Airmen prepare for 2012 ESOH Training Symposium

  • Published
  • By Roger Williams
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. --  The Air Force Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health Training Symposium is a week-long, one-stop training event in the host city of Denver, Colo., scheduled to begin February 13, 2012.

Mr. Terry Yonkers, the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics; Mr. Timothy Bridges, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health, Maj Gen Timothy Byers, The Air Force Civil Engineer, Brig Gen Dave Howe, the Air Combat Command A7 and others will speak during the training symposium.

Over 1,500 Airmen, civilians, and instructors from across the Air Force and private industry are scheduled to attend. Approximately 500 class sessions and 82 technical sessions in the fields of safety, engineering, environment, and occupational health are conducted on-site at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver.

The training event is jointly sponsored by Air Combat Command, Air Force Space Command, Air Force Global Strike Command, Air Education and Training Command, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Air Mobility Command, and Air Force Reserve Command. Partners include the AF Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE), the AF Institute of Technology (AFIT), and with instructors from the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, U.S. Department of Labor OSHA Training Institute, and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The ESOH Symposium Director, JP Smith clearly sees benefit in the week-long university, saying, "We integrate this ESOH training at one location which saves time and taxpayer dollars. We combine training needs of over 60 installations in 34 states and 6 countries." Smith adds, "It's a great opportunity for leadership to send a young Airman to one location and receive forty percent of annual training requirements."

With training geared toward the Airman working ESOH in their career fields, over 80% of the attendees are first-time students. One of the more beneficial blocks of instruction is the OSHA safety certification. In 2011, over 400 Airmen students received the training, costing roughly $1,500 at the symposium versus $60,000 for the same training at just one Air Force base.

Click here for more information on the symposium.