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Show Fighter Country W m October 28. 2004 ^^ Maintaining equipment for pilot's survival By Staff Sgt. Nakita Carlisle 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Photos by Stall Sgl Natota Carlisle Senior Airman Robert George, 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron survival equipment journeyman unravels a parachute in preparation for an inspection. Pilots put their life on the line every time they step inside a jet. Their survival is critical. To help pilots survive any incident they are equipped with survival gear that are fixed and maintained by the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron survival equipment shop. "Our job consists of maintaining most of the pilot's survival items, everything from parachutes to flotation devices they might wear and any type of flight equipment." said Senior Airman Robert George 388th EMS survival equipment journeyman. "We don't suit the pilots up, that's (the) life supports (sections) job but we do all the actual maintenance, inspections and packing of the parachutes." Airman George explained. More specifically we maintain the parachutes, anti-gravity suits, vests, wet suits, life rafts and other flotation devices. "The life support shops are the keepers of the equipment but we maintain it. We are specifically here to pay really close attention to the equipment/' said Airman George. "We make sure the equipment is ready to go at all times." The survival equipment shop performs routine maintenance, inspections and repairs to any wear and tear the equipment might sustain during use. '•?'".•' • ~ Top: Airman 1st Class Jacoby Bruner and Airman 1st Class Owen Rogers, both 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron survival equipment apprentices make repairs to a anti-exposure suit. Left: Airman 1st Class Patrick Magennls 388th EMS survival equipment apprentice packs a life preserver Center: Tech Sgt. Dawn Brown, 388th EMS survival equipment craftsman, stitches up an anti-gravity suit. Safety Reopening the paint barn Continued from Page A It was also demonstrated in the weapons arena, officials said. The command continued its string of perfect years, finishing with zero class A mishaps for the fourth straight year. On the ground side, one of the focus areas of the safety campaign was the annual 101 Critical Days of Summer. The statistics for 2004 show a five-year low in the number of reported injuries. The number of active duty deaths also dropped compared to 2003. "The statistics indicate ACC personnel are employing the basic principles of personal risk management," said Senior Master Sgt. Cliff Motley of the ACC Ground Safety Office. "More precisely, our command's mishaps reduction accomplishments can be directly attributed to vigorous safety planning, proactive safety initiatives and the direct involvement by our leaders, managers and supervisors." Comparing the 2004 and 2003 campaigns, sports and recreation injuries dropped 17 percent; automobile mishaps fell 46 percent; and on-duty accidents decreased 35 percent. While the number of motorcycle injuries increased by 12 percent, the number of fatal, class A motorcycle mishaps decreased by 20 percent during the 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign, and has decreased by 23 percent for the fiscal year. Thfs contributed to the command's success in reducing the number of overall fata! mishaps during this year's campaign by 17 percent. While the statistics are a positive trend, command leaders stress it doesn't mean the work in improving safety and safety awareness is over. "We lost 10 ACC members to fatal mishaps this summer — 10 irreplaceable warriors," said Lt. Gen. Bruce Wright. ACC vice commander. "Wq're certainly improving, but we must continue to educate and re-educate all our Airmen on the basic principles of ACT." ACT is an acronym for assessing the situation, considering the options, and taking the appropriate actions to stay alive. Everyone can use the principles of ACT to accomplish personal risk assessment, according to Sergeant Motley. '"If everyone took the extra two minutes to consider the risks, assess the situations, and take the necessary actions to ensure personal safety, it would certainly decrease the number of safety mishaps throughout the command and the entire Air Force," he said. Educating people on the ACT principles has played a big part in continuing safety campaigns, but it isn't the only safety initiative used to help people stay safe. Sergeant Motley said. Another cornerstone of ACC's success was the implementation of safety game plans. ' "The safety game plan required each ACC unit to develop, implement and monitor their programmatic solutions to potentially high mishap areas," he said. "This initiative helped units focus on areas they believed warranted increased safety emphasis. The safety game plans placed the proper emphasis on personal safety to help ensure everyone in ACC remains alive and well to accomplish the Air Force mission simply by acting responsibly and having an established safely plan." (Courtesy of Air Combat Command News Services) five years 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Source: Air Combat Command.Snteiy Office (ACC graphic by Chary! M. Jamieson) The number of serious injuries In Air Combat Command during the 101 Critical Days of Summer this year dropped significantly from reported numbers in 2003. In fact, the numbers for 2004 show a five-year low. Photo by Stafi Sgt Nakita Carlisle Colonel Charlie Lyon, 388th Fighter Wing commander, reopened the newly upgraded corrosion control facility Oct. 15, giving the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron the ability to once again conduct aircraft paint operations. The reopening of this facility was the culmination of seven years worth of planning and effort from numerous Individuals and offices from the wing level to the 388th Equipment Maintenance Squadron's aircraft structural maintenance section. Noticeable upgrades to the corrosion control facility Include a state of the art filtration system to work in conjunction with the newly Installed front enclosure doors. ACC Services targets Airmen, families with 2005 programs By Master Sgt. Mark Haviland Air Combat Command Public Affairs LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. - A SI bill is exactly 6.14 inches long, but in the hands of the people at Air Combat Command's Services Directorate here, it will stretch for miles in 2005. Undaunted by an almost 20 percent reduction in morale, welfare, and recreation funds this year, the directorate staff developed a budget plan that's the fiscal equivalent of the "smart bomb." "In the operations world, the days of our Airmen dropping thousands of tons of bombs to destroy a single target are long gone," said Col. Jim Cox.. director of the ACC Services Directorate. "'Now, we identify the target and choose the right weapon* to achieve the effect we want. We've got to use that same mindset when budgeting for our Services programs." Applying that mindset meant taking a hard look at all recreation programs and putting the money where it will affect the most people, according to Lt. Col. Mark White, chief of the directorate's community support branch. Early in the evaluation process, the Services staff placed an emphasis on programs supporting new Airmen and family activities and decided to discontinue programs with limited participation. Programs that won't be continued in 2005 include the ACC Fitness & Sports Challenge, the ACC Bowling Tournament, and the ACC Golf Tournament. "Those programs were popular, but the people who participated represented a very limited portion of the audience we serve," said Colonel White. "Had we continued those programs in 2005, they would have taken up about half of our recreation budget. Not only would that have been poor budgeting, it would have meant less service to our military communities in ACC." Instead, ACC Services will spread the wealth literally - by funding "much needed" facility improvements and equipment upgrades across the command. The directorate will also continue to fund special family programs such as the Kids Golf. Family Adventure, and Outdoor Adventure programs, as well as more traditional teen and preteen programs and Club Dollar Days programs. "The Family Adventure and Outdoor Adventure See Programs Page D |