FORT NOVOSEL, Ala. — Spring and summer are always popular travel times for Soldiers, Army civilians and their families. With these warmer-weather seasons on the horizon, many have already planned trips full of sun, swimming, boating and motorcycle rides. Before loading the car and hitting the road, these travelers must also remember to pack their risk management skills to ensure their vacation ends safely.
Spring and summer are the Army’s deadliest times of year for mishaps, both on and off duty. From FY19 to FY23, the Army lost an average of 84 Soldiers each year in off-duty mishaps. That’s over three times the number of Soldiers lost to on-duty mishaps, and it’s devastating to our Army. To mitigate risk and heighten awareness, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center (USACRC) releases a seasonal summer safety campaign to help augment safety programs units already have in place.
The campaign, launching in March and running through September, will focus on heat illness, motorcycle/vehicle safety, water-related activities and much more. The content is designed to help mitigate risk during the spring and summer seasons.
“We are excited to provide this valuable tool to assist Army leaders and safety professionals with their efforts to keep Soldiers, family members and civilians safe,” said Brig. Gen. Jonathan C. Byrom, USACRC commanding general and director of Army Safety. “We call on leaders at all levels to take advantage of this campaign to relay the importance of risk mitigation, off duty as well as on duty, for their Soldiers as we move into the spring and summer months.”
Many of the spring and summer fatal mishaps occur in vehicles, holding true for both on and off duty. This year’s heat illness/summer safety campaign products address this and many other topics and are designed to complement the updated 2024 Off-Duty Safety Awareness Presentation (ODSAP). The theme for this year’s summer campaign is “Spring into Summer – without MISHAPS!”
First-line leaders and safety professionals should be positive role models in getting these tools out to Soldiers now to remind them of the risks before they encounter them, Byrom said. “We are relying on NCOs and unit safety personnel to make their Soldiers aware of these seasonal hazards and how to best mitigate the risks they face.”
The heat illness/summer safety campaign is available at https://safety.army.mil/summer-safety. Additional materials will be added periodically to the campaign site through September at https://safety.army.mil and the organization’s social media platforms Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
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