R 141125Z MAY 01
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//CMC//
TO ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS //N05000//
ALMAR 017/01
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/APRIL 2001 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2001, NINE ACTIVE DUTY MARINES
DIED DUE TO GROUND RELATED MISHAPS.  TWO MARINES DIED FROM SUSPECTED
SUICIDES, AND 25 MARINES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.
THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES A SUMMARY OF OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH
OF APRIL:
A.  ON DUTY FATALITIES:
1.  CPL FROM 2/3, 3D MARDIV DIED AFTER BEING CRUSHED UNDER A VENDING
MACHINE.
2.  PFC FROM MARCORDET FT. LEONARD WOOD, DIED AFTER HE LOST CONTROL
OF AN LVS, SWERVED ACROSS THE HIGHWAY INTO A DITCH, AND STRUCK A
TREE.
3.  HM1 FROM 2D SUPPLY BN, 2D FSSG COLLAPSED AND DIED DURING COMPANY
PHYSICAL TRAINING.
B.  OFF DUTY FATALITIES:
1.  LCPL FROM 9TH COMM BN, I MEF, DIED WHILE DRIVING ON HWY 76 AND
WAS BROAD SIDED BY A VEHICLE THAT RAN A RED LIGHT.
2.  CPLS FROM 3/5, 1ST MARDIV, WERE INVOLVED IN A TWO CAR COLLISION.
THE DRIVER WAS KILLED IN THE COLLISION.  HIS PASSENGER WAS CRITICALLY
INJURED, SUSTAINING MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA AND LISTED IN CRITICAL
CONDITION.
3.  CPL FROM 3/1, 1ST MARDIV WAS HIT AND KILLED BY A PASSING VEHICLE
WHILE WALKING ALONGSIDE AN OVERPASS.
4.  LCPL FROM 1ST CEB, 1ST MARDIV, DIED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WHILE
DRIVING ON SAN MATEO ROAD ABOARD CAMP PENDLETON.
5.  THREE MARINES FROM I MEF, MAG-46 DET A, AND HMLA-369, WERE RIDING
MOTORCYCLES.  ONE RIDER HIT ANOTHER, CAUSING ALL THREE TO LOSE
CONTROL.  A SSGT, DIED AT THE SCENE.  A SECOND RIDER WAS HOSPITALIZED
FOR 2 DAYS.  THE THIRD RIDER WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY DWI.
6.  LCPL FROM MSSG-15, 15TH MEU DIED ON HIS MOTORCYCLE WHEN HE
CROSSED THE CENTERLINE AT A CURVE AND HIT A PICKUP TRUCK HEAD ON.
C.  MISHAPS THAT RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURIES ON DUTY:
1.  CPL FROM HQSPTBN, MCB CAMP PENDLETON, LOST CONTROL OF HIS
GOVERNMENT VEHICLE, WHICH LEFT THE ROAD AND ROLLED.  SNM SUSTAINED
HEAD AND CHEST INJURIES.
2.  CPL AND PFC FROM 3D MEB, SUSTAINED INJURIES WHEN THEIR 5 TON
VEHICLE OVERTURNED.  THE DRIVER APPLIED HIS BREAKS TO AVOID AN
ANIMAL.  THE VEHICLE LEFT THE ROAD AND ROLLED.  BOTH MARINES WERE
EJECTED.  THE CPL WAS TREATED FOR SPINAL FRACTURES.  THE PFC WAS
TREATED FOR MINOR INJURIES AND RELEASED.
OFF DUTY:
D.  MISHAPS THAT RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURIES OFF DUTY:  DURING THE
MONTH OF APRIL, NINE MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN CAR WRECKS.
OF THOSE NINE, FIVE WERE THE RESULT OF COLLISIONS WITH OTHER CARS.
SEVEN MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS.  ONE
MARINE SHOT HIMSELF IN THE FOOT WHILE CLEANING HIS PERSONAL RIFLE
AND WILL LIKELY LOSE THREE TOES.
2.  AVIATION:  AS OF 30 APRIL, OUR CLASS A FLIGHT MISHAP RATE IS THE
LOWEST ON RECORD.  EVALUATION AND MITIGATION OF RISK WILL CONTINUE
THIS OUTSTANDING TREND.
3.  MIXED NEWS:
A.  LAST YEAR DURING THE MONTH OF APRIL, 11 MARINES DIED IN
GROUND RELATED MISHAPS.  EIGHT DIED IN PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE (PMV)
MISHAPS, TWO IN MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS, AND ONE IN A RECREATIONAL
ACTIVITY MISHAP.  THIS YEAR, NINE ACTIVE DUTY MARINES DIED IN APRIL.
B.  FOR THE FIRST 7 MONTHS OF FY01, 40 MARINES HAVE DIED IN ON
AND OFF DUTY MISHAPS.  LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, 71 MARINES HAD DIED.
THIS IS A TREMENDOUS IMPROVEMENT.
C.  WITH THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING, WE HAVE SEEN A RASH OF MOTORCYCLE
FATALITES AND INJURIES.  TWO MARINES DIED AND ONE IS PARALYZED IN
SEPARATE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS DURING ONE WEEKEND ALONE.  THE MONTH
OF APRIL ALSO SAW A SHARP RISE IN THE NUMBER OF PMV ACCIDENTS
INVOLVING EITHER ALCOHOL OR LACK OF SEATBELTS.  THE RISKS ASSOCIATED
WITH DRIVING VEHICLES SHOULD BE WELL UNDERSTOOD.  TO IGNORE THEM
TEMPTS FATE.  THESE NEEDLESS DEATHS AND INJURIES CAN BE PREVENTED.
WHETHER ON OR OFF DUTY, MARINES MUST EVALUATE THE RISKS ASSOCIATED
WITH OUR ACTIVITIES AND TAKE STEPS TO MITIGATE THEM.  SPRING AND
SUMMER ARE TIMES FOR ENJOYING OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN THE GREAT
OUTDOORS.  IN ORDER TO ENJOY THEM, YOU MUST STAY ALIVE AND INJURY
FREE.
D.  IN ADDITION TO THE DEAD FROM APRIL'S MISHAPS, INDIVIDUAL UNITS
THROUGHOUT OUR CORPS HAVE INCURRED STAGGERING MANPOWER LOSSES FROM
THESE MISHAPS.  MARINES INVOLVED IN APRIL'S MISHAPS ACCRUED OVER 120
DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL AND OVER 100 DAYS OF CONVALESCENT LEAVE.
ADDITIONALLY, ONE MARINE IS FACING UP TO 1 YEAR IN EXTENSIVE
REHAB.  FINALLY, ONE OF OUR FELLOW MARINES LIVES WITH THE
POSSIBILITY OF SPENDING THE REST OF HIS LIFE PARALYZED FROM THE
CHEST DOWN.  THESE LOSSES PLACE A HUGE BURDEN ON THE INDIVIDUAL
MARINES, THEIR FAMILIES, AND THEIR UNITS.  OUR STRENGTH AS A CORPS
IS FOUNDED ON TEAMWORK.  EVERY MARINE IS ESSENTIAL TO MAINTAINING OUR
CORPS' COMBAT READINESS.
4.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
5.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//
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