The Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 1HBCT, Third Infantry Division stand in a horseshoe formation Aug. 26. Although the sun has quite some time before it reaches its zenith, the air is sultry as Coastal Georgia transitions from summer to fall. But the Soldiers stand there all the same, in the middle of their well-kept motor pool. Finally, they are called to attention and with a loud and thunderous boom that rivals their largest artillery shell they yell, "Glory's Guns, Sir!"

One may think they are fired up for a training exercise, or they just heard about a four day weekend. But lo, these Soldiers are shaking the very earth with their voices for a safety stand down day.

"The safety stand down was actually really good training," said Spc. Christopher Omeara, Battery A, 1/41. "I've been in the Army for four years and this is the first post that has actually done one. A formal safety stand down day, that is. I felt like it really went over the core things that we, as Soldiers, tend to forget. We tend to think that we are more indestructible than we actually are. We learned about boating safety, how to properly use a fire extinguisher in a practical scenario and also had a class on the damaging effects of drunk driving."

The morning was spent extinguishing fires, demonstrating the proper Personal Protective Equipment for motorcycles, the harsh realities of drunk driving and what a Soldier needs to boat safely. After lunch, they went to Moon Theater for a class on Spice and a presentation from Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

"Our Soldiers are our most valuable commodity, and by highlighting the issues and challenges that are most likely to threaten the Soldiers, we preserve our combat power and we help take care of them," said Lt. Col. Thomas Hawn, 1/41 commander. "With every operation we do a composite risk management and risk assessment; we pay a lot of attention to safety when we are in the field. But when it comes to off-duty time and a Soldier's personal time, a Soldier is responsible for his own safety. We can manage the risks that exist in operations to a degree, but Soldiers have to manage the risks that he or she takes on. By having a safety day, where Soldiers are engaged and interested, we raise awareness of what risks are out there."

Every Soldier has a veritable toolbox filled with the necessary tools to stay safe. But for Hawn, one is the most important.

"Have a plan, and think," Lt. Col Hawn said. "That's the best tool that we have for safety- our brain. If Soldiers thought about the consequences and thought about the risk before going out on a Friday night, then 99 percent of the incidents I see would not occur. If you're waiting until after you do something and your judgments are potentially impaired by alcohol then you're not leveraging your brain. That's the fundamental, most critical thing we can do to be safe."

The MADD representative, Gale Brown, took to the stage in the afternoon and a hush fell over the crowd instantly as a picture of a 14-year-old boy was projected onto the screen next to her.

"I feel that talking about my son is therapy," she said. "It keeps me in touch with him, and that's something a parent never needs to lose sight of. You can't push a child in the background, as long as he's kept front and center with the rest of your family it's therapy to speak about him."

A drunk driver killed her son, and she spoke to the Soldiers of 1/41 Field Artillery about the harsh realities of drunk driving and who they affect.

"Honestly, I feel like it's really going to hit home for the people that think- 'yeah, I've had a little too much, but I can still drive'," said Spc. Omeara. "It was such a heartbreaking story that I believe they are going to think twice about it. No one wants to be that guy that has it on their conscience for the rest of his life."

Brown was effervescent in her speech, contrasting starkly with the subject. Every Soldier listened in rapt attention at what most would consider a hard tale to tell.

"To relive the loss of your child time and time again," said Lt. Col. Hawn. "I know that she said it was therapy for her, but to go through that and to share the joy of being a parent and the pain of losing a child. And to put a face on the effects and the potential impact of drunk driving is valuable. If it just reaches one Soldier it is worth it. But, if it didn't affect you in that audience you need your heart examined. Here's a young man pulled from life before he even had the opportunity to be a man, but had a drunk driver not only take everything from him at that time, but also everything he would ever be."

The 1/41 Soldiers left the theater some time later, their weekend before them. As they filtered to their cars or barracks, it would be impossible to say that they didn't think at least twice about their plans. The sun sets in the west, trailing across the United States, marking the start of the weekend. As the division disseminates their Marne Pride pledge to units, a new 'commonplace' is coming about. There's a new typical weekend, and it involves Soldiers being more safe and thinking twice about the consequences of their actions.