R 161015Z JAN 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 004/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/DECEMBER 2002 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2002, 14 MARINES DIED IN
ON- AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS, 2 MARINES DIED IN APPARENT SUICIDES,
AND 10 MARINES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.  THE FOLLOWING IS A
SUMMARY OF OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2002:
A.  FATALITIES
(1) FOUR MARINES DIED IN ON-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  
A SGT FROM 2ND TSB, DRIVING HIS POV, DIED AFTER A HEAD-ON COLLISON
WITH A 7-TON TRUCK ABOARD BASE.  A RECRUIT FROM C CO, 1ST BN, MCRD
SAN DIEGO DIED WHILE IN THE HOSPITAL AFTER EXPERIENCING CHEST PAINS
DURING SWIM TRAINING.  A CPL FROM HMM-166, LAST SEEN WASHING AN AV-8
ABOARD SHIP, WAS LOST AT SEA AFTER FALLING OVERBOARD.  A LTCOL (USMCR)
PARTICIPATING IN A UNIT EXERCISE DIED FROM HEART FAILURE DURING THE
EXERCISE.
(2) TEN MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  SEVEN OF THE
NINE DEATHS INVOLVED AUTOMOBILES, AND ANOTHER TWO WERE
ATTRIBUTED TO MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS.  THESE MISHAPS COULD HAVE
BEEN PREVENTED.  SPEED, FATIGUE, AND A LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MANY OF THE MISHAPS.  A CPL FROM
2D LAR BN SPEEDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO PASS
ANOTHER VEHICLE, BEFORE DITCHING HIS VEHCILE AND HITTING NUMEROUS
TREES. SPEED AND A FAILURE TO WEAR HIS SEATBELT WERE CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS.  A PFC FROM 3D BN, 4TH MAR 'TRAVELING ALONE' WENT OFF THE
ROAD IN HIS POV FOR NO APPARENT REASON.  HE DIED OF INJURIES SUSTAINED
IN THE CRASH. ALCOHOL (BAC OF 0.16) AND FATIGUE WERE CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS.  A PVT ON LV ENROUTE TO MOTOR TRANSPORT SCHOOL, CROSSED THE
MEDIAN AND COLLIDED HEAD-ON WITH A VEHICLE TRAVELING IN THE OPPOSITE
DIRECTION.  FATIGUE WAS A CONTIBUTING FACTOR TO HIS DEATH AND THE
DEATH OF THE TWO UNSUSPECTING CIVILIANS OCCUPYING THE OTHER VEHICLE.
ANOTHER PVT, ALSO FROM MARDET FT LEONARD WOOD FELL ASLEEP WHILE
DRIVING ALONE AND DRIFTED OFF THE ROAD.  HE AWOKE, OVERCORRECTED AND
ROLLED HIS VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES.  HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD ON THE
SCENE.  AGAIN FATIGUE WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.  TWO LCPLS FROM 1ST
BN, 6TH MAR, REPORTEDLY, ONE QUARTER MILE FROM THEIR DESTINATION NEVER
MADE IT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.  THEY FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A TURN,
STRUCK A TREE THAT CAUSED THEIR VEHICLE TO EXPLODE.  SPEED, FATIGUE,
OR BOTH WERE THE LIKELY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.  DRIVING FATIGUED MAKES
YOU A DANGER TO YOURSELF AS WELL AS OTHERS.  ANOTHER TWO MARINES DIED
IN SEPARATE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.  A GYSGT FROM 7TH MAR WAS STRUCK
FROM THE REAR BY A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY A NAVY CORPSMAN, KILLING HIM
INSTANTLY.  A CPL FROM 3D BN, 10 MAR WAS ALSO STRUCK AND KILLED WHILE
RIDING A MOTORCYCLE.  AND FINALLY, A LCPL FROM VMFA(AW)-332 DIED
FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED AS A PASSENGER IN A VEHICLE DRIVEN BY HIS
WIFE, A FELLOW MARINE.
B.  SUICIDES.  TWO MARINES DIED IN APPARENT SUICIDES THIS MONTH.
A SGT FROM BLT 3/1, 11TH MEU WAS FOUND IN QUARTERS AFTER AN APPARENT
SUICIDE BY HANGING.  A CPL FROM F CO 2/5 WAS DISCOVERED IN HIS VEHICLE
WITH A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD.
