R 272100Z OCT 04
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL ALMAR(uc)
ALMAR
BT
UNCLASSIFIED//
ALMAR 059/04
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 04 CLOSE OUT SAFETY MESSAGE//
POC/DONALD C. WEIGHTMAN/GS-15/DEP DIR SD/-/TEL:224-2423
/EMAIL:WEIGHTMANDC@HQMC.USMC.MIL//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE CHALLENGED EACH OF THE
SERVICES TO REDUCE MISHAPS BY 50 PERCENT OVER A TWO-YEAR PERIOD.  WE
ARE NOT MEETING THAT CHALLENGE.  THE BELOW CHART COMPARES THE FY04
CLASS 'A' MISHAP RATES AGAINST OUR GOALS TO MEET SECDEF'S CHALLENGE.
(CLASS 'A' MISHAP RATES ARE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MISHAPS PER
100,000 MARINES OR 100,000 FLIGHT HOURS, AS APPROPRIATE.)  READ IN
FOUR COLUMNS.

MISHAP CATEGORY     FY04 RATE    FY04 GOAL    FY05 GOAL

NON-OPERATIONAL       31.4         28.1         18.7
OPERATIONAL           14.3          9.1          6.0
AVIATION               5.3          2.9          1.9

2.  SINCE RATES ARE JUST IMPERSONAL NUMBERS, LET ME PUT IT IN A
CONTEXT EVERYONE CAN UNDERSTAND - 101 FELLOW MARINES DIED IN MISHAPS
LAST YEAR.  WHILE THIS IS A 19 PERCENT REDUCTION IN FATAL INJURIES
FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR (124), THE LOSS OF A SINGLE MARINE IS ONE TOO
MANY.  WE CAN AND WE MUST DO BETTER.
A.  NON-OPERATIONAL MISHAPS:  FY04 ENDED WITH 57 NON-OPERATIONAL
FATALITIES COMPARED TO 63 LAST YEAR; MOTORCYCLE DEATHS DECREASED
FROM 17 TO 7.  WHILE THIS IS A MARKED IMPROVEMENT AND A STEP IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION, WE MUST REMAIN VIGILANT TO ENSURE WE PREVENT FUTURE
LOSS OF LIFE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO APPLY RISK MANAGEMENT.  
B. OPERATIONAL MISHAPS:  16 FEWER MARINES DIED IN OPERATIONAL
MISHAPS IN FY04 (29) COMPARED TO FY03 (45).  THIS IS A GREAT
IMPROVEMENT BUT WE CONTINUE TO NEEDLESSLY LOSE MARINES TO TACTICAL
VEHICLE MISHAPS.  ATTAINING SECDEF'S OPERATIONAL MISHAP REDUCTION
GOAL FOR FY05 WILL BE DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING, BUT IT IS A
RESPONSIBILITY FROM WHICH WE WILL NOT SHY AWAY.  THE FULL-SCALE
IMPLEMENTATION OF OPERATIONAL RISK MANAGEMENT (ORM) WILL PAY
DIVIDENDS BY REDUCING NOT ONLY FATAL MISHAPS, BUT ALL OPERATIONAL
MISHAPS.
C.  AVIATION MISHAPS:  WE SUFFERED OUR WORST YEAR FOR AVIATION CLASS
'A' MISHAP RATES SINCE 1990.  WE LOST 15 MARINES AND DESTROYED 19
AIRCRAFT (8 FA-18, 2 AV-8, 3 AH-1, 2 UH-1, 2 CH-53, 1 CH-46, AND 1
C-35).  ALTHOUGH TOO EARLY FOR DEFINITIVE ANSWERS TO THE CAUSES OF
ALL OF THESE MISHAPS, REVIEW OF THE INVESTIGATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN
COMPLETED INDICATE HUMAN ERROR WAS INVOLVED IN APPROXIMATELY 85
PERCENT OF THE MISHAPS.  WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES
TO REDUCE THE LOSS OF LIFE AND AIRFRAMES.  
3. MANY PROGRAMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MARINES AND COMMANDERS TO ASSIST
IN REDUCING MISHAPS, INCLUDING ONLINE SAFETY ASSESSMENTS, ORM, CREW
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (CRM), SAFETY CENTER SURVEYS, ANYMOUSE, ETC.  WE
ARE ALSO WORKING TO ENHANCE SAFETY TRAINING FOR GROUND COMMANDERS.
SAFETY IS ALWAYS A PRIORITY WHETHER YOU ARE IN TRAINING, INVOLVED IN
REAL-WORLD OPERATIONS, OR SIMPLY ON LEAVE OR LIBERTY.
4.  I RECENTLY TOLD A GROUP OF COMMANDERS THAT THE MARINE CORPS HAS
NOT, AND WILL NOT, FAIL TO ACCOMPLISH ITS ASSIGNED MISSIONS.  THAT
INCLUDES SAFETY AND OUR MISHAP REDUCTION GOALS.  MAKE SAFETY A PART
OF YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL MISSION.  DEMAND IT OF YOURSELVES
AND YOUR FELLOW MARINES, AND WE WILL SUCCEED.  
5.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.         //