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Show HILLTOP TIMES 117 1 MES May 10, 2012 PRACTICE, PRACTICE Left, Staff Sgt. Nathan Tilby (right), 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron, gets assistance with his gas mask during an Alarm Red attack March 9 at the Base Operational Readiness Training Area. Above, Senior Airman Pepper Palmer, 75th Comptroller Squadron, marks the perimeter around unexploded ordnance. ALEX R. LLOYD/U.S. Air Force Left, military personnel involved in the ORE check out a reference chart for coordinates as to where an unexploded ordnance is situated under conditions of a simulated attack while yellow smoke surrounds them during the exercise. Above, Airman 1st Class Linda Ortiz-. Bonser, 75th Force Support Squadron, guards her camp against an attack. Q&A SAFETY From page 7 From page 7 Col. Nathan Hill, 388th Operations Group commander, owns operational direction for the day-to-day operation of our two groups. When Col. Hill is away, the operational direction is picked up by the 419th Operations Group commander, and that has taken effect all the way to the lowest levels. For instance, we have Reserve captains and majors running fully integrated shops. How is the 419th key to TFE? TFE's a balancing act and we strive to incorporate the best practices of both wings. 419th pilots have extremely high experience levels and our personnel offer stability and familiarity. There's a benefit realized with retaining that capability and a cost savings that comes with it. Relevance is the 419th Airman doing the day-to-day missions alongside our active duty brethren. Relevance is the 419th Airman ready to go to war with our 388th partners. No other place in AFRC is that relevance more important than here at Hill AFB. If we get tasked to go to war tomorrow, it's the 388th and 419th together. "Team Hill: one mission" is our stance, and we are in this together. we need you here to get the mission done.stay in the fight and help spread the word to yourfellow military riders!" Feest concluded. A great example — one that most people are familiar with — is from 2009 when pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger made an emergency landing on the Hudson River. Sullenberger maintained complete control and performed flawlessly in the rapidly evolving mishap, his actions saved the lives of the 155 people on board and countless on the ground. Was he lucky? Or, did he have the right skills, training and attitude? I say the latter; he handled this as if he had done it a 100 times before. You can bet that in his mind he had done this emergency maneuver hundreds, if not thousands, of times. When you think about the right skills, training and attitude, you will see how they apply to almost anything you do and, most certainly, to high risk activities. Riding a motorcycle is a high risk activity even when the rider operates in the safest manner possible. The right skills can be defined as the ability to proficiently perform a required task. The proficiency is acquired through training, experience or knowledge. The greater the task or the more risk associated with the task, the greater the skill requirements. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation recommends riders look at their skill level rather than their riding habits. This practice is used to gauge a rider's "Risk Offset." Students attending MSF training learn to understand and maintain a "Good Risk Offset." When a rider's skill is equal to the risk, it is referred to as "Riding the Edge" — not a good thing; there is no margin for unexpected complications. A rider wants to always maintain a "Good Risk Offset," where the rider's skills are greater than the risk. (For a complete presentation in Adobe PDF go to http://msf-usa.org/ Downloads/PreparingRiderstoSEEBetterPresentation.pdf.) The right training will help you become proficient in the task at hand. Would you choose a mechanic to perform any medical procedure on you? When it comes to motorcycle riding, you will be a better rider if you never stop learning, challenge yourself, take more advanced training and become involved in a mentoring program. Finally and most importantly, is the right attitude. If you have the right attitude for riding, training and proficiency will fall naturally into place. When you ride, make sure your attitude is in the right place and your mind is on the task ahead. You want to be free of all distractions. Your attitude and emotional state will show through in your actions and riding strategies. A major cause of motor vehicle mishaps is driver distraction and riding a motorcycle is no different. The three types of distractions are visual, physical and cognitive. The one that contributes to most mishaps is the cognitive, a rider's mind being on a task other than riding. A motorcycle rider's best defense is a sharp and focused mind. Keep an open mind. Just because you have been doing something one way orever, doesn't mean you're doing it right, or that there isn't a better way. Ultimately, it is the rider's responsibility to maintain the right skills, the right training and the right attitude to keep you aware, safe and alive. |
