R 131630Z MAY 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL MARADMIN(uc)
MARADMIN
BT
UNCLASSIFIED
ALMAR 029/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/APRIL 2003 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2003, TWELVE MARINES DIED IN
ON-DUTY AND OFF-DUTY GROUND MISHAPS, AND OVER FORTY SUFFERED
SERIOUS INJURIES.  THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF OUR MISHAP
CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2003:
A.  FATALITIES
(1) EIGHT MARINES DIED IN ON-DUTY GROUND MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  ALL
EIGHT MISHAPS OCCURRED IN SUPPORT OF OIF.  A PFC FROM 3RD LAR
FATALLY SHOT HIMSELF WHILE SLEEPING WITH HIS WEAPON IN AN UNSAFE
CONDITION.  A PFC FROM CSSG-11 DIED FROM INJURIES SUSTAINED IN A
COLLISION BETWEEN A MK-14 AND A MTVR DURING A SANDSTORM.  A CPL
FROM 2D FSSG WAS KILLED WHEN THE REFUELER HE WAS WORKING UNDER
COLLAPSED ON TOP OF HIM.  A CPL AND LCPL FROM THE SAME UNIT WERE
ALSO SERIOUSLY INJURED IN THE MISHAP.  A CPL FROM 3RD BN 4TH MAR
WAS SHOT AND KILLED BY THE NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE OF ANOTHER MARINE.  
TWO CWOS AND ONE LCPL FROM 1ST BN 10TH MAR WERE KILLED AND SEVEN
OTHERS INJURED WHILE SHOOTING AN IRAQI RPG.  A LCPL WAS
ELECTROCUTED AFTER THE 7-TON VEHICLE HE WAS TRAVELING IN SNAGGED
A LOW HANGING POWERLINE.
(2) FOUR MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  A PFC FROM
H&HS, MCAS NEW RIVER LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE AND IMPACTED A
TREE, RESULTING IN HIS DEATH.  ANOTHER PFC, FROM 1ST BN 6TH MAR,
DIED AFTER HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING AT A
HIGH RATE OF SPEED.  A PVT FROM 6TH MAR DIED AFTER HE LOST
CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE AND HIT SEVERAL MAILBOXES, ONE OF WHICH
DISLODGED AND STRUCK HIM.  A PFC FROM SOI CAMP LEJEUNE DIED IN A
HEAD-ON COLLISION.
B.  SUICIDES:  NONE.
C.  INJURIES
(1) A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS ON-DUTY
INJURIES DURING APRIL.  MOST INJURIES OCCURRED ISO OIF.  A
REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THOSE INJURIES IS PROVIDED BELOW:  
A LCPL FROM 1ST TANK BN ACCIDENTALLY SHOT HIMSELF IN THE FOOT
WHILE JUMPING FROM A MTVR.  EIGHT MARINES FROM 1ST FSSG WERE
INJURED IN A 3-VEHICLE CRASH DURING A SANDSTORM.  A LCPL FROM
1ST BN 5TH MAR SUFFERED A BROKEN ARM WHEN IT WAS ACCIDENTALLY
CLOSED IN AN AAV HATCH.  TWO LCPLS FROM HQ BTRY, 11TH MAR
SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES WHEN THE 7-TON THEY WERE TRAVELING IN
ROLLED.  A LCPL FROM 3RD BN 1ST MAR WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN
HE TRIED TO UNTANGLE A STRING AROUND HIS FEET, WHICH SET OFF
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE.  SNM LOST AN EYE, THUMB, AND TWO FINGERS.  
A CPL FROM THE SAME UNIT LOST THREE FINGERS WHEN HE TRIED TO
PICK UP SOME UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE.  
(2) EIGHT MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS
DURING APRIL.  THREE OF THE MISHAPS OCCURRED IN AUTOMOBILES,
THREE ON MOTORCYCLES, AND TWO WERE OTHER CATEGORY MISHAPS.
