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Show HILLTOP TIMES TIMES 3 August 19, 2010 \ ORI-style AM safety not so boring BY GARY COLE 75th Air Base Wing, Safety Office A nother boring safety article? I hope not. Til try my best to deliver some critical safety material in an interesting fashion; a challenge by anyone's standards. And who knows, this information may help you enjoy a fun, safe and successful Operational Readiness Inspection. (Read that successful ORI as a "Pass.") "FUN. Whatchu talking about Willis?" Actually, fun, safe and successful comprise the three As in the title of this article: attitude, awareness and attention. And this ain't no "greenhorn" talking to you. The advice I want to pass on comes from 33 years in the military, 22 of them spent on frozen or baked flightlines around the world. I've been the inspector or "inspectee" in more ORIs than I care to count, so I know first-hand the following tips work and have proven successful time and time again. The "fun" simply comes from a good attitude. Here's a question for you: Has the Air Force ever cancelled an exercise or inspection because you were in a bad mood? I didn't think so. You will go through an ORI no matter what, so you may as well take it with a positive attitude. Heck, some of my most enjoyable experiences have come during ORIs: wrestling in a Tactical Air Base Hardened Aircraft Shelter (Tabvee), in Germany in MOPP IV, pouring water on sleeping friends between aircraft combat turns, or just trading MRE bean component for ham slices in a shelter. It's the camaraderie, the fight towards a common goal, and it's all good. And believe it or not, your at- titude is infectious. If you grumble and moan your way through the whole inspection, those around you will do the same and pretty soon a simple fiveday event turns into an endless nightmare. Have some fun aftM show the inspectors what you've got — that you're proud of yourself and your unit, and that they can never break your fighting spirit. Your Wingmen will catch on and carry that same attitude, turning misery into enjoyment in an instant. Whiners need not apply! The next key to success is awareness. Keep a sharp focus on the fast changing events around you. Be on constant alert for hazards, unsafe acts or outside threats. They come quick and they come hard! Most hazards will not be staring you in the face like some giant whirring saw blade in a grade-B movie.TheyTl often be in very subtle forms: dehydration of a team member, inadequate lighting on a bomb buildup pad or something you missed while inspecting an aircraft through a foggy gas mask. Or the "hazard" may simply come in the form of an ORI inject card as the inspector measures your knowledge and ability to cope with wartime scenarios. Your team's reaction to hazards and events will largely be determined by the pre-task briefing and Operational Risk Management process you performed at the start of the shift or operation. You did do that didn't you? Of course you did! You'd be foolish not to discuss all possible hazards and scenarios with your team and explain everyone's role in the event of an emergency. The final key to ORI success is attention, as in attention to de- tail. It is absolutely critical that you know your job and safety requirements like the back of your hand. Some common safety requirements that often get overlooked in the "at-war" mentality: • Use of technical data for the task being performed • Wearing of personal protective equipment when required • Seat belt use in vehicles and forklifts • Reflective gear during hours of darkness • Removing jewelry while climbing or handling materials • Use of spotters for driving/ material handling operations where necessary The reason task performance and safe work practices need to be second nature is because youTl be performing your duties under the withering pressure of weather hazards, ops tempo or inspectors breathing down your neck. That proficiency can only come through repetition and practice. The commander doesn't hold all these OREs just to make sure your alarm clock works or that you still own four pair of underwear. He's doing it to prepare you for success. And success means your unit is ready for war, not ready for six more months of practice til you get it right. I don't know if you've ever been in a unit that failed an ORI but I know you never want to be! Alright, that wasn't too painful, was it? If you made it all the way through this article, I hope you learned a few tricks from an old dog that will get you through a safe and successful ORI. Or maybe you just learned you're incredibly bored and had nothing else to do but read safety articles! Either way, I wish you all a safe and enjoyable ORI. And that spells success. Absolutely the Finest Authentic Mexican Food!!! (Since 1976) MANUEL'S RESTAURANT & CANTINA 1145 South State, Clearfield 773-7579 www.el-burrito.com Retiring Soon? Four of the most important financial decisions of your life will be made. Don't mess them up. *'•'**• Get Experienced Advice Call Robert R. Hall 801-728-94S1 Layton, UT CFP CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER"1 ChFC Chartered Financial Coruultant I3irffa^ Registered rcprcsettanve rf and securities offered Ihrou^i OneAmmca Securities, Inc. Men*erFTNRA,SIPC, a Registered Investmenl Advise 1211W. Myrtle, Suk 100, Base ID 83701 Rme {20ffl33fr«99.InsiiraKeRepresenMivt d Amenta] United life Insurance Company (AUL) and ote insutaKeainpanksAIkgBnieDaalftrin Picnic for special needs families 'Aug. 21 event just one of ; four planned for coming year BY MARY LOU GOHNY ^Hilltop Times editor family picnic at Centennial Park this Saturday, Aug. 21, .from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., will feature fun and games for the entire family including their special needs members. Tammy Custer, Special Needs Navigator with the 75th Force Support Squadron, notes that one of the requests coming from the Special Needs Summit held in March was the desire to have activities that the entire family could attend. Judith Maughan, School Liaison Officer with the 75th FSS, who also works with Custer, emphasized that fun and activities will be available for the entire family at the coming picnic. All families are requested to bring is a side dish to the picnic featuring hot dogs and burgers.e Ai Appropriate prizes will be awarded at the event in connection with the activities. Custer invites anyone with a special needs family member who feels they aren't getting the services they need to feel welcome to contact her. Conctact her via e-mail, tammy.custer.ctr@hill. af.mil or drop by the School Liaison Office where she works in Building 180. Custer emphasizes that contact can be for something fairly simple and informal and that she wants anyone to feel welcome who might need assistance with a special needs family member — it doesn't have to be a formal request. Anyone with questions, wanting to RSVP or volunteer to help out with the picnic is welcome to call Judith Maughan at (801) 586-4735. The picnic is being put on with the assistance of community partners such as the Air Force Association, Top 3, Red Cross, Utah State University and others. Benefits may include: * Up to 100% paid tuition and fees * Up to $1000 a year for books and supplies * Monthly Housing Allowance You may also qualify to of all races adjusted to a new social relationship. The traditionalists' fear that racial unrest would follow integraFrom page 2 tion proved unfounded. The perforconcepts of civil rights. mance of individual members of minority groups demonstrated that changed If the integration of the armed sersocial relationships could also produce vices now seems to have been inevitable in a democratic society, it never- rapid improvement in individual and theless faced opposition that had to be group achievements and thus increase overcome and problems that had to be military efficiency as well as morale. Furthermore, the successful integration solved through the combined efforts of political and civil rights leaders and of military units in the 1950s so raised expectations that the civil rights leadcivil and military officials. ers would use that success to support Within a single generation, the sertheir successful campaign in the 1960s vices had recognized the rights of minority Americans to serve freely in the to convince the government that it must defense of their country, to be racially impose social change on^he community at large. integrated and to have, with their dependents, equal treatment and opportuWe have all benefitted from that nity not only on the military bases and progress, individual service members stations but also in nearby communities. as well as their families, altogether making us stronger as a nation. Ordered to integrate, the members HISTORY * Transfer benefits to your spouse or dependents ^ POST* 9/11 GI BILL It's Your Future www.gibill.va.gov 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) Be advised this line only accepts calls from 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM Central Time. |