FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Safety Office announced Friday that the command took home one Army-level and four Training and Doctrine Command-level safety awards for the 2019 fiscal year.
The winners include:
— Col. Kip Korth, 1st Engineer Brigade commander, who won the Army Individual Award of Excellence in Safety, Field Grade Commissioned Officer category, at both the TRADOC and the Army level. Korth was cited for consistently promoting the health and safety of Soldiers, with a proactive approach that incorporated safety into nearly all aspects of training. His efforts resulted in zero Class A or B accidents throughout the annual summer surge for a unit that trained nearly 12,000 Soldiers in 2019. Additionally, he oversaw several key accomplishments by the brigade during the same time period, including the graduation of the first female enlisted Soldier from the Sapper Leader Course, support for Engineer Regimental Week, support for ongoing training missions and subordinate-unit projects, participation by Soldiers in a clinical-testing program to mitigate permanent traumatic brain injuries, the opening of the new Sapper Rappel Tower and more.
“His safety competencies are what the Army expects leaders to have and employ,” Col. David Caldwell, MSCoE chief of staff, wrote about Korth in a letter nominating him for the award. “This is what the Army wants leaders to accomplish.”
— Spc. Raij Irvin, Combat Training Company, won the Individual Award of Excellence, Junior Enlisted category, for TRADOC. Irvin, an ammunition specialist and driver in the Ammunition Water Support Section of CTC, was cited for her handling of more than 100 ammunition deliveries without incident.
“This is noteworthy, considering that 82 percent of the other ammunition specialists are staff sergeants,” Irvin’s company commander, Capt. Siegfried Tiegs, wrote in his letter nominating her for the award.
Tiegs noted Irvin’s diligence in following all safety procedures, including loading, tie downs, vehicle compatibility, appropriate signage and safe-driving procedures – including driving over hazards along unpaved and pot-holed range roads.
“Irvin is an asset to the Ammunition Water Support Section and subsequently to the success of the TRADOC units conducting training that increases rigor and directly contributes to Army readiness,” Tiegs wrote.
— The 554th Engineer Battalion, Horizontal Skills Division, won the Industrial Operations Safety Award for TRADOC. The unit, which trains combat-ready Horizontal Construction Engineers, was cited for its 12-consecutive months without experiencing a Soldier or unit Class A or B accident. Among the factors contributing to its safety record were the unit’s safety policy, preoperational planning, job-hazard analysis, accident-prevention plan; the training, licensing and qualifications required for all heavy machine and vehicle operators, personal protective equipment, safety inspections, occupational health initiatives and safety incentives.
“(The HSD) is accident and incident free due to a comprehensive risk-management program with a safety culture implemented across all teams involved with the heavy equipment training mission,” said Lt. Col. John Beck, 554th Engineer Battalion commander, in his nominating letter. “The brigade organizational inspection program has validated the commitment to safety.”
— The 35th Engineer Battalion, Combat Engineer Skills Division won the Army Excellence in Explosive Safety Award for TRADOC. The unit was cited for its exemplary safety record. During the 2019 fiscal year alone, the battalion trained more than 3,500 new engineers, who detonated approximately 73,000 feet of detonation cord and more than 8,300 pounds of military grade explosives at Range 33 without a single safety incident.
“Training and safety is what we are all about,” said Lt. Col. Calvin Kroeger, 35th Engineer Battalion commander, in his nominating letter.
Kroeger noted that the CESD plans and executes the Urban Mobility Breaching Course, and regularly works with other elements on the installation to ensure current practices and safety measures are followed.
“There are no documented explosives-related accidents at Range 33 or with the CESD,” Kroeger said. “This accident-free status extends at least 10 years into the past with a course-load average of over 3,500 new Soldiers every year. This feat is a testament to the CESD’s commitment to risk and training management.”
According to the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center website, https://safety.army.mil, the Army Safety Awards Program is designed to recognize, promote and motivate success in accident prevention through risk management by recognizing the accomplishments in the field of safety by individuals and units.
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