Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) kicked off the summer season, May 23, with a summer safety fair to reiterate the importance for Sailors and Department of the Navy civilian employees to make good decisions and to stay safe for the summer season.

"The lessons taught during the fair are critical in preventing accidents," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Anthony Jordan, NAVIFOR safety officer. "If somebody gets hurt, no matter who it is, it affects the mission."

With all the knowledge presented during the fair, Jordan hopes attendees left with safety on their mind.

More than 500 Sailors and civilian employees from NAVIFOR, Fleet Cyber Command South, Naval Network Warfare Command, and Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command attended the event, which was organized by the command's safety office to emphasize what to do in situations they may encounter. There were nine different stations providing hands-on activities.

The various stations that the Sailors and civilian employees could visit during the fair included CPR, motorcycle safety, hurricane preparation, as well as others. A special thanks to Master Police Officer Iris Davis from the Suffolk Police Department for her invaluable assistance and participation in the event.

"Summer is a great time for Sailors and Department of the Navy civilian employees and their families to take advantage of living in the great Hampton Roads area," said Rear Adm. Matthew J. Kohler, NAVIFOR commander. "Thinking ahead and taking appropriate precautions and preparations can make such activities safer and even more enjoyable. If every Sailor can keep that in mind, they should be able to enjoy their summer safe and sound."

The goals of the summer safety campaign are to raise awareness, to teach skills and behavior that result in mishap reduction, and to provide alternatives to high risk behavior.

"I think overall it's a great way to kick off the summer," said Kohler. "This gives our Sailors and civilians the tools to have a safe summer season and stay ready to support the mission."

NAVIFOR's mission is to provide combat-ready information warfare forces to operational commanders, ashore and afloat, that are forward deployable, fully trained, properly manned, capably equipped, always ready, well-maintained and combat sustainable.

For more information on NAVIFOR, visit the command's web site at http://www.public.navy.mil/fltfor/navifor/Pages/Default2.aspx, our Navy News Web page at http://www.navy.mil/local/navifor or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/USNavyInformationDominanceForces.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Information Forces, visit www.navy.mil/.