JULY 2003 SAFETY SUMMARY
Date Signed: 6/15/2007 | ALMARS Number: 050/03
ALMARS : 050/03
ALMAR 050/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC ACMC//
SUBJ/JULY 2003 SAFETY SUMMARY//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF JULY 2003, THIRTEEN
MARINES DIED IN MISHAPS AND FIVE MARINES COMMITTED SUICIDE.
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF OUR MISHAP CASUALTIES FOR THE
MONTH OF JULY 2003:
A.  FATALITIES
(1) ONE MARINE DIED IN AN ON-DUTY GROUND MISHAP THIS MONTH.  
HE FELL FROM THE ROOF OF A BUILDING IN IRAQ WHILE ON POST.
(2) ONE MARINE DIED IN AN AVIATION MISHAP THIS MONTH.  A
TOTAL OF THREE CLASS A FLIGHT MISHAPS OCCURRED IN JULY.
(3) ELEVEN MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  
FIVE DIED IN MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS, FIVE DIED IN PRIVATE MOTOR
VEHICLE MISHAPS, AND ONE MARINE DROWNED.
2.  LOOKING AHEAD
A.  UNLESS WE CHANGE THE WAY WE OPERATE MOTOR VEHICLES, WE
WILL NOT CHANGE OUR OFF-DUTY MISHAP STATISTICS.  THE FIVE
MARINES LOST IN MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS DURING JULY BRINGS THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF MARINES WHO HAVE DIED ON MOTORCYCLES THIS
YEAR TO THIRTEEN, MORE THAN ANY YEAR SINCE 1991.  
MOTORCYCLES ARE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS, BUT PROPER PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, AND RISK AWARENESS GREATLY REDUCE THE
RISKS.  LEADERS MUST BE AWARE OF THE MARINES IN THEIR UNIT
WHO RIDE MOTORCYCLES TO ENSURE THEY ARE TRAINED AND QUALIFIED
TO OPERATE THEM.  ALLOWING A MARINE TO DRIVE A MOTORCYCLE
WITHOUT PROPER TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT IS A MISHAP WAITING
TO HAPPEN.
B.  ACCOUNTABILITY IS A HALLMARK OF OUR PROFESSIONALISM.  
AUTHORITY CAN BE DELEGATED; ACCOUNTABILITY CAN NOT.  MARINES
ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS REGARDLESS OF LOCATION OR
DUTY STATUS.  BEFORE ACTING, CONSIDER THE RISK.  ASK YOURSELF,
 WHAT CAN I DO TO DECREASE RISK?   AS A LEADER, ASK YOUR
MARINES THE SAME QUESTION BEFORE THEY SECURE FOR THE DAY.
A SAFER ENVIRONMENT RESULTS WHEN WE MINIMIZE RISK BY THINKING
ABOUT THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO MISHAPS BOTH ON AND OFF
DUTY.  THIS HELPS CREATE A SAFE MINDSET AND ELIMINATE THE
UNHEALTHY ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS THAT LEAD TO SOME OF THE
MISHAPS DESCRIBED IN THIS MESSAGE.  JUNIOR LEADERS ARE AS
IMPORTANT IN THIS PROCESS AS THE COMMANDERS, AND WE ARE ALL
ACCOUNTABLE.  
4.  LEADERSHIP HAS TO COME FROM BOTH THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM
IF WE ARE GOING TO SAVE MARINES  LIVES THROUGH OUR SAFETY
PROGRAMS.  WE WILL CHANGE OUR CORPS FOR THE BETTER WHEN WE
EMBED THE PRINCIPLES OF RISK MANAGEMENT INTO OUR ETHOS. THE
CORPORALS AND SERGEANTS OF OUR CORPS WILL THEN CLEARLY SEE
THE INEXTRICABLE LINK BETWEEN RISK MANAGEMENT, SAFETY, AND
PROFESSIONALISM, AND WE WILL WIN THIS FIGHT.
5.  KEEP CHARGING AND SEMPER FIDELIS.  W. L. NYLAND, GENERAL,
U.S. MARINE CORPS, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//