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AMC commander highlights importance of safety to the air mobility mission

  • Published
  • By Air Mobility Command Public Affairs
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Dozens of safety experts from throughout Air Mobility Command gathered here Nov. 3-5 during the annual AMC Safety Conference. The theme of this year's conference was, "Back to Basics at Home and Work!"

Throughout the three-day event, attendees were provided numerous briefings ranging from current and emerging safety programs, as well as reviews of past accident investigations, career development, and more.

Before the conference kicked into full swing, the AMC commander shared his insight on current AMC policies influencing global operations and the role of safety in accomplishing the air mobility mission.

"This is very important business you're in," said the general. "You have to be that constant voice of conscience reminding people of what's important and to be safe. Sometimes you may sound like a broken record, but that's OK with me, because the more you're talking, the more the message sinks in. Sometimes you may scare people to remind them of safety, and sometimes you develop a culture of safety that people want to join. I don't care what method works, as long as they're safe. Continue to do what you're doing. Our people have to have that voice of conscience when you're not there to remind them."

The AMC commander said any single safety briefing may be the difference between an Airman making a conscience decision to be safe, rather than doing something wrong and paying the ultimate price.

"We've been busy," he said of the command's operations tempo since 9-11. "And we're not flying little routes from Peoria to Chicago. Our busiest customer is in the [U.S. Central Command] area of responsibility, a combat zone with all the inherent dangers that brings." He said temperature extremes, blowing sand and dust, 12- to 14-hour shifts, and sometimes-austere living conditions can create increased opportunities for unsafe behavior.

The general also pointed to another staggering figure: Last year, AMC aircraft accumulated 728,583 flight hours. "When you do the math, [the number] becomes even more significant," he said. "Because, if you convert those hours into years, last year we were airborne for 83 years.

"That's the environment we're operating in. It all comes down to every 90 seconds, there's a big Air Mobility Command airplane rolling down the runway somewhere in the world, 24 hours a day. That's what makes your safety challenge so tough."

The AMC commander said, to make matters more complicated, that safety challenge doesn't stop with the mission, because when Airmen come home, there are a different set of safety concerns.

"We lose too many Airmen to off-duty accidents," he said. "We obviously pay a lot of attention to what happens during duty time, but we're also paying very close attention to what happens to our Airmen during off-duty time."

The general said much discussion recently has focused on line-of-duty determinations. According to command legal experts, when Airmen are injured or killed, a "line of duty" determination is required to evaluate whether their death was due to their own misconduct. A finding that the death or injury was due to the Airman's misconduct, and, therefore, not "in the line of duty," can impact benefits such as disability retirement and severance pay, veterans benefits, and compensation under the Survivor Benefit Plan. This can mean, for example, if the member was not wearing a seatbelt or helmet, was under the influence of alcohol, or was operating a vehicle in an unsafe manner, the injury or death could be found "not in the line of duty," resulting in a loss of certain benefits for both the member and his or her family members.

"I'll be the first to tell you, I would not want to have to tell a wife, a husband, a mother or a father that they won't be receiving compensation because their loved-one was declared 'not in the line of duty,' but we have to be clear: if you do not follow the rules, there may be consequences," the AMC commander said.

The general stressed that every Airman must be responsible for his or her actions -- on and off duty -- and must make appropriate risk management decisions. "I expect nothing less," he said. "The loss of even one Airman has a profound effect on our Air Force and their families."

Because of a significant increase in private motor vehicle fatalities this year, Air Force leaders want to make it clear that reckless operation of Private Motor Vehicles by Air Force personnel is also not acceptable.

In October, AMC leaders directed all AMC Airmen and civilian employees, and encouraged their family members, to stop preventable PMV mishaps.

That direction came on the heels of an Oct. 8 memorandum to all Air Force personnel in which the Secretary of the Air Force and Air Force Chief of Staff said they cannot tolerate reckless operation of motor vehicles by Air Force personnel.

"I strongly echo the sentiments of the Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff," said the AMC commander in a separate memo to AMC leaders. "There is nothing sadder than the loss of a human life. Anyone who has sat through one of our fatality briefings can attest to the fact that most, if not all PMV mishaps, are preventable. We must do better to help our Airmen make better risk management decisions."

In fiscal 2009, 47 Airmen lost their lives in PMV mishaps compared to 29 Airmen in 2008. According to Air Force safety experts, non-compliance with seatbelt usage and speed limit laws were identified as causal factors in 68 percent of the motor vehicle fatalities.

The AMC commander directed command leaders to reach out to every AMC military and civilian member through commander's calls or similar venues to convey this important safety message and address the inherent dangers of operating Private Motor Vehicles.

The commander also tasked AMC leaders to review the Air Force Instruction (AFI) and AMC Supplement to 91-207, The Air Force Traffic Safety Program, to ensure their units, subordinate commanders, and unit personnel understand and comply with the requirements and guidance. "Non-compliance with these requirements is simply unacceptable, and those who fail to comply should be dealt with appropriately," said the general.