JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
The 101 Critical Days of Summer has rolled around one more time, which reminded me of my favorite Aerosmith lyrics, "Same old story, same old song and dance." It has been 22 years since my first 101 Critical Days of Summer "sermon" and my message is still the same.
To all motorists - wear your seatbelts, don't drink and drive, ensure your automobile is properly maintained, give yourself 2 seconds between following distance, and remember speed limits are the rule, not just a suggestion.
To motorcyclists - get trained, wear a helmet, watch for left turning cars, slow press and roll through a corner and run your T-CLOC.
Water sports - don't drink if you plan to play in the water. Wear a life vest if you are in a boat or waterskiing and pay attention to the surf conditions at the beach.
Fourth of July - leave the fireworks to the professionals.
The fact is, the truth is the truth; everything that I "preached" back in 1988 is still true today. So when you are out this summer, keep this thought in mind: don't give us old guys (your leadership) a chance to say "I told you so." All of the safety rules that the safety guy said, my supervisor said, the chief said, the commander said, were based off of someone's spilled blood. We don't need to spill your blood in order to get the message across.
We want you to get old and gray, and retire with all your fingers, toes and teeth intact. We want you to be the senior leader, telling your troops "not to run with scissors." In five, 10, 15 or 20 years you can look back to the 2010 - 101 Critical Days of Summer safety briefs and think, still preaching the same truth, the same old safety song and dance.