101 Critical Days of Summer
Every year, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center promotes the 101 Critical Days of Summer. This campaign begins on Memorial Day and runs through Labor Day. Historically, 30-40% of all Army accidental fatalities take place during the summer season.
Safety
It’s important to note that the environmental hazards and risks are often speci?c to a particular location. Kosovo is no exception to this. The lower humidity and relatively cooler temperatures (compared to the mid-Atlantic States in the U.S.) are certainly more pleasant to work in than the muggy conditions back at Many Soldiers ?nd themselves enjoying well-deserved Fort Bragg, N.C., but a spike in temperature by a few time off as they take advantage of everything the warm degrees and you’ll likely hear a comment about how weather has to offer. It’s no surprise, however, that hot it is outside. As your body becomes acclimated to nearly 80% of all Army accidental fatalities occur while your surroundings, ‘hot’ becomes a relative term with Soldiers are off-duty. respect to your environment. During the deployment to Kosovo, Soldiers won’t be exposed to many of the hazards they may encounter at they’re their home station. Soldiers won’t be able to pack their bags, load up the family’s luggage in their vehicles, and drive off to the beach, the mountains, or a lake resort for the weekend. There’s little chance to cruise the waters in a boat, spend the afternoon skydiving, or jump on the motorcycle and take it out for a long ride. Despite the lack of high-risk events, unsuspecting Soldiers can fall prey to an accident if they become overly complacent with their surroundings. As we’re nearing the ?nal third of the 101 Critical Days of Summer, it’s not hard to notice that the mid-day temperatures can hover over 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Although many of the Soldiers of KFOR 17 may be accustomed to warmer temperatures and higher levels of humidity, it only takes about 30 days for the body to acclimate. During this process, Soldiers begin a gradual adjustment to the changes in the environment. Acclimating to the environment allows Soldiers to maximize their performance over a range of differing conditions. Keeping this in mind, a mentality of “I’ve been deployed and worked in temperatures much hotter than this” can lead someone down the path of overcon?dence Leaders and Soldiers need to be aware that the environments they’ve operated in before may not necessarily prepare them physically for their current environment. Risk mitigation is always contingent on identifying the hazards around you. As the 101 Critical Days of Summer nears its end, it’s important to maintain situational awareness of your environment. It’s not the hazards that you’re expecting that can cause you to have an accident, it’s the hazards that you seemingly overlooked that can lead you to personal injury. MNBG-E Safety Manger Edson de Leon
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