An F-35A Lightning II, assigned to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, takes off. (U.S. Air Force photo by Anthony Pham)

419th Fighter Wing News

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Wing's safety program garners praise

  • Published
  • By Bryan Magaña
  • 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UTAH --  The 419th Fighter Wing passed a rigorous safety inspection last month, garnering praise from both its Numbered Air Force and higher headquarters.
"Every three years, the 10th Air Force inspection team comes here and looks at our wing's safety programs," said Master Sgt. Kenneth Kowalczyk, Ground Safety Manager.

"Our main concern is preventing mishaps," he said. "We do that through safety awareness, getting out there and talking to people. We make sure people are safe and that they're trained."

During the five-day visit, the inspection team toured every work center in the wing to ensure that there is communication between the safety office and supervisors, Sergeant Kowalczyk said.

He and his colleagues in the wing's safety office prepared for the visit long beforehand. They received an inspection schedule a year in advance and a checklist six months out. They combined that checklist with both 10th AF and AFRC checklists to maximize efficiency, even digitizing them to make it easier for the inspection team to navigate.

To further understand what the team was looking for, they toured like units during safety inspections to glean insight from the process.

Sergeant Kowalczyk and Master Sgt. Travis Stewart, Weapons Safety Manager, prioritized according the 10th AF's last inspection. They then standardized the program across the wing so units no longer have "their own take" on it.

The safety office's preparedness impressed the inspection team. The lead inspector called the wing's safety program one of the best she has seen in AFRC in 12 years, Sergeant Kowalczyk said.

The inspection report states that Sergeant Kowalczyk is "very dedicated to his safety profession [and] this was evident in the preparation and materials available during the assessment."

It also stated that part of the reason the program has succeeded is because the safety office has an ongoing "positive relationship" with personnel on the field.