Airmen, mission depend on responsible choices

by Brig. Gen. Mark Dillon
86th Airlift Wing commander

Developing and caring for our Airmen and their families is one of the Air Force’s top five priorities. While our Air Force is focusing on us and our families, we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves, and one way we do that is by making responsible choices.

Responsible wingmen look out for themselves and each other. Nearly half of all fatal traffic accidents are alcohol related and just a couple of drinks increases your chances of a crash seven times, according to the Air Force Safety Center.
Being a good wingman and encouraging our Airmen to make responsible choices are great ways to take care of each other and ensure none of our people add to these statistics.

Ramstein and the greater KMC, your responsible wingman efforts are paying off. We’ve had far fewer DUIs and traffic mishaps this year than in 2008. Keep up the great work.

To help Airmen remain focused on responsible choices, there are many programs and organizations throughout the KMC: Community of Responsible Choices, Airmen Against Drunk Driving, and the Air Force Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Program.

I encourage you to use these great programs and others.

One such program that kicks off this week is Red Ribbon Week. “Drug free is the key” is the theme for this year’s Red Ribbon Week and is a reminder to all military members, civilians and their families of the dangers of unhealthy lifestyles.

Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention program, reaching millions of Americans during the last week of October every year.
The KMC’s Red Ribbon Week observation begins today with a fun run at the Rhine Ordinance Barracks sports fields and continues through Oct. 30.

While observances such as this serve as a reminder of the possible outcomes of making poor choices, we must continue to weave this message into our daily lives and continue to reinforce the importance of making responsible choices to our Airmen.

Team Ramstein, keep making responsible choices for yourself, for your family and for our mission.

And, as always, thanks to you and your families for serving.