Explore England, Europe and enjoy that summertime feeling Published June 13, 2006 By Col. Mike Callis 100th Air Refueling Wing vice commander RAF MILDENHALL, England -- Well we made it through the winter. Days are getting longer and hopefully soon we will all be enjoying warm sunny days. With most of our AEF 9/10 deployers finally home everyone is ready to get out, work on that tan, stretch their wings and see new places. The improving weather will offer lots of chances to enjoy RAF Mildenhall. To make your assignment here truly memorable, I encourage every member of Team Mildenhall to take advantage of the terrific travel, sight seeing and cultural opportunities available here in England and throughout Europe. Whether it’s an easy day trip, like to the Madingley American Cemetery in Cambridge, a longer road trip to see Stonehenge, or a weekend road trip to Edinburgh, there is a nearly endless list of places to see. Also, plan to get involved with some of the many base sports programs or participate in the Extreme Summer contest sponsored by the U.S. Air Forces in Europe’s Services team. Almost 500 Team Mildenhall folks have already signed up and are earning contest points by joining in the many fun activities around the base, so why not join them? It’s a great way to meet new friends, and you may even be a lucky winner of one of the terrific prize drawings. With all the things to see and do, don’t forget to keep safety in your crosscheck. As we passed Memorial Day we entered the annual 101 Critical Days of Summer. We all know safety awareness must be on your mind, but often spring fever can take hold and we try to do too much, too fast and get into a tough situation. While mission accomplishment is our paramount duty, keeping every active duty member, Department of Defense and Ministry of Defence civilians, and family members safe is a primary concern. You are all important to mission accomplishment so we can not afford losing team mates to preventable accidents. As we enter the 101 Days I challenge every one to think about and discuss safety in all our activities. From the softball game at your unit’s summer picnic, to that long drive to Scotland, to just having fun at a party in the dormitories we must be smart and take care of each other. You all know the rules — don’t drink and drive, and don’t let you friends drink and drive. Plan to take rest breaks when you are driving long distances, and watch out for the “other guy” when on the road. Wear important (and required) safety equipment when working in the yard with power tools and when riding your bike. Don’t over do it with your fitness program, take time to stretch and to make progress. If you are a motorcycle driver, watch your speed, the road and the other vehicle on the road. Finally, when planning your visit to London, one of the many castles or cultural sights (Alton Towers?) take some time to check with the base Information, Tickets and Travel team for group trips. These take the burden of driving and travel off your shoulders and let you focus on enjoying the day. As you make your plans for summer adventures ensure you think about safety and plan ahead. The weather shop is promising us a terrific weekend so start the summer off right by enjoying the time with friends and family. Have a safe and fun summer and thank you for your service.