CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Team Charleston has done very well this past summer with no major safety incidents. We did, however, have an incident where we unfortunately lost one of our own in a traffic accident.
Our operations tempo is as busy as ever and the stress and strains of the mission and everyday life are constant. We are all now looking forward to the holiday breaks of Thanksgiving, Christmas and the new year. Many of us will be taking long driving trips to visit family and friends. There is nothing wrong with a long trip, provided you are prepared for it physically and mentally.
Not too long ago, I found myself reading in the Air Force Times about a good friend of mine who worked a night shift at the Langley Air Force Base, Va., emergency room. He got off his shift around 7 a.m., jumped in his car and headed to Illinois on leave to see his kids. Somewhere in Ohio, he fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the median and hit another vehicle head on ... he never made it.
In another accident, an Airman headed out right after work for a 12-hour trip to visit his parents. He planned on taking a break and did so by sleeping in his car at a rest area for several hours. However, he did not get a full night's rest following a full day of work and headed out to continue his trip that would be a seven- to eight-hour drive. It appears that he lost control of his car, over-corrected the mistake, wrecked the car and lost his life.
Don't let yourself and your family have such a tragedy occur. If planning a trip following work, set reasonable limits; don't push yourself. Plan regular rest breaks to stretch and walk around a bit. Plan where you will stop and get a good night's sleep. If you get sleepy sooner than you planned, then stop and get a hotel at that point; don't take a chance on going to sleep at the wheel. You won't really lose that much time. If you stop early, then you can get back on the road earlier the next day and will be well-rested.
Use the Wingman system; let your Wingman and supervisor know when you are planning a long trip. Bounce your plans off of them to see if it passes the reasonability test.
Plan a safe trip and enjoy your well-deserved leave time. Decompress and forget about the stress of work for a while. Then come back ready to continue your vital part in taking the fight to the enemy!