FORT CARSON, Colo. - The Thursday before the Indigneous Peoples’ Day four-day holiday weekend is 1st Space Brigade’s annual Safety Day - an informative, informal morning filled with booths and displays designed to keep Soldiers and their loved ones safe. With potentially dangerous cold weather right around the corner, and a long holiday weekend in sight, the brigade chooses this day every year to address common safety issues.
Booths and displays ranging from household electrical safety, to outdoor winter preparedness, to the dangers of alcohol dotted Iron Mountain Park amidst a backdrop of autumn colors on a beautiful fall day.
Col. Donald K. Brooks, commander of 1st Space Brigade, reflected on what the event meant to him.
“Fatalities in the Army have increased from last year, not just with simple mishaps, but with suicide as well,” Brooks said. “Today is a day to reflect on that and remember those that have gone before us to make sure we are doing the things on and off duty to take care of ourselves and our brothers and sisters in arms as well as our families.”
One of the more moving displays was a completely totaled car from an accident years back involving a specialist that chose to drink and drive and killed two of his Soldiers in the accident.
“Soldiers seeing something like that up close - that has an impact on other Soldiers,” said Capt. Chris Gramling of 1st Space Brigade. “It makes it a lot more real than just hearing about it. So to have a day where you get to see the dangers of what a night of drinking can do if you choose to drive, will hopefully deter that next Soldier from ruining not only his career, but his life.”
Private 1st Class Nathaniel Jones of 1st Space Brigade, said the event was informative, especially the electrical safety booth.
“It (the booth) just gives you a better understanding of the potential hazards that are all around you,” he said. “Days like today teach you to not sweat the small stuff.”
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