Summer, almost upon us, is the longest vacation period of the year, with an increase in people out enjoying sunshine and warm weather, swimming, boating, playing and traveling — there’s a lot going on for Soldiers and their families between April and September.
Unfortunately, spring and summer (essentially the third and fourth quarters) are the deadliest time of year for Army mishaps, both on and off duty. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center released a seasonal communications campaign to heighten awareness of the hazards and help leaders and Soldiers mitigate their risk, whatever their mission or personal plans.
“This campaign is a valuable addition to risk management toolkits for leaders, safety professionals and individual Soldiers,” said Brig. Gen. Andrew C. Hilmes, USACRC commanding general and director of Army Safety. “Between additional training time on duty and more leisure travel off duty, the Army’s risk profile naturally rises with the temperature between winter, the start of spring and throughout summer.”
The vast majority of fatal mishaps occur in vehicles, holding true for both on and off duty.
This year’s heat illness/summer safety campaign addresses this and other topics, designed to complement the updated Off Duty Safety Awareness Presentation, released last week, and third-quarter spike tactical vehicle safety campaign, which will be available later this month.
“Getting these messages out now reminds Soldiers of the risks before they have a chance to encounter them,” said USACRC Command Sgt. Maj. James Light. “It’s a proactive way to ensure safety doesn’t get lost in the rush to enjoy their off-duty time. Leaders have a personal responsibility to be a positive role model,” he said. “They should live safety, not just talk about it. These campaigns are our effort to make everyone aware of the hazards and enable informed decision-making regardless of activity.”
The heat illness/summer safety campaign is available at https://safety.army.mil/MEDIA/Seasonal-Safety-Campaigns/Spring-Summer-Safety-2022. Additional materials will be added periodically to the campaign site through August. The third-quarter spike tactical vehicle safety campaign, ODSAP, and other risk management tools are available at https://safety.army.mil.
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