FORT RUCKER, Ala. (April 30, 2019) - The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center recently launched the 2019 Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation to help Soldiers mitigate or eliminate off-duty risks.
This year's ODSAP is themed "The Accident Zone" and utilizes depictions of everyday hazards to emphasize the deadly consequences of risky behaviors, involving alcohol, indiscipline, poor planning and more.
Now in its 12th year, ODSAP was originally developed to address an increase in fatal off-duty mishaps. Tragically, the Army lost an average of 89 Soldiers each year to off-duty mishaps from fiscal 2014-18; and while there is an overall decline in off-duty mishaps, the number of Soldiers lost annually is substantial.
"The Army has lost Soldiers to off-duty mishaps at a rate of over three times the number of Soldiers lost to on-duty mishaps," said USACRC Command Sgt. Maj. Ernest D. Bowen Jr. "If Soldiers continue to take unacceptable risks in off-duty activities, we predict a loss of 94 Soldiers in fiscal 2019. That's a pretty powerful visual when you consider these mishaps are preventable."
Leaders can utilize ODSAP as a complete briefing kit or modify it to reflect needs within their formations. The package includes embedded videos, slides and speaker notes that highlight hazards associated with routine off-duty activities like driving, handling privately owned weapons and participating in recreational activities.
"This exportable briefing provides leaders with a basis from which to begin frank and objective discussions with their subordinates for the purpose of identifying high-risk activities our Soldiers tend to participate in over the summer months." said Brig. Gen. Timothy J. Daugherty, commanding general, USACRC and director of Army Safety. "Risk management is not only an on-duty process."
Daugherty added that every Soldier is responsible for mishap prevention.
"It's our mission to assist leaders in making their Soldiers aware of the off-duty hazards they face and to let them know there are tools, techniques and practices available to mitigate those hazards."
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