Safety philosophy

Gen. William T. Hobbins
Commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe

As USAFE Wingmen, we rely on each other every day to make responsible
choices when faced with hazards on and off duty. Our military community
depends on this culture to preserve our war fighting capability. Every
action is weighed against a desired benefit. When we weigh risks, we
must honestly appreciate the full value of our health and lives. In
USAFE, we must assume risk. Our daily training and execution efforts
involve a necessary level of risk that we assume for an important
benefit: mission accomplishment.
Uncontrolled hazards and unsafe acts represent an unnecessary risk to our team and our mission.

We
have valuable guidance to aid our decision process. We learn from the
tragic events that have been captured and distilled into the mishap
summaries, flight manuals, technical orders, and safety standards we
use each day. All Airmen have the professional responsibility to apply
this knowledge 24/7, 365 days a year. To knowingly circumvent or
dismiss these lessons is a willful breech of faith and discipline which
bears a corresponding level of accountability. This is particularly
important when making a decision to use alcohol. If you drink, have a
plan and drink responsibly.

People are our most prized mission
resource. As Wingmen, we demonstrate this value when we look out for
the members of our team, our friends, families, and coworkers. Another
way to care for your Wingman is to care for yourself. Remember the
great chain of people and functions that depend on you every day when
you make a decision to act.