ANSBACH, Germany (June 23, 2014) -- U.S. Army Garrisons Schweinfurt and Bamberg have both earned the Army Safety Excellence Streamer award, along with all three Headquarters and Headquarters Detachments from USAGs Schweinfurt, Bamberg and Ansbach.
According to E.J. Singleton, Franconia safety manager, the Army Safety Streamers may be awarded to Army detachments, battalions, brigades and divisions that complete 12 consecutive months without experiencing a Soldier/unit at fault of Class A or B accidents, have 100 percent completion of risk management training by assigned personnel and have completed the Army Readiness Assessment Program within the last 24 months at the time of submission.
"I am proud of the Soldiers, men and women of FMC and their commitment to safety," said Col. Christopher M. Benson, commander of USAG Ansbach and the FMC. "Although I am the FMC safety officer, safety truly begins with each and every member of FMC managing risk on and off the job."
"The streamer will be displayed proudly," said Lt. Col. Michelle L. Bienias, USAG Bamberg commander.
"We are proud of the achievement," said Brian Atkins, garrison manager for USAG Schweinfurt.
"Soldiers assigned to Ansbach are among the best I have had the privilege to command, and this achievement just proves it," said Capt. Chris Meserve, commander of HHD, USAG Ansbach.
Because USAGs Schweinfurt and Bamberg are closing, personnel at both locations have had to keep safety the priority while contending with an added set of challenges that were part of the closure mission. These challenges included the availability of resources to support PCSing personnel, preparing facilities for closure, transferring equipment and assets, and executing the closure administrative workload. Yet, the team of Bamberg and Schweinfurt -- with some help from Ansbach -- is meeting the challenges while earning safety awards in the process.
One of the keys to success for safety during installation closure is risk management.
"Risk management is the cornerstone of our closing operation and it has helped us to meet the numerous challenges of closing the military installations," Benson. "The risk assessment process has been the lens which we have filtered our decisions with priority given to life, health and safety issues."
Risk management is a tool that has proven its effectiveness in combat, corporate boardrooms and day-to-day decision-making.
"Risk management must be instilled into the minds of Soldiers and employees deciding how to perform their daily tasks, in the decision-making of NCOs and shop foremen planning work schedules, in the leadership of directors and special staff officers prioritizing and allocating resources, and in the carefully chosen questions immediate supervisors ask their personnel before departing on an extended holiday weekend, leave, or PCSing," Benson said.
USAG Schweinfurt and Bamberg have both used risk management to their advantage. Risk management is imbued in everything they do and he has paid dividends for the respective garrisons and their communities. The installations are on target to close and have maintained a high quality of life for assigned personnel throughout the draw-down process.
Benson said that's why it came as no surprise that USAG Bamberg and Schweinfurt received the recognition.
Social Sharing