P 081615Z JAN 01  ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS  //N05000//
ALMAR 002/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/CMC//
SUBJ/MISHAP FATALITY AND INJURY SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER 2000//
POC/LEIF R LARSEN/COL/DIR SAFETY DIVISION/CMC/SD
/TEL:DSN 224-1202/1077/TEL:COMM (703) 614-1202//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2000, TEN MARINES DIED DUE
TO MISHAPS, TEN OTHERS SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES, AND TWO DIED
FROM SUSPECTED SUICIDE.  THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF OUR
CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER:
A.  FATALITIES:
   1.  LCPL FROM 3/6, 2D MARDIV, DEPLOYED TO FORT A.P. HILL, DIED
WHEN HE SUSTAINED AN 81MM MORTAR SHRAPNEL WOUND TO THE CHEST.
   2.  LCPL FROM 1ST TANKS, 1ST MARDIV, WAS ON WORKING PARTY AT
MCAGCC, 29 PALMS, AS PART OF RANGE MAINTENANCE DIRECTED BY OPERATIONS
AND TRAINING DIRECTORATE, MCAGCC.  WHILE LIFTING A TELEPHONE POLE
SIZED LOG, SNM WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD BY THE LOG WHEN IT WAS DROPPED.
SNM DIED FROM MULTIPLE SKULL FRACTURES.
   3.  LCPL FROM 1/3, 3D MARDIV, ON A THREE-MILE BN RUN, FELL OUT
500 METERS FROM THE FINISH.  SNM WAS MEDEVACED TO BAS AND WENT INTO
CARDIAC ARREST.  SNM DIED AT HOSPITAL.
   4.  LCPL FROM 1ST FAST, MCSFBN, WAS ONE OF TWO MARINE PASSENGERS
IN A POV OPERATED BY A CIVILIAN.  THE DRIVER DEPARTED THE HIGHWAY AT
A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.  LCPL NOT WEARING A SEATBELT, SUFFERED
MULTIPLE TRAUMATIC INJURIES, AND DIED ON THE SCENE.  THE SECOND
MARINE PASSENGER AND THE CIVILIAN DRIVER, BOTH WEARING SEATBELTS,
WERE TREATED AND RELEASED.
   5.  LCPL FROM 2D SUPPLY BN, 2D FSSG, WAS ON LEAVE, WHEN THE
VEHICLE IN WHICH SHE WAS TRAVELING COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH ANOTHER
VEHICLE.  SNM DIED AT THE HOSPITAL.
   6.  PFC FROM 2D AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT BN, 2D MARDIV, LOST CONTROL OF
HIS VEHICLE AND STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE.  SNM WAS WEARING HIS
SEATBELT.  NO INDICATION OF ALCOHOL.  SNM DIED OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN
INJURY.
   7.  MV-22B FROM VMMT-204, 2D MAW, CRASHED 6NM NE OF MCAS NEW
RIVER, NC.  FOUR FATALITIES.  CLASS A FLIGHT MISHAP.
   8.  RESERVE CPL FROM B CO, 1ST BN, 23D MARINES, 4TH MARDIV, NOT
ON ACTIVE DUTY STATUS, WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER IN A SINGLE VEHICLE
ACCIDENT.  THE CIVILIAN DRIVER LOST CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE COLLIDED
WITH A TREE.  THERE WERE FOUR PASSENGERS.  ONLY TWO SURVIVED.  SNM
DIED OF MULTIPLE TRAUMAS.
B.  SERIOUS INJURIES:
   1.  RECRUIT FROM K CO, 3D RTBN, WAS EVACUATED FROM A FIVE MILE
HIKE IN 31 AREA, EDSON RANGE, MCB CAMP PENDLETON, WITH HYPONATREMIA
(ABNORMALLY LOW SODIUM CONTENT IN BLOOD).  HE WAS TREATED AND
RELEASED BUT LATER COLLAPSED IN SQUAD BAY.  SNR ON LIMITED DUTY
PENDING PHYSICAL EVALUATION BOARD.
