Borne out of the labor movement of the 1800s, Labor Day was established to celebrate the economic and social achievements of the American workforce. The first large-scale Labor Day celebration was observed on September 5, 1882 with a massive parade and picnic in New York City, and Congress created a federal holiday 12 years later. As military members, civilians, and contractors, we are an important part of the modern American workforce and have much to celebrate. Our labor in the Nation's Capital is of critical value and should be an additional source of pride for each of us this Labor Day.
The country has seen vast improvements to worker well-being and safety since that first Labor Day, and the DoD continues to lead the way by providing the military and civilians with numerous tools to enable safe behavior both on and off the job. To that end, I ask each of you to inquire with your subordinates, coworkers, and Family about their plans for this upcoming long weekend. Demonstrate your commitment to our fellow workers and our missions by encouraging the use of risk management, training, and the buddy system as essential means for keeping one another safe.
Each of you are essential to the success of our missions and are needed to return safely from this well-deserved time off. Tools to assist you with planning and mitigating risk during the holiday weekend are available at: https://safety.army.mil/ODSAP and http://www.med.navy.mil/sites/nmcphc/health-promotion/Pages/hp-toolbox-june.aspx
I wish each of you a safe and enjoyable Labor Day holiday.
BRADLEY A. BECKER
MG, US Army
Commanding
Related Documents:
JFHQ-NCR/MDW Labor Day Safety Message [PDF]
Related Links:
Learn more about the U.S. Army Military District of Washington
Navy Marine Corps Public Health Center - Safety Month
Social Sharing