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Show Commentary Nov. 20, 1997 Use control measures to help subdue risks, complete mission Thanksgiving wishes for wing By Staff Sgt. Rich Mueller 388th FW Safety Office As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to pass on our "Thanks" to each member of the 388th Fighter Wing. Let me begin by saying, it is important that we, as military members who serve each day to preserve our democratic way of life, take time to recognize the many blessings that deserve our gratitude. e All around the nation, countless friends and families will hectic schedules and tedious daily routines for the chance to acknowledge the countless ways in which their lives have been enriched. It gives us great pride to know that this gathering is due in large part to the men and women of our armed forces who have secured the freedoms for which we are so thankful. However, there are those who will not be afforded the opportunity to share this special day with loved ones ... for these proud Americans are serving their country from afar. Our thoughts and prayers are with the deployed members of the 34th Fighter Squadron and the 729th A ir Control Squadron and other servicemembers in Southwest Asia and elsewhere, as they attempt to lend stability to an inherently unstable part of the world. Members of the 388th Fighter Wing, please accept our sincere appreciation and gratitude for the content of your character, the unwavering nature of your resolve and the admiration you instill in fellow Americans. Most of all, have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday. Wishing you and your families all the best, Col. Ron and Annette Fly Previously. I introduced you to the overall con- cept of Operational Risk Management and explained the first two steps, identifying hazards and assess-ing risks. This week I'll discuss the third step analyzing risk control measures. Risk control measures are actions we take to protect ourselves from risks faced in the pursuit of mission completion. For instance, using a seat belt controls the risks we take every time we get into a vehicle. Three actions are associated with this part of the ORM process: ' identify control options - determine control effects prioritize risk control measures We start by identifying control options. These are the choices we can make to reduce the impact for-sak- -- " Starting with the highest ranking hazards assessed, you should identify as many risk control options as possible for all hazards w hich exceed an acceptable level of risk. "Brainstorming" and "What If ... " analyses have proven to be excellent tools during this process. Action two is to determine the effects each con trol has on risks associated with a hazard. Small work groups can put the data on paper or into a computer database to record the list of control ideas. Once this is accomplished and the group can see their product and the effects of each idea can be examined as well. Scenario building and "next accident" assessment provide the greatest ability to determine control effects. If your group plans for an accident to occur in a given situation, they are more prepared to prevent it before it happens. Finally, for each hazard, assign a priority to those controls w hich reduce the risks to acceptable level. The best controls will be consistent with mission objectives and not conflict w ith available resources (manpower, material, equipment, money, and time). Priorities should be recorded in some standard format for future use. Opportunity assessment, analysis and computer modeling can serve as excellent tools in prioritizing risk controls. Normally, revising operational or support procedures may be the lowest cost alternative. In general, these changes may be as simple as improving training, posting warnings, or improving technician qualifications. While these actions don't eliminate the hazard, they may significantly reduce the likelihood of a mishap or the severity of its outcome. They can usually be implemented quickly also. - Showing consideration helps avoid sticky business By Senior Airman Aimee Groben 15th Air Base Wing Public Affairs HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE. Hawaii As got out of my car the other AFNS) I day. stepped right into a big wad of gum. When I tried to rub it off the bottom of my sandals it just seemed to multiply, leaving me in a web of sticky gum. Later that day I was in a video store and vas mortified when I looked behind me and saw a trail of little while gum smudges spread out across the carpet leading straight to me. Gee, what a dumb place for someone to spit out their gum: now I have to clean up the mess. I was slightly agitated. But suddenly (in an epiphany of brilliance ). I realized how similar stepping in that gum w as to