Wolf praises Soldiers' safety initiatives during Iraq visit

U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center Commander Brig. Gen. William Wolf praised Lt. Col. David Wilson and his Soldiers from 121st Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division for their "direct approach to safety" during a Feb. 5 visit to Contingency Operating Base Adder in south-central Iraq.

"The 121st BSB has set the bar high ensuring Soldiers are focused on their mission while understanding the risks they face every day both from the enemy and the numerous hazards on the roads of Iraq," Wolf said. "This effort is crucial and must be sustained as this battalion prepares to head home to Fort Bliss, Texas. The same engaged leadership, focused Soldiers and keen understanding of risk that has kept the 121st team safe in Iraq will ensure these Soldiers remain safe at home as they hit the highways and byways of south Texas and across the United States."

The battalion's innovative safety practices that so impressed Wolf include a highly effective safety standard operating procedure, a pre-accident plan and an all-encompassing safety program focused on mitigating risk from all sources. These safety initiatives, combined with the all important support of every Soldier in the unit, have enhanced combat power and preserved vital resources, according to 4th BCT Maintenance Officer CW4 Marc Assumpcao.

"The safety program has allowed our team to realize many successes during this deployment including 606,000 fatality-free miles driven, 10,662 maintenance jobs completed without severe injury or loss of limb and an overall Operational Readiness rate of 95 percent," Assumpcao said. "These statistics certainly speak for themselves and I know the Soldiers of the 121st are happy that their hard work and strong dedication to safety has not gone unnoticed."