53d begins CC's Safety Cup Challenge

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The 53d Wing kicked off the 101 Critical Days of Summer campaign with their annual Commander's Safety Cup Challenge, here May 21. 

The campaign is a competition among the units within the wing to see who can get out and promote safety in new and thoughtful ways. Points are given in a variety of categories like hosting base safety events, squadron safety briefings, submitting articles to AF Safety publications, AADD support, and others. 

But Lt. Col. Michael Neeman, 53d Wing safety chief, stressed the contest is all about keeping safety on everyone's mind. 

"It's not just about the competition," he said. "It gives people a chance to stand up and motivate others as well as making sure those squadrons and groups are aware of safety issues." 

Throughout the summer the 53d Wing units will sponsor public safety briefings to be given in locations around Eglin on topics like boating safety or child safety seats in vehicles. Eglin's newspapers and bulletin will post those upcoming events as they pop up. 

The Eglin 53d Wing units aren't the only ones involved in the competition, all 19 geographically-separated-units are eligible. 

The colonel also added the GSU's contributions to the campaign also bring safety awareness to their respective bases allowing the message to not just reach the 53d Wing and Eglin, but a much larger vicinity. 

At the end of the campaign, the unit with the most points earned receives a four-day pass. 

During the kick-off, Col. Mick Guthals, 53d Wing commander put the whole campaign in perceptive. 

"This is a fun and original way to keep safety in the minds of our folks throughout the summer," he said. "And if it saves just one life it will all be worth it."