R 141630Z NOV 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 063/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/OCTOBER 2002 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2002, 6 MARINES DIED IN
ON- AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS, 3 MARINES DIED IN APPARENT SUICIDES,
AND 12 MARINES AND SAILORS SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.  
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF
OCTOBER 2002:
A.  FATALITIES
(1)  ONE MARINE DIED IN AN ON-DUTY MISHAP THIS MONTH.  
A LCPL ASSIGNED TO HQSPTBN, DROWNED AFTER FALLING IN A LAKE DURING
LAND NAVIGATION TRAINING.
(2)  FIVE MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.
FOUR MARINES DIED IN SEPARATE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.  A CPL FROM
I MHG, I MEF LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE DURING A TURN AND COLLIDED
WITH ON-COMING TRAFFIC.  ANOTHER CPL, FROM WPN CO, 2D LARBN DIED
AFTER LOSING CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE AND STRIKING A UTILITY POLE.  
A LCPL (USMCR ON ACTDU) DIED AS A PASSENGER, WHEN THE DRIVER OF THE
VEHICLE IN WHICH HE WAS RIDING ATTEMPTED TO PASS IN A NO PASSING ZONE
AND STRUCK ON-COMING TRAFFIC HEAD-ON.  ANOTHER LCPL, FROM MALS-31, WAS
STRUCK AND KILLED BY A VEHICLE WHILE STANDING ON THE SIDE OF THE
ROAD.  A SSGT FROM MWSS-371 DIED AS A RESULT OF A MOTORCYCLE MISHAP,
WHEN HIS DIRT BIKE WENT AIRBORNE AND CRASH LANDED, BREAKING
HIS NECK.
B.  SUICIDES - THREE MARINES DIED IN APPARENT SUICIDES THIS MONTH.
A LCPL FROM HMMT-164 TOOK HIS LIFE BY JUMPING FROM A 12 STORY BLDG;
A PFC FROM MWSS-271 WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE IN HIS HOME; AND A SSGT
FROM 1ST BN, 8TH MAR DIED FROM A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE
HEAD.
C.  INJURIES
(1)  SIX MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS ON-DUTY INJURIES IN OCTOBER.  
A SGT FROM HQSVCBN, 1ST FSSG FRACTURED HIS WRIST AND SUFFERED A MILD
CONCUSSION AFTER BEING THROWN OVER THE HANDLEBARS OF HIS GOVERNMENT
MOTORCYCLE.  THREE LCPLS FROM CO D, 1ST LAR WERE INJURED WHEN
ORDNANCE EXPLODED WHILE SETTING UP A QUICK KILL RANGE; FORTUNATELY,
NONE OF THE INJURIES WERE LIFE-THREATENING.  A RECRUIT FROM MCRD
PARRIS ISLAND SHOT OFF THE TIP OF HIS FINGER WHILE ADJUSTING HIS
RIFLE SLING DURING TRAINING.  A GYSGT FROM MILITARY FREE FALL SCHOOL
SUFFERED CRACKED RIBS AND POSSIBLE FRACTURE OF THE VERTEBRA AFTER
FALLING 10-15 FEET IN A VERTICAL WIND TUNNEL.
(2)  FIVE MARINES AND ONE SAILOR WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OFF-DUTY
MISHAPS.  FIVE OF THE INJURIES OCCURRED IN MOTOR VEHICLES, AND THE
SIXTH MISHAP WAS THE RESULT OF A MARINE BEING HIT BY A MOTOR VEHICLE.
AN AIRMAN (ABFAN) FROM HQBN, MCB HAWAII SUFFERED HEAD AND NECK
INJURIES IN ONE ACCIDENT.  A PFC FROM 2/1 SUSTAINED NECK, FACE AND
JAW INJURIES, AS WELL AS FRACTURES TO BOTH ARMS, IN ANOTHER ACCIDENT.
A LCPL FROM VMFA-321 SUSTAINED SEVERE FACIAL LACERATIONS AFTER HE
REPORTEDLY LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AGGRESSIVELY,
CAUSING IT TO FLIP SEVERAL TIMES.  A SGT FROM I&I STAFF, ENG MAINT
CO, WAS HIT HEAD ON BY A DRIVER ATTEMPTING TO PASS IN THE WRONG
LANE; HE SUFFERED CHEST TRAUMA, TO INCLUDE A COLLAPSED LUNG.  A CPL
FROM 8TH COMM SUFFERED A FRACTURED VERTEBRA AND MEMORY LOSS AFTER
SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE, ROLLING IT SEVERAL TIMES, AND THEN
BEING EJECTED.  A PVT FROM 2D SUPBN, 2D FSSG WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE
WHILE WALKING TO WORK ON BASE; HE SUFFERED A FRACTURE TO HIS LOWER
LEG AND ANKLE.
D.  AVIATION - NONE.  
2.  LOOKING AHEAD
(A)  THIS TIME LAST FY, FOUR MARINES HAD DIED IN AVIATION, ON-DUTY
GROUND AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.  THIS FY, SIX MARINES HAVE DIED IN
AVIATION, ON-DUTY GROUND AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.
(B)  FY 2002 WAS ONE OF OUR WORST FOR OFF-DUTY MISHAPS,
AND EARLY INDICATIONS FOR FY 2003 GIVE CAUSE FOR CONCERN.  NOW IS
THE TIME TO TURN THE TIDE AS WE REDEDICATE OURSELVES TO TRAIN HARDER,
BUT SMARTER AND LIVE RICHLY, BUT SAFELY.  NOW, MORE THAN EVER, THE  
IMPORTANCE OF PRACTICING ORM SHOULD BE REEMPHASIZED, AS SAFETY
PROGRAMS AND NEW INITIATIVES SEEK TO TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE
APPROACH TO KEEPING OUR MARINES ALIVE.  LET'S NOT ALLOW THE NUMBER OF
SENSELESS AND PREVENTABLE DEATHS LAST FY TO HAVE BEEN IN
VAIN.  WE MUST LEARN FROM OUR PAST, TO ENSURE WE DO NOT REPEAT IT.
ONCE AGAIN, I EXPECT EACH AND EVERY MARINE TO MAKE SAFETY THE
FOUNDATION OF ALL YOU DO.
3.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
4.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//