Wing commander shares thoughts on importance of vacationing safely

  • Published
  • By Col. Michael Frankel
  • 47th Flying Training Wing commander
ANCHORAGE, Alaska --  Team XL,

Greetings from Alaska! Thanks to everyone for exceeding my expectations over my first few weeks in command. You haven't seen me around base much lately because I've been on leave in Anchorage.

My family and I have had time blocked off for this vacation for a while. Alaska is one of my favorite places in the world. In my opinion, the untouched beauty is unparalleled. We did everything from walking on a glacier and hiking up a mountain to crossing a river on a rope bridge, and yes...engaging in several family snow ball fights on the top of Alyeska ski slopes. I could go on all day about all of the beauty we saw here and the fun we had, but I want to make the point quickly. We engaged in a lot of extreme adventure activities, but we did it safely, so our entire family could return home with good pictures, fond memories and no injuries.

As an example, on June 10, I got to go King Salmon fishing with my son Jake while floating on a boat down the majestic Kasilof River on the Kenai Peninsula. It was a great day, definitely one that I'll never forget. Thankfully after Jake and I got off the river and cleaned the fish, we could say we had successfully avoided all the risks on the river. Also, our batteries were well on the way to being recharged.

That was not true for a fellow fisherman on the river the day prior. He was involved in a freak accident on the same river that, according to news reports and guides on the river, involved a stretched-out nylon rope from the boat he was on that snapped and hit the fisherman in the chest. He died from the injuries while being transported via helicopter on an hour and a half flight to the nearest trauma hospital located in Anchorage. This event reminded me that there is unfortunately risk involved in almost every vacation. If proper safety precautions are not taken and the risks are not well mitigated, a vacation can regrettably end in tragedy.

Now, let me tell you about another part of our vacation. My entire family and I spent half a day on all-terrain vehicles, also known as 4-wheeling. We had a blast, but this former safety officer (yes, we're all safety officers, but I once held the actual duty title) made sure his family was properly attired in all of the right safety gear. I knew we were involved in a high-risk activity we could all enjoy if we did it smart, or we could have a nightmare we'd never forget.

We kept the odds soundly in our favor by following every safety precaution, and wearing the appropriate safety equipment. At the end of the day, the kids were a little dirty but they had an experience that was done safely, one they will always remember positively.

My bottom line message in writing you today is simple...It doesn't matter how time consuming your job is, everyone needs to take time away this summer and use some of the leave you've earned. Please work with your supervisors and make sure you get a chance to get away and when you do, I ask that you take some time to consider the risks and ensure that you have a safe vacation.

If you won't do it for yourself, do it for your family. Our families sacrifice more than we do sometimes and it's vital that we use our summer as a time to strengthen those bonds. If you're a supervisor, trust your people. Give them the chance to exceed your expectations as you get away for a while.

So, take some time off, enjoy your family, recharge your batteries and make sure you're safe in whatever activity you choose.