Golden bolt enhances vigilance, safety

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia
  • 301st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
NAVAL AIR STATION FORT WORTH JOINT RESERVE BASE, Texas --  Safety in the military is a culture that nurtures and grooms Airmen to become more aware of their surroundings. Training Airmen to actively seek, find and prevent safety hazards helps foster a safer work environment. One area rich in various possible hazards is the flight line.

Foreign Object Debris, or FOD, is the most recognized hazard on the flight line. FOD, by Federal Aviation Administration definition, is any object, live or not, located in an inappropriate location in the airport environment that has the capacity to injure airport or air carrier personnel and damage aircraft. 

The FOD Prevention program is supervised by the 301st Fighter Wing's vice commander and aims to prevent damage to an aircraft, engines, tires, munitions, or support equipment caused by a foreign object.

"FOD prevention is a team effort. The program is designed to train our Airmen to be vigilant to protect our aircraft and the lives of others. Safety must be a key factor in their everyday activities in the military," said Col. Robert Buchanan, 301 FW vice commander.

To increase awareness and offer Airmen incentive, the 301st Maintenance Group established a local quarterly program called the "Golden Bolt."

"The nice part (about this program) is we have the opportunity to publicly recognize someone, said Chief Master Sgt. Steven Bell, 301 MXG's Quality Assurance Superintendent. "But the side benefit is it provides us an indicator as to how well the FOD-walks are being conducted so we can make adjustments as necessary."

The FOD-walks at the 301st are events incorporating numerous Airmen and civilians working on and around the flight line or airport community reinforcing the concept that FOD prevention is a team effort.

Introduced many years ago, QA would place a large, gold painted bolt on the flight line or in the hangar before the FOD walk hoping it would be discovered.  In most cases, it was found.

However, there were times it's wasn't and someone had to head out and retrieve it, explains Chief Master Sgt. Steven Bell, 301st Maintenance Group's QA Superintendent.

The main objective of the Golden Bolt is to increase Airmen's awareness to the cause and effect of FOD damage and promote active participation in its elimination. Ensuring Airmen hold the proper attitude on FOD safety and corporate commitment facilitate the elimination of unsafe acts and conditions that are precursors to accidents and incidents.

"Next time you are in the area, I'll show you the bolt...it is quite large and painted gold!"