JBER's 3rd Wing wins PACAF safety award

by PAO Staff Report
JBER Public Affairs

1/30/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- The Pacific Air Forces Safety Special Achievement Award was presented to the 3rd Wing during a flight safety awards ceremony Jan. 2. The award recognizes the wing's outstanding accomplishments in numerous mishap prevention areas.

"It is truly an honor to receive this particular award," said Air Force Lt. Col. Travolis Simmons, 3rd Wing chief of safety. "It serves as a testament to the overall quality of our safety programs. More importantly, the award validates the disciplined contributions of all 3rd Wing Airmen who enabled the wing's many mission successes in 2012."Fiscal year 2012 was a year marked by challenging circumstances for JBER and the 3rd Wing. Despite record snowfall during the 2011-2012 winter, the Joint Base's 3rd Wing operated and safely maintained 7,037 flight sorties for a combined total of 15,159 flight hours.

Aircrew delivered more than 2,000 passengers and more than 4 million pounds of cargo in support of Pacific Command and Central Command missions without any major mishaps. Additionally, the 3rd Wing safely hosted two Red Flag exercises, which included more than 1,000 joint and allied forces, and 47 aircraft for 580 flight sorties and more than 1,000 flying hours.

Wing personnel helped discover the root causes of F-22 Raptor hypoxia-like symptoms Air Force-wide, ultimately resulting in changes in aircrew flight equipment across the Combat Air Force. This discovery led to the development of the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device Program to simulate hypoxia symptoms for pilots, saving more than $284,000 annually in travel costs.

Outside of daily flying operations, the 3rd Wing hosted the largest air show in the joint base's history, with more than 73 participating aircraft, a record-breaking 235,000 visitors, and more than 500 volunteers with zero safety incidents.

During this time, 3rd Wing Safety personnel also engineered a joint Bird and Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard Program with neighboring Bryant Army Airfield, reducing bird strike potential across the joint installation by 50 percent for more than 150 aircraft. Weapons Safety analyzed 23 explosive clear zones and discovered encroachment of a public traffic route. This revelation prevented future hazards and ensured protection of personnel as well as a coveted Alaska hunting locale.

Their personnel also played a key role in the ammunition barge joint operation with United States Army Alaska by identifying a convoy safety hazard, resulting in 20,000 pounds net explosive weight arriving with zero mishaps.

The 3rd Wing Safety team's contributions extended well outside the joint base installation. The team conducted a Wake Island site survey and coordinated risk assessment with the Naval Surface Warfare Center. This coordinated effort resulted in approval for seven explosive site plans and allowed the Missile Defense Agency to establish a posture for integrated flight tests.

Air Force Gen. Herbert Carlisle, PACAF commander, lauded the accomplishment and encouraged a continued commitment to safety excellence.

Upon receiving the award, Air Force Col. Dirk Smith, 3rd Wing commander said, "I could not be more proud of our 3rd Wing Safety professionals. Their achievements show that engaged leadership drives disciplined, precise and safe mission execution. "Our safety team understands the complexity of our diverse 3rd Wing mission," the commander continued. "From F-22 oxygen system improvements to Wake Island weapons safety groundwork, our safety enables our leadership team to create an environment for safe operations that ultimately increase our combat capability."

Simmons summarized the significance of the award.

"Whenever you are fortunate enough to win a major command-level award, it is a big deal," he said. "We are certainly excited about it and appreciative of the recognition. However, success in safety is not about past performance. Success in safety is about the future. Everyone in the organization must be vigilant in maintaining a proactive approach to safety as we attempt to anticipate tomorrow's problem areas and mitigate the risk of future mishaps."