R 151500Z AUG 02
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(n)
TO ML ALMAR(n)
ALMAR
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UNCLAS
ALMAR 041/02
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/SD//
SUBJ/JULY 2002 SAFETY SUMMARY//
RMKS/1.  DURING THE MONTH OF JULY 2002, 9 MARINES DIED IN ON AND
OFF DUTY MISHAPS, AND 11 MARINES SUFFERED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES.
THE FOLLOWING IS A SUMMARY OF OUR CASUALTIES FOR THE MONTH OF
JULY 2002:
A.  FATALITIES
1.  TWO MARINES DIED IN ON-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  A LCPL FROM
3/2 WPNS CO WAS KILLED WHEN THE HMMWV HE WAS TRAVELING IN
OVERTURNED PINNING HIM UNDERNEATH.  A SGT FROM RSS ROCK HILL DIED
AFTER EXPERIENCING CHEST PAINS FOLLOWING UNIT PT.
2.  SEVEN MARINES DIED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS THIS MONTH.  FOUR LCPLS
AND ONE GYSGT DIED IN MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS.  THREE LCPLS FROM
HQSVCBN, MCRD SAN DIEGO WERE KILLED WHEN THE PICKUP TRUCK THEY
WERE TRAVELING IN HIT A CURB, CROSSED THE MEDIAN, AND IMPACTED
ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD ON.  NONE OF THE LCPLS WERE WEARING SEATBELTS.  
ANOTHER LCPL FROM 5/10, 2D MARDIV DIED AS A PASSENGER IN A VEHICLE
TRAVELING AT A HIGH OF SPEED, WHEN THE DRIVER (PVT) LOST CONTROL AND
ROLLED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES.  A GYSGT FROM COMM-ELEC SCHOOL,
29 PALMS WAS KILLED WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE AND RAN INTO
A UTILITY POLE.  HE WAS NOT WEARING A SEATBELT.  A SGT FROM
MWSS-272 DROWNED IN A LAKE AFTER CONSUMING ALCOHOL AND ATTEMPTING TO
SWIM.  A CPL FROM 1ST TSB, 1ST FSSG WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A
VEHICLE WHILE TRYING TO CROSS AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY.
B.  SUICIDES:  NONE.
C.  INJURIES
1.  SIX MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS ON-DUTY INJURIES DURING JULY.  
THREE MARINES FROM 2D BN, 3D MARINES SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES
DURING A TRENCH CLEARING LIVE FIRE EXERCISE WHEN A GRENADE BOUNCED
BACK AND DETONATED.  A PFC FROM WPNS CO, BLT 2/4 SUSTAINED A BROKEN
TOE AND TIBIA AFTER DESCENDING TOO FAST DURING FAST ROPE TRNG.  TWO
LCPLS FROM MWSS-172 WERE INJURED AFTER BECOMING TRAPPED UNDERNEATH A
M-970 5000 GAL REFUELER.
2.  FIVE MARINES WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED IN OFF-DUTY MISHAPS.  
THREE MARINES WERE INJURED IN SEPARATE MOTORCYCLE MISHAPS.  A CPL
FROM MALS-29 WAS INJURED WHEN A VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF HIS
MOTORCYCLE, CAUSING HIM TO RUN INTO THE VEHICLE.  A GYSGT FROM
COMM-ELEC SCHOOL, 29 PALMS, AND HIS WIFE, WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED
WHEN HE RAN INTO THE TAIL END OF A VEHICLE THAT CUT HIM OFF.  A MSGT
FROM VMU-1, MACG-38, 3D MAW WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED AFTER LOSING
CONTROL OF HIS MOTORCYCLE ON A CURVE AND HITTING THE RAILING.  A
LCPL FROM 1ST CEB, 1ST MARDIV WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE WHILE STANDING
IN THE ROAD.  A GYSGT FROM VMGR-234 SUSTAINED A CERVICAL SPINE
INJURY AFTER BEING THROWN FROM A HORSE.
D.  AVIATION:  
1.  TWO CH-53E FROM HMM-166(REIN) WERE TAXIING TO PARK WHEN THEIR
ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT.  A SINGAPOREAN NATIONAL WAS FATALLY
INJURED
FROM THE FLYING DEBRIS.
2.  AN AV-8B FROM VMA-231 CRASHED 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF CHERRY POINT.
THE PILOT EJECTED SAFELY.
3.  AN F/A-18A FROM VMFA-312 CRASHED IN AN UNPOPULATED WOODED AREA.  
THE PILOT EJECTED SAFELY.
2.  MIXED NEWS:
A.  LAST FY THIS TIME, 54 MARINES HAD DIED IN ON AND OFF DUTY GROUND
MISHAPS AND ANOTHER 9 DIED IN AVIATION MISHAPS.  SEVENTY-NINE
MARINES HAVE DIED YEAR TO DATE IN ON AND OFF DUTY GROUND MISHAPS, A
NUMBER THAT EXCEEDS EVERY PREVIOUS YEAR FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.  
ANOTHER 15 MARINES HAVE DIED IN AVIATION MISHAPS (2 USN MISHAPS)
THIS FISCAL YEAR.
B.  FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WHILE THERE
WERE A COUPLE OF CLOSE CALLS, THERE WERE NO MARINES FATALLY INJURED
AS A RESULT OF A MOTORCYCLE MISHAP, A TREND WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO
BREAK.  WE DID HOWEVER LOSE SEVERAL MARINES TO WHAT CAN ONLY BE
CATEGORIZED AS SENSELESS "AVOIDABLE" MISHAPS.  NOT WEARING SEATBELTS
AND SWIMMING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL HAVE RECKLESSNESS
WRITTEN ALL OVER THEM.  MARINES, WE'RE NOT ASKING THAT YOU DO THE
IMPOSSIBLE TO SAVE LIVES, SIMPLY THE BASICS.  USE COMMON SENSE -
SPELLED "ORM."
C.  EACH MONTH THESE LINES ARE DEDICATED TO THOSE MARINES WHO HAVE
EITHER MADE BAD DECISIONS, OR HAVE BECOME THE VICTIM OF SOMEONE ELSE
WHO MADE A BAD DECISION.  THIS MONTH, WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO
RECOGNIZE THE OTHER HALF - THOSE MARINES WHO CONTINUE TO MAKE
SAFETY SMART DECISIONS ON A DAILY BASIS, BOTH ON AND OFF THE BASE.  
AS THE NUMBERS WOULD INDICATE, MOST MARINES UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF
LIFE, AND EXERCISE HEADS UP RISK MANAGEMENT REGULARLY.  KEEP UP THE
GOOD WORK, AND PASS THE WORD!
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.//