   2.  CPL FROM HMX-1 WAS A PASSENGER IN A CAR.  THE DRIVER FELL
ASLEEP; THE CAR HIT THE GUARD RAIL AND FLIPPED.  SNM WAS THROWN FROM
VEHICLE.  SNM HAS HEAD TRAUMA, ALTERED LEVEL CONSCIOUSNESS, FACIAL
LACERATIONS, FOOT FRACTURE, AND NECK COMPRESSION FRACTURES.  SNM IS
ON CONVALESANT LEAVE.
   3.  CPL FROM 4TH LAAD BN, MACG-48, 4TH MAW, WAS DRIVING HIS POV
TO WORK, IN LIGHT RAIN CONDITIONS.  SNM SLOWED UPON ENTERING A CURVE.
SNM LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE.  THE VEHICLE SLID, HIT THE EMBANKMENT
AND ROLLED DOWN A 15-FOOT RAVINE.  SNM EXTRICATED SELF FROM VEHICLE
AND WAS TREATED FOR HEAD INJURIES AND ADMITTED OVERNIGHT FOR
OBSERVATION.
   4.  CPL FROM RSS BILLINGS, LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE WHILE
ATTEMPTING TO PASS A SEMI-TRAILER TRUCK.  HE BOUNCED OFF THE MEDIAN
AND HIS VEHICLE WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER SEMI.  SNM WAS WEARING SEAT
BELT.  SNM WAS RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL AND IS ON CONVALESANT LEAVE.
SNM IS A RESERVIST ON 179-DAY EAD.
   5.  TWO LCPLS FROM 1/12, AND A CIVILIAN, WERE TRAVELING AT A HIGH
RATE OF SPEED WHEN THEIR VEHICLE ROLLED.  LCPL #1 WAS DRIVING AND
WEARING A SEATBELT.  LCPL #2 AND THE CIVILIAN WERE NOT WEARING
SEATBELTS AND WERE THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE.  LCPL #1 IS CONSCIOUS IN
SERIOUS CONDITION SUFFERING FROM SEVERE HEAD TRAUMA.  LCPL #2 IS
UNCONSCIOUS AND IN CRITICAL CONDITION WITH SEVERE HEAD INJURIES.
   6.  RESERVE LCPL AND PFC FROM 6TH COMM BN, MFR, WERE OPERATING A
HMMWV FOR A TOYS-FOR-TOTS PICKUP IN BROOKLYN.  THE VICTIM, A 75 YEAR
OLD FEMALE CIVILIAN, WAS CROSSING THE STREET WHILE THE HMMWV WAS
MAKING A LEFT TURN.  HMMWV STRUCK THE CIVILIAN.  THE DRIVER
ADMINISTERED FIRST AID AND CALLED 911.  VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED TO
HOSPITAL.  THE INITIAL CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS PEDESTRIAN ERROR.
VICTIM REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION.  MARINES WERE NOT INJURED.
   7.  DURING THE SECOND DAY OF THE CRUCIBLE, RECRUIT FROM MCRD WRR
SAN DIEGO, WAS ENGAGED IN A PUGIL STICK BOUT WHEN HE WAS STRUCK IN
THE HEAD.  SNR'S NOSE STARTED TO BLEED.  SNR WAS BEING TREATED BY A
CORPSMAN WHEN HE LOST CONSCIOUSNESS AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL
VIA LIFE FLIGHT.  SNR WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CONCUSSION (HAS A PAST
HISTORY OF CONCUSSIONS).  RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL.  REMAINS AT MCRD ON
LIGHT DUTY.
   8.  SGT FROM SOI, CAMP GEIGER, AND HIS FAMILY WERE ON LEAVE
VISITING FAMILY MEMBERS.  SNM AND FAMILY WERE INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE
ACCIDENT.  SGT'S WIFE AND SON DIED IN THE ACCIDENT.  SNM RELEASED
FROM INTENSIVE CARE AND ON CONVALESCENT LEAVE.
