Staying safe this summer

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Joshua Magbanua
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  Summer is ramping up and many people are making travel plans.

The 86th Airlift Wing safety office is reminding Airmen and their families to stay vigilant while enjoying the season.

Tech. Sgt. Henrie Young, 86th Airlift Wing safety office occupational safety technician, said that the summer months often see a spike in travel.

“Families are on vacation and the kids are out of school,” he said. “It’s a good time to see everything around here in Germany. There’s so much to do in terms of traveling, sports, and everything else. There’s lots of cycling and outdoor activities you can do everywhere.

When you’re out there, think ahead about what can happen and what you can do to prevent it from happening,” he added.

Summer in Germany is characterized by longer days, with the sun setting as late as 10 p.m. While the extra daylight provides many opportunities for people to get out and about, Young encouraged Kaiserslautern Military Community residents to always be careful with themselves and their surroundings.

Young said common incidents for the season include sports-related injuries, dehydration, heatstroke, sunburn and vehicle mishaps. With every hazard related to summer there are also safeguards against them, he said.

Some measures people can take to keep themselves safe are wearing proper equipment while engaging in sports, drinking plenty of water, stretching before exercising, planning routes before travel and ensuring their vehicles are properly maintained.

“Also make sure your emergency kits are in the car,” he added. “Along with your hazard triangles and reflective vests, and make sure your spare tires have air.”

Young stressed the importance of Airmen keeping themselves safe, saying that it’s not just the Airmen themselves who will be hurt, but their units as well.

“Say your mission is high-tempo and one person is missing,” he said. Everyone has to pick up what (they) had to do for that time being. So somebody else has to do double the job, their job and your job, in order to get the mission done.”

While there are always risks and hazards involved with travel or leisure, Young said this shouldn’t dissuade people from going out and having fun. This is why the 86th AW safety office encourages Airmen and their families in the KMC to have a safe and enjoyable summer.