101 Critical Days of Summer ... an on-going effort by all Published July 23, 2008 By Rod Krause 5th Bomb Wing Safety MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- It's hard to believe summer is almost half over! Even though we are in week seven of the 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign, it's critical responsibility to remain aware during this time of year when people are enjoying the great outdoors and are more active. Unfortunately, when people perform more activities, the risk for injury increases. To date, there has been one fatality within Air Combat Command and seven throughout the Air Force. Statistics show we are down 36 percent from the same period last year. Remember, while this may sound like a low number in comparison to the total number of those serving, losing even one member is too many. The leading cause of these fatalities involved sports and recreational mishaps, as well as motorcycle mishaps. During this seven-week period, the 5th Bomb Wing has experienced one Class C, off-duty mishap and no on-duty mishaps. Supervisors are encouraged to continue mentoring their troops to pay attention to what they are doing and practice risk management. Remind them to make a mental assessment of the activity in which they are about to perform, take into consideration the hazards, and take the necessary precautions to minimize the risks. This could be something as simple as putting on a seatbelt, lifejacket or helmet. Bottom line, we need to think about the activity and the ways to minimize the possibility of injury. During the summer months the different activities in which people enjoy are far too numerous to count, so remember safety applies to all aspects of our lives. Mishaps can be prevented by considering the risks involved and taking the proper steps to minimize them. Doing so will not prevent people from having fun; it will just ensure they are able to do it again.