Safety: the best holiday gift to give

  • Published
  • By Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson
  • U.S. AIR Force Academy superintendent
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  It's hard to believe the holiday season is once again upon us! While I've only served as your superintendent for a short time, I'm amazed at how much we've accomplished.

You've earned some well-deserved downtime this holiday season but I want to take a moment to stress the importance of safety. Staying safe by making the right decisions regarding our holiday activities is the best gift we can give our friends, our families and each other.

We each know how important our Academy team is to our nation and its security, so why jeopardize that by making a bad decision? Our mission to produce lieutenants for our Air Force and leaders for our nation is the result of the unity of our efforts. Every one of us, regardless of our individual specialty or position, is a vital part of this team, so the loss of any civilian or military Airman here is not a tragedy for just their family; it's a tragedy for our Air Force and our country.

I encourage you to spend time evaluating risks associated with the holiday season and think of ways to implement sound safety measures. Make smart decisions, be extra-safe on the road, plan well for trips, and understand the importance of using personal protective equipment as you enjoy the winter. Whatever our holiday plans may include, we must make personal risk management an integral part of those plans.

The No. 1 threat to our most important asset -- our Airmen -- during the holidays are motor vehicle mishaps. These mishaps, along with other accidents or events, are all too often the result of improper planning or failure to apply personal risk management.

Last winter, there were 158 on-duty and 231 off-duty accidents -- accidents that could have been prevented.
As Air Force Chief of Safety Maj. Gen. Kurt Neuberger said in his recent Holiday and Winter Campaign Message, "We can do better." Join me in making this the safest winter ever by making safe choices.

For many members of our Academy team, especially those celebrating the holidays away from family and friends for the first time, this period can bring stress and feelings of loneliness. We have a wide support network and a wealth of resources to take advantage of here, ranging from families and friends, our wingmen, supervisors, commanders, the Cadet and Community Center chapels and the Airman and Family Readiness Center, to name just a few, to help us have a safe and healthy holiday season.

I wish you all the best this Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you for all you do for the Academy and our nation.