FORT BRAGG, N.C. --National Safety Month kicks off just as summer begins and with many Soldiers preparing to take some time off to enjoy warm-weather activities with their friends and Families, there are inherent dangers that go along with these.
According to studies conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), motor vehicle accidents, firearm misuse, and alcohol are in the top 10 leading causes of preventable deaths in the U.S.
Bonfires, going to beaches or pools, driving long distances, and attending parties where alcohol is consumed, can also be recipes for disaster, if certain precautions and safety measures are not taken.
"The summer months are a time to be with friends and family, taking the opportunity to relax, travel, and enjoy water sports and barbecues," said the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Ash Carter. "It's a chance to enjoy a break, and recharge for the challenges and opportunities ahead."
Although this season usually means higher temperatures and therefore more fun outdoor activities, it also means the risk of loss of life is also higher.
"Last summer, we lost 71 service members, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, due to a variety of fatal accidents, with the preponderance of mishaps related to private motor vehicles or water sports," Carter said. "Many of these incidents could have been prevented with more aggressive trip planning to reduce fatigue, adherence to proper personal protective equipment standards, or a more moderated use of alcohol."
Soldiers are constantly reminded during weekly safety briefs, prior to every weekend or vacation, of the standard safety concerns from the command; "don't do drugs, don't drink and drive, etc." These safety briefs are held to benefit the Soldier and his/her family, because statistically, it reduces the number of incidents.
"Our people are our greatest asset and we must encourage them to treat safety as an imperative and to manage properly or eliminate circumstances where they or others are put at risk," Carter noted. "Please remind your team members about the importance of exercising good judgment and looking out for one another so that we can ensure that summer is a safe and happy time for all. We must give our best efforts to keep our military and civilian personnel and their families safe."
According to Powell Parks, U.S. Army Special Operations Command Safety Director, Soldiers within USASOC tend to have a very active role in many outdoor activities, and inherently higher risks.
"Despite the fact that a number of high-risk training events occur within the command on an almost daily basis without incident; we lose more Soldiers in off-duty activities like POV (Privately Owned Vehicles) and motorcycle accidents than in on-duty accidents. POV and motorcycle fatalities are, coincidently, the major issue for the rest of the Army," Parks said. "Additionally, our Soldiers and civilians maintain a high level of participation in off-duty high-risk activities such as; sport parachuting, diving, off-road vehicle activities (ATV, and off-road motorcycle), and other off-duty activities that a similar-sized Army command may not typically experience."
Due to a large number of service members lost to POV and motorcycle accidents, safety has become an increasing concern throughout Army commands.
"After nearly a decade of steady decline, on- and off-duty fatalities are on the rise across the Total Force. Soldiers and Army Civilians at every level must increase their awareness of safety issues, and apply measures to minimize both on- and off-duty accidents," read a statement authored by Sgt. Maj. Daniel A. Dailey, Sergeant Major of the Army; Gen. Mark A. Milley, U.S. Army Chief of Staff; Eric K. Fanning, Secretary of the Army, regarding 2016 National Safety Month.
In response to the rising number of preventable fatalities occurring during the summer months, leaders across the Army are focusing more and more on safety.
"Commanders are more attuned today to the benefits of a positive unit safety culture, and have come to understand that safety is a force multiplier," Parks said. "Having full-time civilian safety professionals at the 0-6 command level provides that command, and the commander access to a safety subject-matter-expert whose sole responsibility is that command's safety programs."
"Before we had our civilian safety professionals, the 0-6 command safety officer was just another additional duty position, which meant that safety had to compete with a Soldier's full time job plus any other additional duties he/she was responsible for managing," Parks continued.
Although the benefits of a dedicated safety officer at the command level has had a notably positive outcome for USASOC, many other commands and units throughout the Army still consider it an "additional duty" for assigned Soldiers.
"Unfortunately, it is still that way at the Battalion and Company level, however those additional duty safety officers have ready access to the full time safety professional at the brigade or Group levels," Parks said. "To their credit, (many) Aviation units "broke the code" on unit safety officers some time ago, and now have Soldiers within their commands that are tracked and coded as full-time safety officers."
USASOC's implementation of summer safety measures has been successful in reducing overall accidents and increasing individual awareness by disseminating information through various different channels in order to reach Soldiers at any level.
"We try to keep USASOC personnel informed of safety issues by promoting the Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center's annual Summer Safety Program that includes media, articles, posters, and videos that provide the units with numerous products to promote summer safety initiatives," Parks remarked.
"Internally, we address summer safety to personnel early in the year through articles in our quarterly safety newsletters, and provide summer PSA (public service announcement) notices via the electronic signage adjacent to the USASOC Headquarters."
Fundamentally, it is agreed that the best way to combat preventable fatalities and reduce accidents, is by timely, effective communication.
"A key component to reduce injuries and loss of life is to communicate relevant risk management information from leaders to our Soldiers, Civilians, and Families," concluded the note from Dailey, Milley, and Fanning. "We are confident that an engagement strategy, coupled with proactive and adaptive risk management measures, ensures safety and buttresses overall readiness for the total Army team. Army Safe is Army Strong."
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