C.  INJURIES
(1) TWO MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS ON-DUTY INJURIES IN DECEMBER.  
A LCPL FROM 3/6 SUFFERED TWO FRACTURES AND A DISLOCATED RIGHT ANKLE
DURING A FAST ROPE LANDING.  A PFC FROM 1ST CEB SUFFERED EXTENSIVE
LACERATIONS AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF PORTIONS OF HIS LITTLE FINGER
AFTER HIS HAND WAS CAUGHT IN A FAN BELT DURING MAINTENANCE REPAIRS
ON A GENERATOR.
(2) EIGHT MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.  
ONCE AGAIN, THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE MISHAPS, SIX, OCCURRED
IN AUTOMOBILES, ONE WAS A PEDESTRIAN MISHAP, AND THE LAST WAS AN OFF-
DUTY RECREATION MISHAP.  A SUMMARY OF THE MISHAPS IS AS FOLLOWS:  
A SGT FROM MATSG-53 SUFFERED A CLOSED HEAD INJURY IN A SINGLE VEHICLE
ACCIDENT.  TWO LCPLS ON LEAVE FROM 7TH ESB, 1ST FSSG, NOT WEARING
SEATBELTS, WERE EJECTED FROM THEIR VEHICLE DURING AN ACCIDENT, WHEN
THE DRIVER FELL ASLEEP.  THE DRIVER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION, AND THE
PASSENGER IS LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION.  A CPL FROM 1ST BN, 8TH MAR
SUFFERED SEVERAL BREAKS IN HIS RIGHT LEG AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER OF
FRACTURES TO HIS FACIAL AREA AFTER A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT.  A PFC
FROM MATSG-21, SEVERED HIS SPINAL CORD, RESULTING IN PARALYSIS AFTER
HE WAS EJECTED FROM HIS VEHICLE DURING A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT.  A
PFC FROM 3D BN, 7TH MAR WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE WHILE WALKING TO HIS
BARRACKS FROM THE ENLISTED CLUB.  HIS INJURIES INCLUDED A COMPOUND
FRACTURE, BROKEN PELVIS, AND UNKNOWN HEAD INJURIES.  AND FINALLY, A
LCPL FROM 1ST BN, 3RD MAR SUFFERED A DISLOCATED HIP AND FRACTURED
VETEBRA WHEN HE FELL 60 FT WHILE ENGAGED IN OFF DUTY RECREATIONAL
RAPPELLING.
D.  AVIATION.  AN AV-8B FROM VMA-532 INADVERTENTLY JETTISONED A 500
POUND INERT BOMB APPROXIMATELY 500 METERS FROM A CIVILIAN HOUSE
DURING TRAINING.  THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY ON THE
GROUND.
2.  MIXED NEWS
A.  LAST FY THIS TIME, SEVENTEEN MARINES HAD DIED IN ON-DUTY GROUND
AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.  THIS FY, TWENTY-FOUR MARINES HAVE DIED IN
ON-DUTY GROUND AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.  THIS TREND IS UNACCEPTABLE.  
B.  AGAIN, PMV MISHAPS CONTINUE TO BE OUR LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH
IN THE MARINE CORPS.  THE MAJORITY OF THESE MISHAPS WERE THE DIRECT
RESULT OF MARINES AND SAILORS WHO EITHER MADE POOR DECISIONS,
OR BECAME THE VICTIM OF SOMEONE ELSE'S POOR DECISIONS.  EXCESSIVE
SPEED, FATIGUE, ALCOHOL, A FAILURE TO WEAR A SEATBELT, AND DRIVING
DON'T MIX.  I COMMEND THOSE OF YOU THAT CONTINUE TO MAKE SMART
DECISIONS ON A DAILY BASIS AND ASK THAT YOU HELP YOUR LEADERS
PROMOTE PROACTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT TO THOSE THAT HAVE NOT YET
GRASPED THE MESSAGE.
3.  AS YOUR 33D COMMANDANT, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I AM DEEPLY
COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT SAFETY IS EMBEDDED IN ALL THAT WE DO.
THESE TRENDS MUST BE ATTACKED HEAD-ON AND REVERSED.  WE CAN DO
THIS - LET'S MAKE IT HAPPEN.
4.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
5.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//