R 261530Z FEB 01 ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
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UNCLAS //N05000//
ALMAR 007/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/REDUCTION OF OFF-DUTY PMV FATALITIES//
RMKS/1. OFF-DUTY PERSONAL MOTOR VEHICLE (PMV) FATALITIES DURING THE
FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS FISCAL YEAR (FY) WERE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER
THAN DURING THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. ALTHOUGH, REGRETTABLY, EIGHT
MARINES HAVE DIED, THAT TOTAL IS FIFTEEN FEWER THAN WERE LOST IN
FY00 AND TEN LESS THAN IN FY99 AT A SIMILAR TIME. THIS IS A
TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT AND WE SOULD ALL BE EXTREMELY PROUD OF ALL
WHO HAVE WORKED SO DILIGENTLY TO ACHIEVE THIS RESULT.
2. IN THE LAST THREE YEARS 154 MARINES HAVE DIED IN PMV MISHAPS, AN
AVERAGE OF OVER 50 PER YEAR. THAT TREND MUST BE REVERSED. EACH OF
US MUST CONTINUE TO WORK TO MITIGATE THE RISKS WE FACE IN OUR OFF-
DUTY HOURS. UNRELENTING VIGILANCE IS THE KEY TO REDUCING OUR MISHAP
RATES.
3. SOME OF YOU MAY THINK THAT IT IS PREMATURE TO HIGHLIGHT OUR
EARLY SUCCESS. I AM CONVINCED, HOWEVER, THAT WHEN WE AS A CORPS
FOCUS OUR EFFORTS ON A VITAL MISSION WE WILL OBTAIN THE RESULTS WE
DESIRE. THIS ALMAR, THEREFORE, IS INTENDED TO EMPHASIZE THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS ISSUE. CLEARLY, IT IS NOT THE TIME TO LET OUR
GUARD DOWN, BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY TO RENEW THOSE EFFORTS THAT
HAVE LED TO THIS INITIAL PROGRESS. WITH YOUR HARD WORK AND ENERGY,
I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN TURN THIS INTO A LONG-TERM SUCCESS STORY
AND PRESERVE THE LIVES OF MANY MARINES.
4. SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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