101 Critical Days draw to a close

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Bryan Bouchard
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The 101 Critical Days of Summer have ended, and while not completely unscathed, Thunderbolts can look back on a relatively safe summer, and look forward to making the rest of 2007 safe as well. 

The campaign was strong this year, but Luke still suffered tragedies as a result of summertime activities, according to Tech. Sgt. Michael Marshall of the 56th Fighter Wing safety office. 

There were two motor vehicle mishaps resulting in minor injuries and four motorcycle mishaps, one of which resulted in the tragic death of a Luke Airman, Sergeant Marshall said. Aside from these road accidents, there were several injuries coming from dehydration, sports-related incidents and a Jet Ski accident. While there were other tragic losses at Luke this summer, the 101 Critical Days focuses on the injuries and incidents related to summertime activities such as road trips, water sports and outdoor activities. 

The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a period of increased off-duty injuries caused by increased activity and risk taking, according to an Airman's Roll Call message released in May. That's why Air Force leaders embark on a safety campaign
every year called the "101 Critical Days of Summer." 

The campaign began in the early 1970s as a way to reduce the large number of Air Force off-duty fatalities in the summer months. Safety officials credit the campaign with increasing awareness and better safety procedures by all members of the Air Force. These efforts, combined with the fact that more and more Airmen follow safety guidelines, make it even more difficult when even the most safety-conscious Airmen still suffer injuries or worse during the summer. 

"There's no way to lessen the impact of a loss of our own," said Brig. Gen. Tom Jones, 56th Fighter Wing commander. "The 101 Critical Days are crucial to emphasize safety during this peak time of outdoor activity. But this push for safety isn't limited to just the summer. In this part of the country, it's summer year-round, and people need to put
safety first in everything they do." 

Sergeant Marshall echoed these statements. 

"The Phoenix area is a great place to live because of the abundance of outdoor activities and the great weather we have all year," he said. "So for Luke, the 101 Critical Days really turns into the '365 Critical Days' and we all need to make sure we are keeping safety in mind with everything we do."