The Thanksgiving tradition can be traced back to the arrival of the first colonists who held a feast in 1621 to convey their gratitude for a bountiful harvest with Colonial Governor William Bradford proclaiming a day of thanksgiving. Subsequently, on 3 October 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation designating the fourth Thursday of November as a national Thanksgiving holiday. Today, Thanksgiving is a cherished national tradition with Family gatherings, proclamations of thanks for the good fortunes of the past year and sincere offerings of charity to those in need.
Thanksgiving weekend is the most traveled weekend of the year with increased potential for accidents. Plan accordingly to reduce your risk. Late night weekend travel presents one of the highest risk factors, particularly when fatigue or alcohol is involved. Every year senseless injuries occur as a result of speeding, unsafe vehicles, and overindulgence in alcohol. Put emphasis on the following areas:
- POV safety inspections, wearing seatbelts, and preparing vehicles for winter.
- Do not drink and drive. Designate a driver-have a plan.
- Use the Army's on-line Travel Risk Planning System (TRiPS) tool to assess and reduce the risks associated with travel plans at: https://safety.army.mil/Default.aspx.
This year's Seasonal Safety initiative, "Ready...or Not?" campaign, is designed to heighten awareness of seasonal risk factors and provide leaders and Soldiers the tools they need to address safety issues in their unit or peer group. These tools can be located in the Army Safety Center website, at https://safety.army.mil/MEDIA/SeasonalSafetyCampaiqns.aspx.
Also, cold weather injury prevention tools are available at the following Public Health Command website: http://phc.amedd.army.mil/topics/discond/cip/Pages/ColdCasualtieslnjuries.aspx.
I am thankful for many things this Thanksgiving Day and I am sincerely thankful for the MEDCOM Family and your unwavering support to our beneficiaries. To you and your Families, I extend my personal best wishes for a safe and joyous Thanksgiving holiday. Please continue to make us "Army Safe and Army Strong."
Serving to Heal...Honored to Serve!
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