Engineer Group and Logistics Readiness Group
11 a.m.: 431st Air Base Group
1 p.m.: Medical Group and Logistics Readiness Group
3:30 p.m.: 431st Air Base Group and Civil Engineer Group
5 p.m.: Medical Group and Logistics Readiness Group.

To help emphasize safety throughout the summer months, the safety center has provided the following weekly focus areas for units to address with their Airmen:
Week 1 – Motorcycle/Sport Bike Safety – May 26-June 2
Week 2 – Water Safety – June 3-9
Week 3 – Motorcycle/Cruiser Bike Safety – June 10-16
Week 4 – Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety – June 17-23
Week 5 – Boating Safety – June 24-30
Week 6 – 4th of July Holiday and Fireworks Safety – July 1-6
Week 7 – Summer Heat Safety – July 7-13
Week 8 – Preventing Alcohol Involved Mishaps – July 14-20
Week 9 – Defensive Driving/4WPMV Safety – July 21-27
Week 10 – Grilling/Barbeque Safety – July 28-Aug. 3
Week 11 – Countering Fatigue – Aug. 4-10
Week 12 – Sports Risk Management – Aug. 11-17
Week 13 – Travel Safety – Aug. 18-24
Week 14 – Labor Day Safety – Aug. 25-31
Week 15 – Back to School Safety/Fall Campaign ramp up – Sept. 1-7