real life situations when people act inconsiderate, somebody else is left to clean up the mess. It reminded me of the week I worked a detail at the dorms. You know, it's the week where you get to play janitor, landscapes handy-magarbage collector, r and at the dorms. messenger While scanning the huge lawn for trash. crawled under this bush to find a nice little treat the friendly weekend partiers left bea hind of empty beer cans. As I reached around the bush to pick up the last 1 ( sun-melt- of the cans, stale beer splashed dow n my shirt and I discovered one of the world's most disgusting smells. I can't believe people would be so inconsiderate to just toss their trash all over the lawn: geez. I would never do that. Or would I? Just then I had a flashback of me getting out of my car. my hands full, struggling to get the car door closed. I What I didn't expect to learn w hile goabout ing my daily grind w as a deeper consideration for others around me. Although sometimes I get stressed, agitated or discouraged at my job. I learned a simple lesson in Humble Pie 101. It was one of those weeks w hen I just couldn't do anything right: you know, when you suspect you "I never expected to learn such a valuable lesson in leadership from someone so far down on the food chain, a fellow airman." Senior Airman Aimee Groben Air Base Wing Public Affairs 15th bay-order- ly n. errand-runne- I 12-pa- Fighter country Name: on the ground, dropped somcthing-or-othhesitated, realized I didn't need it. and just left it on the ground. But trash is trash, and though it wasn't 2 empty cans I left behind, it w as the same inconsiderate attitude that would force someone else to clean up my mess. er 1 might have been better off just going back to bed. Well, by the end of the week things just snow balled from bad to worse. I went to my room at lunch to change into workout clothes, thinking, sheez. I don't think anybody appreciates my work. And right in the middle of throw ing a grand pity js published for people like ... I nit, L, Airman 1st Class Robert ft J Job: aerospace ground equipment I See Sticky, Pg. C 388th Fighter Wing editorial staff Commander Chief, Public Affairs NCOIC, Public Affairs Editor, Fighter Country is a supplement to the Hilltop Timt. published b MorMedia. Inc.. a; connected with the L'.S. Air Force, under exclusive written cnntrjct with the Oyden Air Logistics Center Public Affairs Office. This commercial a private firm in mi Hobbies: hunt.g. fishing, and playing the drums Most recent accomplishment: completed an overhaul on a tical quiet generatoi belovv-the-zon- When I asked him why he was doing it he told me there w as only one bay orderly to help him and that ah inspection team was coming through to look at the dorms. But what struck me was the way he said it: he wasn't sarcastic and he didrv't blame anyone. As a matter of fact, he w as pretty nice about the whole thing. He didn't feel that the stripes on his arms made buffing the floor beneath him: he just knew the other guy needed help. Most likely, not one of those officials on the inspection team would ever know that it was the dorm manager who made those floors shine. What's even more likely, is that dorm residents probably w ouldn't even notice the new shine in their hallw ays but that didn't seem to bother him. What some may see as an insignificant event, had a profound effect on me. You see. although other people had left their version of "gum" for the dorm manager to step in. he didn't walk away and leave it for someone else to clean up. His sincerity was infectious. fighter Country Unit: 729th Air Control Squadron Time in service: 2 years, 2 months Hometown: Morrisdale, Pa. Family: parents and two sisters living in Morrisdale Goals: "become senior airman ing. Col. Ron Fly 1st Lt. James R. Wilson Staff Sgt. James A. Rush Airman 1st Class Sara Banda Hubler r party. I saw my dorm manager buffing the hallway floors. He was using one of those old buffers I hadn't seen since basic train- e" tac- enterprise Air force newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the L'.S. miltiarx services. Contents of tighter Country are not necetsarilv the official v tew of. or endorsed b the I S. Government, the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force. Inless otherwise indicated, all photos are L'.S. Air Force photos. fivhtrr Coimm is edited, prepared and provided bx the JWtth Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office, JHH7 D Ave.. Suite II?. Hill Af-LT. MII.V.-50IStnrv submission, for f ighter to Country can he brought bv the office, ft. sm hillu pm.hill.ar.mil or faxed to 777-J- . pae Deadline fnr submissions to t igltlrr ( nmim is no later than Wednesday 9 a m., eight davs prior to publication. For more inhumation, call the puhlic affairs office at 777.32HO. |