R 241600Z MAY 02 ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
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UNCLAS  //N05000//
ALMAR 033/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/CMC//
SUBJ/POST OP PAUSE MESSAGE//
RMKS/1.  IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, I ORDERED A MARINE CORPS WIDE
OPERATIONAL PAUSE.  I DID THIS BECAUSE OUR CORPS EXPERIENCED AN
UNACCEPTABLE NUMBER OF OFF DUTY, ON DUTY, AND AVIATION MISHAPS.
MY INTENT WAS FOR EVERY MARINE, SAILOR, AND CIVILIAN MARINE TO
BREAK FROM THEIR ROUTINES IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON SAFETY.  SENIOR
COMMANDERS PROVIDED ME WITH THE RESULTS OF THIS PAUSE AND THE
MANY INNOVATIVE WAYS IN WHICH IT WAS EXECUTED.  SINCE THE OP
PAUSE WE HAVE NOT HAD A SINGLE AVIATION CLASS A MISHAP, OFF DUTY
MISHAPS HAVE LEVELED OFF AND ON DUTY MISHAPS HAVE SLIGHTLY
INCREASED.  WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LAST CATEGORY, THIS IS AN
ENCOURAGING SHIFT.
2.  IN ADDITION TO CONDUCTING THE CORPS WIDE OPERATIONAL PAUSE,
I ASKED SENIOR COMMANDERS TO REPORT THE STATUS OF THEIR
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MARINE CORPS SAFETY CAMPAIGN PLAN.  EACH
COMMANDER RESPONDED FAVORABLY; HOWEVER, PROBLEMS REMAIN RELATING
TO GROUND SAFETY TRAINING AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FULL TIME
SAFETY OFFICERS AT THE BATTALION LEVEL.  SAFETY, BOTH ON AND OFF
DUTY, MUST REMAIN A TENET OF THE WAY WE FUNCTION AS A CORPS IF WE
WANT MISHAP REDUCTION TO CONTINUE.
3.  COMMANDS WITH AN ESTABLISHED SAFETY OFFICER ARE BETTER EQUIPPED
TO PREVENT MISHAPS.  TO ELEVATE THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY AND HASTEN
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MY SAFETY VISION, EFFECTIVE 1 JULY 2002, UNIT
SAFETY OFFICERS DOWN TO BATTALION LEVEL, WILL BE DESIGNATED AS
SPECIAL STAFF OFFICERS, APPOINTED IN WRITING BY THEIR COMMANDING
OFFICERS AND GIVEN DIRECT ACCESS TO THE COMMANDING AND EXECUTIVE
OFFICERS FOR SAFETY MATTERS.  BECAUSE THE SAFETY OF OUR MARINES IS
ESSENTIAL TO THE READINESS OF OUR CORPS, COMMANDERS MUST APPOINT
ONLY THE BEST-QUALIFIED MARINES WITH THE REQUISITE TRAINING AND
EXPERIENCE TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF UNIT SAFETY OFFICER.  WE
SHORTCHANGE OUR MARINES WHEN WE FILL THIS VITAL BILLET WITH A
SUCCESSION OF QUICKLY ROTATING, UNTRAINED, AND UNSUPPORTED
PERSONNEL.  THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF SAFETY AND RISK
MANAGEMENT CORPS WIDE WILL PREVENT MISHAPS AND KEEP MARINES ALIVE;
READY AND ABLE TO ANSWER OUR NATION'S CALL.
4.  MY DESIRE IS SIMPLE: PREVENT MISHAPS AND SAVE LIVES.  SAFETY
IS NOT A PROGRAM THAT BELONGS EXCLUSIVELY TO COMMANDERS OR SAFETY
OFFICERS.  IT BELONGS TO EACH OF US, REGARDLESS OF RANK OR BILLET.
FOCUSED LEADERSHIP AT THE SMALL UNIT LEVEL WILL MAKE MY COMMANDER'S
INTENT A REALITY.
5.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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