A LCPL FROM MCCES, MAGTFTC, 29 PALMS SWERVED TO AVOID AN OBJECT
IN THE ROAD AND CRASHED, INJURING BOTH ANKLES.  SNM WAS WEARING
HIS SEATBELT.  A SSGT FROM THE SAME UNIT FELL ASLEEP WHILE
DRIVING AND HIT A TELEPHONE POLE.  SNM SUFFERED LACERATIONS TO
HIS KNEE AND GROIN AREA, AND A FRACTURED WRIST.  HE WAS WEARING
HIS SEATBELT.  A PFC FROM MALS-26, MAG-26 SUFFERED MULTIPLE
INJURIES WHEN HIS VEHICLE HYDROPLANED INTO AN RV.  HE WAS
WEARING HIS SEATBELT.  A CPL FROM TAOC DET, MACG-28 WAS
SERIOUSLY INJURED AND HIS PASSENGER KILLED WHEN AN AUTOMOBILE
PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF HIS MOTORCYCLE, CAUSING HIM TO COLLIDE
WITH IT.  SNM SUSTAINED A BROKEN ARM, DISLOCATED HIP, AND
UNDERWENT SURGERY ON HIS PELVIS.  A PFC FROM 2D FSSG WAS
SITTING IN TRAFFIC ON HIS MOTORCYCLE WHEN A VEHICLE STRUCK HIM
AND BROKE HIS LEG.  A SGT FROM O CO, 4TH RTBN WAS A PASSENGER
ON A MOTORCYCLE WHEN SHE AND THE DRIVER WERE BROADSIDED BY AN
AUTOMOBILE.  SNM WAS NOT WEARING A HELMET AND RECEIVED TWO
SKULL FRACTURES AND LIVER DAMAGE.  SHE IS IN GUARDED CONDITION,
PROGNOSIS UNKNOWN.  A PVT FROM SACO, H&HS BN, SOI, SLIPPED,
FELL, AND FRACTURED HIS LEG WHILE SHOPPING AT A DEPARTMENT
STORE.  A SGT FROM MCRS, SAN FRANCISCO SUFFERED POSSIBLE LOSS
OF VISION WHEN HE WAS STRUCK IN THE EYE WHILE PARTICIPATING IN
A PAINTBALL EVENT.  THE INJURY OCCURRED DESPITE SNM REPORTEDLY
WEARING EYE PROTECTION.
D.  AVIATION:  
AN AV-8B ATTACHED TO HMM-263 CRASHED INTO THE WATER ON FINAL
DURING A CARRIER CONTROLLED APPROACH TO THE BOAT.  THE PILOT
WAS SAFELY RECOVERED.
2.  LOOKING AHEAD
A.  AS OPERATIONS IN IRAQ PROGRESS FROM ACTIVE COMBAT TO
STABILIZATION, RISKS REMAIN.  BASED UPON APRIL'S INJURIES AND
FATALITIES, THE LARGEST RISKS FACING DEPLOYED MARINES ARE
UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE, NEGLIGENT DISCHARGES AND VEHICLE MISHAPS.  
FOLLOWING ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES AND BASIC RISK MANAGEMENT
CAN MITIGATE EACH OF THESE RISKS.  REMEMBER, OPERATION IRAQI
FREEDOM IS NOT OVER UNTIL EVERY MARINE AND SAILOR IS SAFELY
HOME.
B.  BETWEEN JANUARY AND MARCH OF THIS YEAR, ONLY TWO MARINES
DIED IN FOUR WHEEL PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE MISHAPS.  
UNFORTUNATELY, IN APRIL, FOUR MARINES DIED PRIVATE MOTOR
VEHICLE MISHAPS.  THE RISKS WE ALL FACE ON THE HIGHWAY ARE
REAL, YET THEY CAN BE MANAGED.  
C.  FOR MARINES RETURNING FROM OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, THE
RISKS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE EVEN GREATER.  MANY WILL NOT
HAVE DRIVEN A PRIVATE VEHICLE IN MONTHS AND THEIR SKILLS WILL
BE RUSTY.  THIS WILL BE COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT MANY
MARINES WILL HAVE A DESIRE TO "MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME."  BEWARE
THE RISKS, AND TEMPER YOUR DRIVING WITH COMMON SENSE AND RISK
MANAGEMENT.  THERE ARE NO MEMORIALS FOR MARINES WHO DIE ON THE
HIGHWAY.
3.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
4.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//