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SAFETY

Safety is always a key concern during tactical operations in peacetime or during combat. Even so, there are serious consequences for those who don't follow basic safety guidelines. During Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM, the climbing level of deaths caused by accidents led one commander to adopt the phrase "Not One More Life". Sleep plans are key to sustained operations. Soldiers need sufficient rest to exercise sound judgment. Unexploded munitions were a source of many preventable deaths during the closing days of Operation DESERT STORM. Soldiers seeking war trophies lost limbs and life. Many soldiers operating in Southwest Asia lost their lives and destroyed property due to excessive vehicle speed.

During the first days of alert notification for Operation DESERT SHIELD, lack of sleep caused problems for units and staffs. Commanders and staffs eventually sorted out schedules and procedures to ensure the ability to sustain continuous operations. This is especially critical for aviation units where crew rest is a major safety consideration. Transportation companies also are a critical concern. Some major commands saw an increase of military police stopping soldiers for apparent DUI. It was discovered that the soldiers were simply exhausted.

Hard-hitting Allied combat forces left many destroyed and partially destroyed vehicles and bunkers in their wake. The battlefield became littered with enemy equipment, weapons, and munitions. Upon cease-fire, many young soldiers sought these items as mementos of their experiences in combat. Although most major commands instituted war trophy programs to control the export of dangerous or intelligence-sensitive items, word about the danger of some of these items spread slowly. Unexploded munitions became a favorite war trophy for some, despite the inherent danger. Educate soldiers on the dangers of unexploded munitions.

Southwest Asia was an immense theater. MSRs were hundreds of miles long. Young soldiers, eager to accomplish their mission and return, raced along MSRs at hazardous speeds. Disastrous traffic accidents occurred with mind numbing frequency. In peace or in war, safety procedures must be followed. Enforce safety in your unit.

Table of Contents
NCO Corner
Acknowledgements