Barksdale stays safe through holiday season

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. - Vanessa Braggs, member of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, victim and survivor, speaks during the safety day briefing held at Hoban Hall, Nov. 24, on Barksdale Air Force Base La. Mrs. Braggs told her story of how three of her family members were taken away by an impaired driver. She emphasized that people?s choices and decisions not only hurt themselves but other people. Her main focus was how one should think about the decisions and choices they make. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Alexandra M. Boutte)

Barksdale stays safe through holiday season

Published Nov. 24, 2010
By Senior Airman Alexandra M. Boutte
2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs

BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- The 2nd Bomb Wing Safety Office hosted two safety briefings Nov. 23, for Barksdale Air Force Base personnel.

The briefings included spokespersons from the fire department, Airmen Against Drunk Driving and Mothers Against Drunk Drivers guest speaker and Col. Tim Fay, 2 BW commander.

Safety day is a day where Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen assigned here focus on different aspects of safety from home life events to workplace practices.

"Safety day is important to Barksdale because it centralizes the wing's focus on personal risk management and encourages the wingman concept, especially through the holiday season," said Master Sgt. Shuntesia Dupree, 2 BW Safety Office, mishap prevention NCO in charge. "Safety day is the last opportunity the bomb wing has for leaving an impressionable message that stresses the consequences of drinking and driving."

In 2009, there were 100 alcohol related incidents on Barksdale, according to the 2nd Security Forces Squadron records. So far there have been 57 incidents this year.

"It is important that we all pull together and look out for one another," said Sergeant Dupree. "The key to being safe is paying attention details and following the rules."

Commanders and supervisors should pay close attention to what is going on in the lives of their Airmen. If noticing a change in an Airmen, supervisors should ensure their Airmen are getting the proper help they need and make sure they always feel they have someone they can turn to in the time of need.

"My biggest safety concern is Airmen making good decisions over the holidays so we can have every single Airman back safely to the 2 BW after the holidays," said Colonel Fay