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Dog days of fatigue

Southwest Asia -- Welcome to the Dog Days of summer at the 379th! If you combine this month's 110-degree temperatures with the sun, dust and humidity, you have an extreme type of Dog Day that few of us have ever experienced back home. These hot, sultry days are great for lounging around the pool, but they're certainly tough conditions to work in. In fact, if you mix these climate conditions with the fast-paced 24-hour work environment we maintain here, you have the ingredients for fatigue and an increased potential for accidents. 

The link between fatigue and increased accident risk is well documented. The Air Force attributed fatigue and the loss of situational awareness as factors in more than 200 Class A aircraft mishaps and countless ground mishaps. I lost a good friend as he landed his F-16 one mile short of the runway after a long week. The investigation cited fatigue as the causal factor. 

Each one of us must be aware of fatigue levels as we live and work in this tough environment. The Air Force Security Forces Center recently studied the subject of fatigue, specifically the factors that cause fatigue and ways mitigate it. We can apply some of their findings here to keep us and our wingmen safe. 

We must recognize the warning signs in ourselves. There's an inherent problem in self-diagnosing fatigue which, impairs our ability of self-observation, evaluation and concentration. We are the poorest judge of our own fatigue level which highlights why wingmen are so critical to our well-being. It is imperative that we look to our teammates and look for those telltale signs of fatigue which are: inattention, irritability, tolerance for errors and difficulty concentrating. These factors are the warning signs of the potential for an accident ... and are a call for you to intervene. 

We can combat fatigue through a number of smart life-style decisions. Sleep is the number one on this list. Sleep deprivation is the main cause of fatigue and can be avoided by having a proper living schedule. We must not underestimate how difficult it can be to maintain a good sleep cycle here. Everyone here is on some degree of shift work, which can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm. Then when you're off-duty, there are a ton of activities to partake in. When you finally settle into bed, you may have a roommate who wakes you as they come-in or leave. So get a good amount of sleep when you can. Everyone needs differing amounts of sleep to stay effective, but keep in mind what works best for you, and stick to it. 

Proper amounts of fitness and a good diet are two other ways to avoid fatigue. Both provide your body what it needs to operate, especially over the long haul. If you're body is not healthy or well fed, then it'll work harder to get you through your day and will lead you to fatigue more quickly. Be especially mindful of what types of food your diet includes. The Security Forces Study was clear to note that "well-fed" is not a term of quantity, but of quality. I realize some of us want to survive on beef jerky alone, but we need healthy nutritious foods on a regular basis. 

Ultimately, know the signs of fatigue, and watch out for them in each other. Get involved if someone around you shows signs of fatigue. You can catch it before your wingman has a vehicle mishap or something worse. A good meal and a good night of sleep will do wonders to get you through the Dog Days of Summer.