The commanding officer has issued the following guidance on safety:
Our nation is at war, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit will deploy in support of this war. Our training will be focused and will closely represent the conditions we expect to encounter. In order to take the fight to the enemies of this nation or help those in need, we must preserve our warfighting capability. To do this, we will integrate safety into all that we do.
I realize that combat and the tough realistic training we will undergo are inherently dangerous, but we will always manage that risk. The 11th MEU team will be proactive in our understanding of the risk; it will always be part of our mission analyses. Safety is the responsibility of every warrior in the 11th MEU, not only for themselves but for their team members. We will always cover each other’s six and never leave a fellow warrior alone to deal with the risk. I expect the Officer, Staff Noncommissioned Officer and Noncommissioned Officer to always lead from the front.
Your daily behavior will represent the professional way to accomplish the task at hand. You will train the Marines and Sailors that you lead to make good risk decisions. A culture that addresses safety as part of all that we do will empower the Marines and Sailors of the 11th MEU to accomplish the mission safely. In the end, we do not want to injure our most effective warfighting asset: YOU.
I challenge every Marine and Sailor to keep safety in the forefront of all that you do off duty as well. As we train and work hard, I know many of us will also play hard. You need to use the same Operational Risk Management tools that we employ daily in the 11th MEU in your own personal risk decisions. The 11th MEU team is stronger with you suited up and engaged daily in our training and preparation for our pending combat deployment. We need every one of you as a full up round when we deploy. BE SMART.
As a member of the finest MEU in I MEF, I empower every single one of us to speak up if we see any unsafe situation or actions. If you believe there is unnecessary or unaccounted for risk, you will point that out and take immediate actions to prevent or medicate the risk. The 11th MEU is a warfighting team that relies on each of us. BE ENGAGED.
BE SAFE.
Col. Michael R. Hudson
11th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Commanding Officer