Be a good wingman, stay safe Published Aug. 3, 2011 By Angela Varga Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs WASHINGTON D.C. -- Summertime is a critical period for fatal incidents and mishaps according to the Air Force Safety Center. The Critical Days of Summer safety campaign runs from May 27 through September 6, 2011. This year's theme: summer is hot. In the past two years, many of the summertime fatalities occurred during the latter half of the campaign. Summer brings about distractions and accidents, so don't be complacent; be careful. The summer months are a time for vacation and enjoyment, but complacency often results in injuries and fatalities. "During the 2009 Critical Days of Summer Campaign, Air Force District of Washington experienced zero on- and off-duty fatalities. During the 2010 Critical Days of Summer Campaign, AFDW experienced zero on-duty fatalities and one off-duty fatality," said Terry Pearce, AFDW Safety. "So far during the Air Force wide 2011 Critical Days of Summer Campaign, motorcycle mishaps have been the number one off-duty fatality producing mishap." AFDW has experienced zero on- and off-duty fatalities during the 2011 Critical Days of Summer Campaign. But safety officials caution that summer is not over. Safety precautions are prevalent in the base newspaper, newsletters and department e-mails. It is important to know the risks of every activity and have a plan should something go wrong. Make sure family, friends, co-workers and employees stay alert and reinforce safety at every opportunity. There is still over a month left of the CDS campaign, so exercise vigilance and care during activities to ensure that AFDW keeps its summertime on- and off-duty fatality count at zero. Be a good wingman; stay safe.