JUNE 2001 SAFETY SUMMARY
Date Signed: 6/15/2007 | ALMARS Number: 031/01
ALMARS : 031/01
R 121600Z JUL 01
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS //N05000//
ALMAR 031/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/JUNE 2001 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1. DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2001, 5 ACTIVE DUTY MARINES
DIED DUE TO GROUND RELATED MISHAPS, 2 MARINES AND 1 SAILOR
DIED FROM SUSPECTED SUICIDES, AND 25 SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.
THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF
JUNE:
A. ON DUTY FATALITIES: FOURTEEN MARINES WERE IN A 15 PAX GOV
ENROUTE FROM CAX TO LAUGHLIN, NV WHEN IT ROLLED. TWO MARINES WERE
KILLED, 12 INJURED.
B. OFF DUTY FATALITIES:
1. CPL FROM MWSS-272 DIED AFTER HER VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER.
HER HUSBAND, THE DRIVER, ALSO DIED IN THE ACCIDENT.
2. SGT FROM 2D BN, 11TH MAR, 1ST MAR DIV, CAMPEN, CA DIED IN A
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.
3. SGT FROM VMGR-234, MAG-41 DIED AFTER HIS CAR OVERTURNED.
2. DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE, 13 MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN
ON DUTY GOVERNMENT AUTOMOBILE RELATED MISHAPS, AND 11 WERE INJURED
IN OFF DUTY PMV MISHAPS.
A. MISHAPS ON DUTY:
1. TWO RESERVE LCPLS FROM 4TH ANGLICO AND 4TH LAR WERE BURNED WHEN
A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THEIR LAV AFTER SEVERAL ROUNDS COOKED
OFF. ONE OF THE MARINES RECEIVED 3RD DEGREE BURNS OVER 65% OF HIS
BODY.
2. LCPL AND PFC FROM 2D TSB, 2D FSSG IN A HMMWV WERE CUT OFF BY
A CIVILIAN VEHICLE AND OVERTURNED. BOTH MARINES WERE WEARING KEVLAR
HELMETS, FLAK JACKETS AND SEAT BELTS. NEITHER RECEIVED SIGNIFICANT
INJURIES.
B. MISHAPS OFF DUTY: OF THE 11 OFF DUTY PMV MISHAPS, 6 INVOLVED
MOTORCYCLES.
1. A SSGT LOST CONTROL OF HIS MOTORCYCLE ON A WET ROAD, RESULTING
IN FOUR CRACKED RIBS AND A BROKEN LEFT COLLARBONE.
2. A PFC SKIDDED HIS MOTORCYCLE, RESULTING IN A BROKEN FEMUR.
3. A LCPL SUSTAINED MULTIPLE SPINAL INJURIES AND POSSIBLE
PARALYSIS FROM A MOTOR-CROSS MISHAP.
4. LCPL FROM HMLA-367 SUSTAINED MULTIPLE SPINAL INJURIES AND
POSSIBLE PARALYSIS IN A MOTOR-CROSS MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT.
5. SGT FROM MALS-26, MAG-26 WAS INJURED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT AS
HE ATTEMPTED TO AVOID A VEHICLE THAT PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF HIM.
THE SGT SUSTAINED MULTIPLE INJURIES, AND HIS CONDITION IS GRAVE.
C. AVIATION:
1. A CH-53E FROM HMH-464, MAG 16, DEVELOPED FLIGHT CONTROL PROBLEMS
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF. AIRCREW PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING WITH
THE GEAR RAISED, RESULTING IN A CLASS C FLIGHT MISHAP. NO INJURIES.
2. HMH-772, MAG-49, 4TH MAW DURING CAX, A CH-53E WAS LIFTING A HMMWV
EXTERNALLY WHEN IT WAS INADVERTANTLY JETTISIONED. CLASS C FRM.
3. MIXED NEWS:
A. LAST YEAR DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE, SIX MARINES DIED IN OFF DUTY
MISHAPS. THREE DIED IN PMV CRASHES, ONE IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT,
AND TWO IN PEDESTRIAN MISHAPS. THIS YEAR, NINE ACTIVE DUTY MARINES
DIED IN JUNE, INCLUDING THREE SUICIDES.
B. FOR THE FIRST NINE MONTHS OF FY01, 51 MARINES HAVE DIED IN ON AND
OFF DUTY MISHAPS. LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, 86 MARINES HAD DIED.
THIS IS A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.
C. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE UTILIZE AND UNDERSTAND OPERATIONAL RISK
MANAGEMENT. IF YOU ALREADY USE IT, CONTINUE TO REFINE IT FOR
YOURSELF, YOUR UNIT AND YOUR CORPS. IN A THREE WEEK PERIOD, WE HAVE
LOST FIVE MARINES IN TWO SEPARATE 15 PAX VAN ACCIDENTS. THE FIRST
INCIDENT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF TWO AMERICAN MARINES. THE SECOND
CLAIMED THE LIVES OF THREE MARINES FROM THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS MARINE
CORPS. THERE ARE KNOWN RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH 15 PAX VANS. USING
EXPERIENCED DRIVERS, OBEYING POSTED SPEED LIMITS AND ENSURING ALL
OCCUPANTS WEAR THEIR SEATBELTS WILL DECREASE THE ODDS OF AN
ACCIDENT, AND IN THE EVENT OF ONE, INCREASE YOUR ODDS OF SURVIVAL.
D. FY01 CONTINUES TO BE A DISAPPOINTING YEAR FOR ON DUTY GROUND
MISHAPS. IN ADDITION TO THE TWO 15 PAX VAN ACCIDENTS, WE LOST AN LAV
WHEN IT SANK DURING A RIVER CROSSING. FORTUNATELY, THE MARINES
ABOARD GOT OUT. WE WERE NOT SO LUCKY WITH AN LAV MORTAR VARIANT
ABOARD MCB QUANTICO WHICH CAUGHT FIRE AND NUMEROUS MORTAR ROUNDS
COOKED OFF. ONE LCPL WAS SEVERELY BURNED OVER 65% OF HIS BODY.
E. WHAT WE DO AS MARINES IS OFTEN HAZARDOUS. EACH OF US MUST
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAKING A PRUDENT RISK, GAMBLING,
AND APATHY WHICH AMOUNTS TO NEGLIGENCE. IF THE PRUDENT RISK TAKEN IS
WRONG, YOU CAN RECOVER FROM IT. IF THE GAMBLE GOES WRONG, YOU
PROBABLY CAN'T. IF WE ARE SO APATHETIC THAT WE DO NEITHER OF THESE
TWO, WE ARE ACCOUNTABLY NEGLIGENT. UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS INVOLVED
WITH THE MISSION AND TAKING STEPS TO MINIMIZE THEM CAN SAVE YOUR
LIFE.
4. COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
5. SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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