2nd Air Force commander offers 4th of July safety message

  • Published
  • By Maj. Gen. Mary Kay Hertog
  • 2nd Air Force commander
KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MISS. --  I'll be honest with you. The Fourth of July weekend is not one of my favorite times of the year. I guess it goes back to when I was a child and I had some painful experiences on that weekend.

I remember one Independence Day when my brother and I were playing croquet and he hit me in the head with the mallet. I ended up with five stitches and a scar on my forehead.

Then there was the Independence Day my brother (yes, the same one) pulled my braces off during a pillow fight. It was one of those freak accidents; the pillow case had a loose thread that got wrapped in my braces when he hit me in the face.  The entire upper row of my braces came right off. It was a painful experience, especially telling my father how it happened and having him cut the dangling braces off with a pair of needle-nose pliers.

Then there was the holiday when I decided to see how many firecrackers I could stuff in a soda bottle to make it blow up. It didn't take but one firecracker to blow that bottle to smithereens, and luckily, I didn't cut up anyone but myself.

As you can see, I have had some memorable Independence Day happenings and didn't use the best judgment. But hey, I was a kid!

Well, none of us has that excuse anymore. We are all adults and role models, and folks look to us to set the example in many areas, especially in safety.

This year's Memorial Day weekend made history with no fatalities, and I know we can repeat that accomplishment as we approach the second major holiday in the "101 Critical Days of Summer" campaign.

Independence Day is a time to celebrate our freedom and remember those who have fought for that freedom. During this four-day weekend, many of us will travel to visit family and friends and celebrate with lots of food and beverages. As we celebrate, let's remember to keep a focus on safety.

Providing information to all Air Force employees and doing whatever it takes to prevent mishaps should be the guiding principal this holiday.

History has taught that we are exposed to increased mishap potential due to summer-related activities. People will head out on our nation's highways to vacation spots, parks, beaches or other recreational areas. Alcohol consumption may also increase during this period, which may contribute to uncharacteristic risk-taking by normally prudent and mature people. Don't take those risks!

I urge all of you to discuss your safety concerns so this Fourth of July weekend and the remainder of our "101 Critical Days of Summer" can be the safest ever. Let's make sure we demonstrate that being prepared, planning ahead and proper risk management are vital parts of all summer activities.

Take that extra moment or two to talk about increased risks, applying sound risk management, weighing the risks versus benefits, and take action to mitigate or eliminate threats.

Have fun this Fourth of July, but think before you act. Watch your kids with those fireworks! Hopefully none of them will be as troublesome as I was at that age!