Peer to Peer encourages Soldiers to 'make a movie, save a life'

By USACR/Safety Center Public AffairsOctober 1, 2009

Peer to Peer encourages Soldiers to 'make a movie, save a life'
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2nd annual competition features $2000 prize

FORT RUCKER, Ala. (Oct. 1, 2009) Aca,!" The U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center is calling all Soldiers to put their best safety stories on camera for the chance to win $2,000 as part of the 2nd Annual Peer to Peer Safety Video Competition.

Aca,!A"The power of peer influence, especially among our Soldiers, is truly something we need to harness to help us prevent accidents and save lives throughout our Army,Aca,!A? said Col. Scott Thompson, U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center deputy commander. Aca,!A"The Peer to Peer Video Competition puts our Soldiers center stage so they are able to share their own messages directly with their peers and, through that sharing, possibly save a life.Aca,!A?

The Peer to Peer competition, which is open through April 30, 2010, encourages Soldiers to make short videos highlighting off-duty safety topics including, but not limited to, driving, motorcycles, privately owned weapons and sports activities. The video may be up to 180 seconds in length and, when complete, should be posted to the USACR/Safety Center Web site to be entered in the competition. The submitted videos will be judged based on concept, effectiveness of the message and creativity.

Aca,!A"This competition challenges Soldiers to personalize safety messaging and pick topics that have meaning for them and their peers,Aca,!A? said Dr. Patricia LeDuc, USACR/Safety Center Human Factors Task Force director and Peer to Peer competition facilitator. Aca,!A"A good video captures your attention, evokes emotion and makes you think.Aca,!A?

This year, the Safety Center has joined forces with the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers organization to make the 2nd installment of the competition bigger, better and more accessible than ever. LeDuc said the new partnership with BOSS is a great move as the center works to expand the video competition to reach all corners of the Army.

Aca,!A"Our partnership with BOSS is what makes the $2,000 prize possible and, because of this great prize, we anticipate that more Soldiers are going to want to make great videos to share with their fellow Soldiers,Aca,!A? she said. Aca,!A"More Soldiers mean more great videos that will spread important safety messages across our Army.Aca,!A?

Last yearAca,!a,,cs winning video team leader Spc. Marsha Millikin said her group from 1st Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment submitted their candid and often amusing video focusing on privately owned weapons and drug abuse to help their fellow Soldiers see that safety can be fun.

Aca,!A"We wanted everyone who watched our video to understand the importance of living with humor, working with safety in mind, and always being aware of your surroundings,Aca,!A? she said.

Thompson said he knows that every Soldier has a favorite Aca,!A"there I was storyAca,!A? and is encouraging all troops to take the time to put their story on video to help spread important safety messages.

Aca,!A"During my career, I have come across many Soldiers who are fantastic story tellers and I am looking forward to seeing what great safety stories our troops are going to tell during this competition,Aca,!A? he said.

A list of rules and video submission guidelines for the Peer to Peer Competition is available at https://safety.army.mil/videocompetition. Examples of videos submitted during last yearAca,!a,,cs competition can be viewed on the Safety CenterAca,!a,,cs YouTube page. Visit https://safety.army.mil and click on the YouTube icon at the bottom of the page.

Related Links:

Peer to Peer video competition