Unit safety: award of distinction

Combat Edge, Nov, 2004

The ADOS team--Flight Med (Flt Med), Bioenvironmental Engineering (BE), Public Health (PH), HAWC, Dental, Medical Readiness & Aerospace Physiology (AP) enhanced the culture of safety for the 27th Fighter Wing and the local community. Flt Med and AP briefed all wing pilots on the recent rise across the AF of G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) incidents in the F-16. Their full-up anti-G straining maneuver review program was a critical contributor to ZERO Class E G-LOCs. Flt Med and AP mishap prevention efforts earned an "Outstanding" performance rating with ZERO discrepancies from 27 FW/SEF for the second consecutive year. Flt Med doubled their occupational health shop inspections and evaluation efforts to emphasize worker safety. They responded to three potential hydrazine exposure incidents and treated and evaluated 20 patients, and were essential for the safe HAZMAT clean up. BE identified zero safety issues or discrepancies during a 100 percent inventory of the 27 FW's radioactive materials. Together, Flt Med and the BE shop recognized an increasing trend in radio frequency exposures. As a result, the wing leadership issued a QA flash to ensure a safer working environment on the flight line. BE's collection, preparation, and analysis of over 100 water samples, protected our base water system. They tracked 58 possible pollutants in military housing's drinking water system and hand-carried the report to all 1,676 base houses, ensuring the health and safety of our military families. PH maintained the wing's personal medical readiness requirements with compliance at 87 percent, the highest in ACC! With 100 percent inspections completed this month, their food safety program management tool ensured the safety of all the wing's dining facilities and snack bars. They pushed respiratory protection compliance reports & rosters to affected SQ/CCs ensuring the program maximally enhanced on-the-job safety. Flt Med spearheaded joint water-rescue training with the SVS life-guard staff and local EMTs, guaranteeing a safe summer swimming season. AP provided over 25 hours of human performance training to over 150 troops, emphasizing the human element in mishap prevention. One of our Flt Med ambulance crew averted disaster and was awarded a safety salute; she double-checked and thus avoided an F-16 collision on the flight line. AP launched endurance management education for the 27 FW, actualizing the AF Surgeon General's vision to institutionalize fatigue countermeasure education to reduce mishaps; 52 new troops trained this month. AP also provided dietary, herbal, and performance dietary supplement education to 56 new FTAC students, to ensure their health and safety. The 27 FW ALS cadre received stress and fatigue management education. AP helped reduce night vision goggles (NVG) mishaps by educating 23 pilots on the human limitations of night flight and common NVG illusions.

27th Aeromedical Dental Operations Sqdn.,

27th Fighter Wing, Cannon AFB, New Mexico