Safety Gets a New Boss

Safety Gets a New Boss: During a ceremony Jan. 13 at Kirtland AFB, N.M., Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz formally charged Maj. Gen. Frederick Roggero with leadership of Air Force safety and command of the Air Force Safety Center, according to a Jan. 23 Kirtland release. Roggero, who replaced Maj. Gen. Wendell Griffin, previously served as Air Mobility Command’s director of air, space, and information operations. In remarks during the ceremony, Roggero said he has three priorities: nuclear surety, off-duty accident fatal rates, and reducing mishaps for unmanned aerial vehicles. On nuclear surety, Roggero said: “Safety is in charge of the policy and programs for nuclear surety. safe, secure, and reliable nuclear weapons are absolutely essential to our nation’s nuclear deterrent. The policy and guidance put out by safety has to be perfect.” As to flying safety, Roggero acknowledged that 2008 was a “tough year for the Air Force” with the loss of 13 airmen in aviation accidents. The rate so far in 2009 “is good,” he said, because “the commanders have taken a strong interest and they understand that safety is not a program; safety is an attitude.”