ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. -- Army Materiel Command organizations were recognized by the command and the Department of the Army for safely delivering readiness around the world, and doing so with excellence.
Gen. Dennis L. Via, AMC's commanding general, presented two Army-level and five command-level awards in a ceremony at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Oct. 22.
"When you look across the Army Materiel Command, the business we are involved in is inherently dangerous every day," said Via. "Safety is first and foremost. We are very proud that we have a very strong track record at the Department of Army level."
One of ten AMC major subordinate commands, the Research, Development and Engineering Command won two Army-level awards and three AMC Command Safety Awards.
RDECOM's U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center received both the Army and AMC Exceptional Organization Safety Awards at the brigade level. TARDEC experienced zero Class A and Class B accidents in fiscal year 2014. The research center was also recognized twice as a "Star Performer" by the Army Institute of Public Health for its Defense Occupational and Environmental Health Readiness System efforts.
Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, also an RDECOM organization, won the Department of the Army and the AMC Industrial Operations Safety Awards, specifically for their Field Deployable Hydrolysis System and its work to safely destroy Syria's stockpile of chemical warfare agents in record time. ECBC was also presented the AMC Exceptional Organization Safety Award at the battalion level.
AMC subordinate U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command won the division level AMC Exceptional Organization Safety Award. CECOM demonstrated ownership of safety at levels throughout the command, the certificate cited.
Via also presented the AMC Individual Excellence Safety Award to Paula Mesaris from CECOM's Tobyhanna Army Depot. Mesaris is the program manager for several key program areas and maintained an injury rate more than 65 percent below the industry benchmark.
Safety at AMC must be a priority as the command operates manufacturing facilities and laboratories, demilitarizes ammunition plants and chemical munitions, tests heavy ordnance, and transports equipment around the world by rail, land, truck transport, onboard ships or by air, said Via.
AMC's senior leader challenged the organizations to daily talk safety with their workforce as each employee plays a role in maintaining AMC's exceptional safety track record.
"Every employee is a safety officer, regardless of the position they hold," Via said. "It's each and every one of the personnel across the command that makes up the safety program. Continue to talk safety each and every day."
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