Accent on safety: 95 down, 6 to go!

Combat Edge, Sept, 2004 by Creid K. Johnson

As this issue of THE COMBAT EDGE hits the street, we are 6 days from the end of the 101 Critical Days of Summer, and will begin counting down the 264 days until Memorial Day weekend 2005. We don't have a catchy campaign slogan to typify the remaining 264 days, but that doesn't mean they aren't just as critical or bear any less attention than their famous cousins. There is no letdown, no time for a "Safety Vacation" now that the 101 Critical Days are over, because tragedy doesn't take a vacation. Besides, there is no consolation prize for letting your guard down and dying after the 6th of September 2004. You're still a statistic; you're just listed in a different column on a fatality brief to your commander and coworkers.

Check out this month's lead story, "Afghan Adventure." September features part 1 of a 3-part story that will be told over the next few months. It's a good safety story from the field, told from the author's viewpoint and shows what can happen in a deployed situation, and what you may be tasked to accomplish when deployed. On the surface, it reads like a good-natured look at the "misadventures" of someone placed in an unfamiliar situation and how "Murphy's Law" comes into play. Below the surface, it reinforces why we train and illustrates the fact that we as Airmen need to be ready: every deployment to the AOR carries with it the possibility of being placed in a combat situation with little to no notice.

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Other features this month include a look at Predator operations, how Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams are keeping Airmen safe in the AOR, a good ORM lesson learned from the Battle of the Bulge, and a reminder that school is back in session.

Remember: keep safety proactive--make it your Combat Edge!

Colonel Creid K. Johnson, ACC Director of Safety