Protecting the mission: Meet the 7th Bomb Wing Safety Office

Photo By Staff Sgt. Emily Copeland | U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Aaron Ottmo, 7th Bomb Wing flight safety supervisor, looks over a B-1B Lancer engine during a facility inspection at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, July 10, 2017. The collection and accuracy of flight safety data provides proactive and reactive analysis of flight safety issues. A challenge for flight safety is the flight line wildlife, which is closely managed through several programs such as the Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard program. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emily Copeland)  

DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

07.19.2017

Story by Airman 1st Class Emily Copeland 

7th Bomb Wing

Safeguarding Airmen, protecting resources, preserving combat readiness: the 7th Bomb Wing safety office is the foundation of proactive safety and mishap prevention.
The 7th BW safety office is home to three divisions: occupational safety, weapons safety and aviation safety. All three divisions are critical assets to the 7th BW mission of providing dominant and combat air power to combatant and joint force commands, anytime, anywhere.
The largest division of the safety office is the occupational or ground safety division. It is responsible for overseeing occupational safety policy, programs and procedures to provide a safe work environment and enhance the safety of personnel at Dyess to maintain combat capability and readiness. In addition, occupational safety handles and evaluates mishap investigations while providing recommendations on safety policies and guidelines to Dyess leadership.
“Our job is to ensure the Airmen are provided a safe environment to work and live,” said Staff Sgt. Rhebb Hulett, 7th Bomb Wing operational safety technician. “When problems are found, it’s our duty to find the root cause and provide recommendations to commanders and leadership to prevent the mishaps from occurring again.”
A large role in safety’s mission is to manage and provide oversight on all mishap investigations, which helps occupational safety to develop a hazard abatement implementation through preventative actions.
“Mishaps can be anything from a bumped head on the flight line to a traffic accident on base,” said Hulett. “Some incidents cannot be prevented, but we see through each mishap what can be changed or improved through a safety standpoint.”
Along with occupational safety, the weapons safety division works closely with base squadrons such as the 7th Civil Engineer Squadron to ensure guidelines and protocol are met through the building and maintaining of munitions storage.
Weapons safety is specifically responsible for the establishment and definition of Air Force safety policy for the development and operational use of all conventional weapons systems used at Dyess. Specifically, they oversee sight plans and verify the quantity of munitions on the base, while providing licensing to the squadrons.
“When it comes to munitions, safety is our number one priority,” said Master Sgt. John Benavidez, 7th Bomb Wing weapons safety manager. “We work to provide a safe atmosphere for the building and storage of the munitions, along with safety precautions in the case of a weapons mishap.”
Monthly spot inspections, maintaining units, and deployments are just a few challenges the weapons safety office faces with a two-man crew. Through the help of the occupational and flight safety divisions, the offices are never left without support to ensure the mission is always put first.
“There is a lot going on at any given moment of time on Dyess,” said Hulett. “The great thing about working in the safety office is that everyone is willing to stop what they are doing to help you when things get busy. Everyone here is extremely knowledgeable in one domain or another which can help when it comes to different safety aspects on investigations or prevention.”
While occupational and weapons safety are the rulers of the ground, aviation safety’s domain is in flight and around the flight line. Anything pertaining to the B-1 falls under the division of flight safety, which can be a risk because of the concept around flight itself.
The collection and accuracy of flight safety data provides proactive and reactive analysis of flight safety issues, which serves as a direct line to provide trusted council to base leadership and MAJCOMs.
“We are main line advisors to our commanders and leadership on the safety of the base,” said Master Sgt. Aaron Ottmo, 7th Bomb Wing flight safety supervisor. “Getting to work closely with leadership is a great opportunity to provide feedback on issues and be a voice for the Airmen.”
There are several challenges for flight safety including flight line wildlife, which is closely managed through several programs such as the Bird and Wildlife Strike Hazard program. While there are challenges to each division, there are many positive aspects of working as a safety representative.
The safety field is a career in which an Airman must cross-train or enter as a special duty and with limited openings, the field requires Airmen to complete a probationary period where they are evaluated and selected amongst their peers.
Interaction with the base helps create a better understanding between the safety office and the base population, with the goal to change the perception of safety.
“This career field has really opened my eyes to what each Airman’s role is on the base,” said Ottmo. “We get to experience firsthand every function of Dyess, which makes me appreciate my job more each day.”

• Date Taken: 07.19.2017
• Date Posted: 07.19.2017 11:40
• Story ID: 241719
• Location: DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, TEXAS, US