Preparation helps Team Vance stay safe Published Jan. 17, 2007 By Col Wade Johnson 71st Flying Training Wing Vance Air Force Base, Okla. -- It's been a great week for Team Vance and one of the highlights was recognizing our newest squadron, the 71st Comptroller Squadron. The comptroller folks are a flight no more, as of Tuesday, they were officially deemed a squadron and rightfully so. The comptrollers have been doing the work of a squadron for a long time and this recognition is far overdue. This change will be transparent to the customer but will create organizational changes for the commander, flight commanders and personnel. Congratulations to Major Mike Wilson and his team! Our exercise outbrief was also on Tuesday and the wing was given an overall 'satisfactory.' The clinic was praised for their outstanding triage treatment and transport procedures as well as their on-scene leadership. Several casual students were also commended for their participation and motivation. As always, there were lessons to be learned and that's why we practice. We all need to keep up to date on the different Force Protection Conditions and what each of them means for our immediate work areas. Another area for improvement was door-guard training. If we post someone at our entrances, they should have a basic knowledge of how to handle any problems that may arise. It is everyone's responsibility to know and understand the FPCON procedures for their work areas. This terrorist and mass casualty exercise went well and I appreciate your energy and enthusiasm in keeping this training as realistic as possible. Preparing for an attack helps us know what to do when faced with a major crisis yet we sometimes forget about our day-to-day safety. We are halfway through the 101 Critical Days of Summer and thankfully the men and women of Vance Air Force Base are doing a great job staying safe. Unfortunately, elsewhere in Oklahoma, an Airman was lost in a motorcycle accident Monday. The young Airman was not wearing a helmet and was traveling at a high rate of speed when he hit a patch of uneven asphalt and lost control of his bike. Losses like this are even more unfortunate when their prevention is so simple. Please keep safety in mind when participating in any high risk activity. There are numerous fun, yet hazardous activities in which to participate during the summer months, riding a motorcycle is just one of them. If you or a loved one have ever stayed in the hospital for an extended period of time, you know how much it means to have your family there for support. The Fisher House program provides a place for you and your families to stay while receiving extended treatment at Air Force medical facilities. The donation boxes around the base will be gone after Aug. 2 so please take this opportunity to donate one or several of the items needed. Thank you for a job well done this week, keep up the great work and have a safe weekend.