   9.  LTCOL FROM 10TH MARINES, 2D MARDIV, WAS CRITICALLY INJURED IN
A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT WHEN HIS MOTORCYCLE CRASHED.  SNO IS
UNCONSCIOUS, ON A VENTILATOR, IN INTENSIVE CARE, IN STABLE BUT
CRITICAL CONDITION.
   10.  LCPL FROM 1/25, 4TH MARDIV, HIT A TELEPHONE POLE AFTER
SKIDDING ON A PATCH OF ICE ENROUTE TO DRILL.  SNM SUFFERED A SEVERE
HEAD INJURY AND IS IN A COMA, ON A VENTILATOR.  CONDITION IS SERIOUS.
SNM NOT EXPECTED TO RETURN TO ACTIVE DUTY.
   11.  LCPL FROM H&HS, MCAS YUMA, WHILE ON PTAD TO RSS GREAT FALLS,
MT, WAS THE VICTIM OF A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT.  SNM'S LEFT LEG WAS
SURGICALLY AMPUTATED ABOVE THE KNEE.  THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF
PARTIAL AMPUTATION OF THE RIGHT LEG, BOTH DUE TO INFECTION.  HE IS
CURRENTLY IN THE HOSPITAL, CONDITION IS STABLE.
C.  SUSPECTED SUICIDES:
   1.  MSGT FROM H&S SQDN, MCAS CHERRY PT, WAS FOUND IN BARRACKS
ROOM DEAD FROM SELF-INFLICTED GUN SHOT WOUND TO THE CHEST.
   2.  PVT FROM MWSS 373, MWSG, 3D MAW, MCAS MIRAMAR, WAS ON
APPELLATE LEAVE WHEN HE ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED SUICIDE WITH A GUN.  THE
INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
D.  GOOD NEWS.  SEAT BELTS DO SAVE LIVES.  THIS MONTH ALONE, THREE
MARINES SURVIVED VEHICLE MISHAPS BECAUSE THEY WERE WEARING A SEAT
BELT.  THE DECISION TO WEAR A SEAT BELT, AND TO INSIST THAT ALL
PASSENGERS IN YOUR VEHICLE WEAR A SEAT BELT, IS A MATTER OF LIFE OR
DEATH.
E.  LAST YEAR, THIRTEEN MARINES DIED IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER: SEVEN
DIED IN AN AVIATION MISHAP, ONE DIED IN AN ON DUTY MISHAP AND FIVE
DIED IN PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE (PMV) MISHAPS.  THIS YEAR, TEN MARINES
DIED IN DECEMBER: FOUR DIED IN AN AVIATION MISHAP, THREE DIED IN
SEPARATE ON DUTY MISHAPS AND THREE DIED IN PMV MISHAPS.
2.  ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A MODEST DECREASE IN PMV MISHAPS THIS
MONTH AND THUS FAR IN FYO1, THE HIGHWAY CONTINUES TO BE THE GREATEST
RISK TO OUR MARINES.  THERE IS NO SILVER BULLET TO REDUCING PMV
MISHAPS.  MARINES MUST BE ALERT, FOCUSED, WELL TRAINED AND READY TO
FOLLOW THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES
WHENEVER THEY PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH ANY MISSION OR TRAINING EXERCISE.
THE SAME IS TRUE ON THE HIGHWAY.  ADHERING TO SPEED LIMITS, BEING
WELL RESTED AND FREE OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS AND WEARING A SEAT BELT,
ARE ALL CONTROLS THAT MUST BE USED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BEING
INVOLVED IN AND SERIOUSLY INJURED IN, A PMV MISHAP.
3.  ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS, MORE
PEOPLE DIE IN JANUARY THAN ANY OTHER MONTH.  TAKE STEPS TODAY TO
ENSURE THAT YOU AND YOUR MARINES DO NOT BECOME STATISTICS IN THE NEW
YEAR.
4.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR AND
THAT EVERY MARINE IS WELL BRIEFED AND READY FOR THE RISKS THEY WILL
ENCOUNTER DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF THE FY.  CONTINUE TO STRESS
OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT, BOTH ON AND OFF DUTY, AND PARTICULARLY
ON THE HIGHWAY.
5.   SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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