USAFE captures top safety awards

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Matt Proietti
  • U.S. Air Forces in Europe Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  U.S. Air Forces in Europe headquarters won two of the service's top safety awards for fiscal 2008.

"Safety is absolutely essential to conducting our mission and to protecting critical resources, including our people," said Gen. Roger A. Brady, commander of USAFE and NATO Allied Air Component Command. 

He notified the command's safety staff members April 9 that they had won the Secretary of the Air Force Safety Award and the Col. Will L. Tubbs Memorial Award for Ground Safety. The 18-person staff, led by Col. William G. Routt, oversees flight, ground and weapons safety operations at U.S. air bases in Europe. The staff's media division publishes Air Scoop magazine. 

The Tubbs Award is named after the officer who established the U.S. Army Air Corps' first ground safety program. He later served as civilian chief of the Air Force Ground Safety Program. 

"Much of what we do is inherently dangerous," said General Brady, "so we reinforce to our people to mitigate risk that cannot be avoided, and avoid what cannot enhance our mission." 

Michael L. Ballard, deputy director of the USAFE safety directorate, said he couldn't point to "any one thing" that led to the awards. 

"You must have success in each area. I'm equally proud of all of them," said Mr. Ballard, a 25-year Air Force safety veteran. "We had good mishap reduction numbers and successful programs. One of the first qualifiers is, 'What is your mishap record?' We had zero crashes and zero weapons systems (issues)." 

The command had reductions in motorcycle deaths and ground safety incidents in fiscal 2008. It had one fatal motorcycle accident in fiscal 2008 and no off-duty vehicle fatalities, four fewer than the previous year. It was the command's safest year since 1994 and had its lowest number of off-duty fatalities in 20 years. 

Mr. Ballard credited work done by safety staffs at each U.S. air base in Europe to support the safety campaign theme, "Your Life, Your Choice, Choose Wisely." 

"We manage the plans and programs for units that are doing a tremendous job," he said. 

Senior Air Force leaders in Europe are among the loudest trumpeters of safety programs, Mr. Ballard said. He noted that Lt. Gen. Phil Breedlove, commander of 3rd Air Force, is an avid motorcyclist who has recorded safety messages for American Forces Network. 

"He gives the message from the top that it's OK to ride, just get proper training and be careful with what you do," said Mr. Ballard.
 
General Breedlove personally performed safety checks on motorcycles owned by members of his staff following a commander's call April 10 at Ramstein Air Base. 

"He's that much of a motorcycle advocate," said Senior Master Sgt. Hollis Dawson of the 3rd Air Force Public Affairs Office.