R 301000Z JUL 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR
ALMAR
BT
UNCLAS
ALMAR 039/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/JUNE 2002 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE 2002, 12 MARINES DIED IN ON AND
OFF DUTY MISHAPS, 5 MARINES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES, AND
3 MARINES DIED FROM SUICIDES.  THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF OUR
CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 2002:
A.  FATALITIES
1.  TWO MARINES DIED IN ON-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  A LCPL FROM CO
B, 4TH RECON BN DROWNED WHILE CONDUCTING HELO CAST OPERATIONS FROM A
CH-53 IN WATER 2000 METERS OFF THE BEACH.  ANOTHER LCPL FROM 5/11,
1ST MARDIV CROSSED THE CENTERLINE, HITTING A 3-TON HEAD ON.
2.  TEN MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.
THREE LCPLS AND ONE CAPT DIED IN SEPARATE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS.  THE
LCPLS WERE FROM 8TH COMM BN, 7TH ESB 1ST FSSG, HQSVCBN 1ST FSSG, AND
THE CAPT WAS FROM HMM-263 24TH MEU.  THREE LCPLS, A PFC, AND A SGT
WERE KILLED IN SEPARATE MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.  TWO OF THE LCPLS
WERE FROM MALS-14 MAG-14, ANOTHER LCPL AND THE PFC WERE FROM 2D
LAR BN, AND THE SGT WAS FROM MCSFCO EUROPE.  ANOTHER PFC FROM B CO,
COMM ELECT SCHOOL DIED WHEN HE FELL 120 FEET WHILE ATTEMPTING TO
CLIMB A CLIFF.
B.  SUICIDES:  
1.  THREE MARINES DIED OF SUSPECTED SUICIDES: ONE FROM AN OVERDOSE OF
COUGH MEDICINE AND SLEEP AIDES, AND THE OTHER TWO FROM ASPHYXIATION AS
A RESULT OF HANGINGS.
C.  INJURIES
1.  TWO MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS ON-DUTY INJURIES DURING JUNE.  
A SGT AND A PVT FROM MCTB, SOI, CAMP LEJEUNE WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED
DURING A GRENADE THROWING EXERCISE, WHEN THE GRENADE HIT THE BERM AND
FELL BACK INTO THE PIT.
2.  THREE MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.  
A SSGT FROM 9TH MCD WAS INJURED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PUT OUT A GAS
GRILL FIRE.  ANOTHER SSGT FROM RSU, CAMP LEJEUNE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED
IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT, AND A LCPL FROM 25TH MAR 2D MARDIV, WAS
INJURED WHILE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE.
D.  AVIATION:  
1.  AN AV-8B FROM DET VMA-231, HMM-263 (REIN), 24TH MEU WAS LOST
DURING A FLIGHT ENROUTE TO USS NASSAU (LHA-4).  SAR AIRCRAFT SAFELY
RECOVERED THE PILOT FROM THE WATER, WHO SUFFERED ONLY MINOR INJURIES.
2.  AN AH-1W FROM HMM-264 (REIN), 26TH MEU CRASHED IN NORTH CAROLINA.
TOTAL DAMAGE OF AIRCRAFT IS UNKNOWN.  BOTH PILOTS WERE MEDEVACED TO
THE HOSPITAL VIA SAR SUPPORT, AND SUFFERED NO MAJOR INJURIES.
2.  MIXED NEWS:
A.  LAST FY THIS TIME, 45 MARINES HAD DIED IN ON AND OFF DUTY GROUND
MISHAPS AND ANOTHER SIX DIED IN AVIATION MISHAPS.  SEVENTY MARINES
HAVE DIED YEAR TO DATE IN ON AND OFF DUTY GROUND MISHAPS, AND ANOTHER
15 HAVE DIED IN AVIATION MISHAPS (2 USN MISHAPS).
B.  DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE, PMV AND MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS WERE
EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR FATALITIES.  PMV
FATALITIES WERE UP ONCE AGAIN, DOUBLING THE NUMBER FROM A MONTH AGO,
WHILE MOTORCYCLE DEATHS REACHED A NEW MONTHLY HIGH.  DESPITE LAST
MONTH'S MOTORCYCLE SAFETY WARNINGS, OUR STRENGTH HAS BEEN DIMINISHED
BY THE FOUR CYCLISTS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON THE ROAD LAST MONTH.  
MOTORCYCLES HAVE NOW CLAIMED THE LIVES OF NINE MARINES THIS FY, MORE
THAN ANY PREVIOUS YEAR ON RECORD, AND THE SUMMER HAS JUST BEGUN.
NOW IS THE TIME FOR LEADERS TO LEAD, AND TEACHERS TO TEACH.  
ACCOUNTABILITY MUST BEGIN WITH MOTORCYCLE OWNERS, BUT SHOULD NOT STOP
THERE!  I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, AND IT BEARS REPEATING...IF YOU'RE
NOT SAFETY TRAINED - GET SAFETY TRAINED!  KEEP YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL,
YOUR SPEED DOWN, AND RIDE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT, BECAUSE IT
DOES.  
5.  COMMANDERS SHALL ENSURE THAT ALL MARINES HAVE READ THIS ALMAR.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS, J. L. JONES, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//