R 211030Z OCT 03
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(uc)
TO AL ALMAR(uc)
ALAMAR
BT
UNCLASSIFIED
ALMAR 062/03
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//
SUBJ/FISCAL YEAR 2003 CLOSE OUT SAFETY MESSAGE//
RMKS/1.  IN THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM, THE MARINE
CORPS CONTINUES TO ANSWER THE NATION S CALLS.  FISCAL
YEAR (FY) 2003 BROUGHT NEW CHALLENGES TO THE CORPS,
AMONG THEM THE MARINE CORPS  PARTICIPATION IN
OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT
DEPLOYMENT IN NUMBERS UNSEEN IN OVER A DECADE.  
SIGNIFICANTLY, NO MARINES LOST THEIR LIVES DURING
THE BUILDUP FOR OIF, ALLOWING FULL-STRENGTH,
COMBAT-READY MARINE UNITS TO ENGAGE AND DECISIVELY
DEFEAT THE ENEMY.  YET, OUR NON-COMBAT LOSSES AT HOME
HAVE CONTINUED UNABATED.
2.  WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN SAFETY DURING THE
PAST FEW YEARS - THAT SAID, MORE CHALLENGES REMAIN.  
IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE WE UNDERSTAND THE NATURE
AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE CHALLENGES.  OUR EFFORTS
WILL LEAD DIRECTLY TO SUCCESS OR FAILURE.  WHILE FY
03 CLOSED WITH FEWER AVIATION AND OFF-DUTY CLASS  A 
MISHAPS THAN THE YEAR PRIOR AND ALCOHOL RELATED
FATALITIES DECREASED, NEARLY A COMPANY S WORTH OF
MARINES DIED IN ON- AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS DURING THE
YEAR.  THESE DEAD MARINES WERE OUR BROTHERS, SISTERS,
SONS, AND DAUGHTERS.  THEY WERE THE FUTURE LEADERS OF
OUR CORPS UNTIL THEIR LIVES WERE TRAGICALLY CUT SHORT
IN MISHAPS THAT FOR THE MOST PART WERE AVOIDABLE.  
3.  A TOTAL OF 124 MARINES DIED IN AVIATION, GROUND,
AND OFF-DUTY MISHAPS, AND OF THESE MARINES, OVER HALF
DIED OFF-DUTY.  80 PERCENT OF OFF-DUTY DEATHS INVOLVED
EITHER CARS OR MOTORCYCLES AND 79 PERCENT WERE E-4 AND
BELOW.  DURING THE FY, SPEED RELATED FATALITIES INCREASED
SIGNIFICANTLY, AS DID MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES, WHICH DOUBLED.  
WE MUST DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT BETTER STRATEGIES TO
REDUCE THE TOLL OF MISHAPS ON THE HEALTH AND READINESS
OF OUR CORPS.  
4.  IN PURSUIT OF THIS AIM, THE MARINE CORPS AND THE
CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES ARE COMPLETING A STUDY OF
NON-COMBAT MARINE CORPS FATALITIES.  THE STUDY WILL
FORM THE BASIS FOR NEW STRATEGIES, INCREASING THE ABILITY
OF THOSE IN DIRECT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS TO PROACTIVELY
INTERVENE AND REDUCE FATALITIES AMONG MARINES MOST AT
RISK.  AMONG THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY, DURING THE
LAST HALF OF A MARINE S FIRST YEAR IN THE MARINE CORPS,
HE OR SHE IS AT TWICE THE RISK OF DEATH AS AT OTHER TIMES.  
THE RISK OF DYING IN A MOTOR VEHICLE MISHAP IS TWICE AS
HIGH UPON RETURN FROM DEPLOYMENT.  OTHER INSIGHTS ARE
BEING REFINED, AND THEY WILL BE PROMULGATED SHORTLY.
5.  IN LIGHT OF EMERGING LEADING INDICATORS IN MARINE CORPS
MISHAPS, THE THEME OF THE FIRST QUARTER, FY 2004 IS
 ACCOUNTABILITY:  IF THERE IS A RULE OR LAW, ENFORCE IT. .  
ACCOMPANYING THIS MESSAGE, THE PRINCIPLES OF OPERATIONAL
RISK MANAGEMENT MUST CONTINUE TO BECOME INTEGRAL TO THE
MARINE CORPS  ETHOS.  OUR CULTURE IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST
STRENGTHS, AND IT MUST ENFORCE THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF
MARINES.  WHEN FULLY FOCUSED, NOTHING IS BEYOND OUR GRASP.  
WE CAN, AND MUST DO BETTER IN FY 2004.
6.  SEMPER FIDELIS, M. W. HAGEE, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS,
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.//