The day’s events included a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle and M1151 humvee crew safety inspection, a fun run, safety briefs, an awards ceremony and talent show.
“This was not a reaction to bad things happening, but actually proactive preventative fires. At the 12-month mark, I felt it was a good mark to take a deliberate assault on complacency,” said 41st Fires Bde., and FOB Delta commander Col. Dick Francey.
During the vehicle inspections, crews were judged on a point scale on their roll-over drills, weapons clearance procedures, proper gear storage, vehicle readiness and a written test.
The judges said they noticed good weapons clearing habits among the crews.
“They’ve got that down,” said Sgt. Maj. Robert Norvell, 2nd Battalion, 20th Artillery Regiment operations
Both the MRAP and M1151 crew from 589th Brigade Support Battalion, 41st Fires Bde., took first place in their categories.
“From the get-go, 589th BSB has been at the forefront,” said Spc. Brandon Stringfield, of Palestine, Texas, personal security detachment, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 589th BSB. “We have great (standard operating procedures) and our companies work really well with each other.”
Various safety-related awards were given during the awards ceremony. Spc. Cole Brown, of 1-77 Field Artillery Regiment., received recognition for being the first male to finish the 3K Safety Stand-down Run; Spc. Rachel Penney, of Company B, 589th BSB, won first place among the female runners.
Battery A, 1-77 FA Regt., and Btry. C, 1-21 FA Regt., were both recognized with the Brigade Commander’s Safety of Excellence Award for being free of Class A, B and C ground accidents and preventing the loss of resources for the second quarter of fiscal year 2009. Francey and Command Sgt. Maj. Kelvin Hughes presented the award.
In addition, the batteries of 2-20 FA Regt.; companies of 589th BSB and Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 41st Fires Bde., received the Commanding General’s Organization Safety of Excellence Award, awarded by the now re-deployed 10th Mountain Division command group, Maj. Gen. Michael Oates and Command Sgt. Maj. James Redmore.
One Soldier, Spc. Nathan Alford, of Weatherford, Texas, received the United States Army Guardian Award, awarded by Brig. Gen. William Wolf and the U.S. Army Safety Center, for saving a mother and her baby during a car accident. Alford was on leave at the time and minimized the effect of the mother’s injuries.
The awards ceremony segued into a talent show, won by Cpl. Jon O’Brien, of Boston, 772nd Military Police Company.
