U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army ... · Lady said. “In general I would say...

The EagleU.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command Volume 13, Number 2, February 2006

InsideThe

Eagle Alpha Companycontinually stressessafety, page 11

World War IIHowitzer roundsfound on Carlsonare destroyed inexplosive operationson Illeginni Island,pages 8-9

By Marco MoralesSMDC Public Affairs

Command implements Army safety awareness initiativeGot Risk? CSM Lady explainshow to ‘Own the Edge’

Safety awareness is everyone’s job. Itcuts across all levels of a person’s dailysurroundings whether it’s crossing a busyintersection as a pedestrian in a large cityor enjoying an outing like hiking in thewoods, or getting to and from work in aprivately owned vehicle such as amotorcycle. Safety becomes a key factorfor Soldiers, civilian employees, or familymembers — with regard for each of theirroles in life — be it tactical, technical-professional, or supportive.

At U.S. Army Space and Missile DefenseCommand/U.S. Army Forces StrategicCommand, safety awareness programs willbecome more visible in the near future, somuch so, the Chief of Staff of the ArmyGen. Peter J. Schoomaker stated “...all[Army] leaders will include safetyprograms and tasks in their evaluationreport support forms and counselingsessions.”

Schoomaker recently addressed allgeneral officers in the Army via an urgentelectronic message, stating that “theSecretary of Defense challenged theServices to reduce accidents by 50 percentby the end of fiscal year 2005. Our targetwas 101 mishap fatalities, but we actuallysuffered 302 Soldier deaths due toaccidents. These losses represent asignificant impact on our combat power,and many could have been prevented withgood leadership.”

And SMDC/ARSTRAT hasn’t beenexempt from being part of these Armywide“fatalities and accidents.” Command Sgt.Maj. David Lady, SMDC/ARSTRATcommand sergeant major, spoke abouthow our Command will ensure ourSoldiers and employees are involved insafety awareness programs.

“In the past year, we’ve lost one Soldierto a traffic accident, another Soldier to analcohol-related stunt. It has not affectedthe mission but it has affected their units,their fellow Soldiers, and their families.And that’s what we’ve got to work to fix,”Lady said.

“In general I would say our safety recordis good. We’re a very small command.The loss of one Soldier — if we’re lookingat statistics — sends our statisticsabsolutely haywire,” he said. “I don’t careabout statistics and I don’t believe the CGreally cares about the statistics as such.What we care about is preserving lives,”he said.

“The safety record, given regulardeployments of our detachments, the 24/7missions conducted by our satellite controlcompanies, our theater missile warning

companies, the GMD Brigade andBattalion — in extremely harsh conditionsif we look at Fort Greely in the winter — isan excellent one with regard to ‘onmission’ incidents,” Lady said. “And that’sattributable to small unit leadership andSoldier common sense.

“What is of concern and marks us as not‘head and shoulders above’ other Armyunits is the off-duty related incidentsinvolving traffic and alcohol consumption.We’re not ‘better’ than other organizationsmerely because we’ve had statisticallyfewer of those incidents,” Lady said.

Schoomaker’s message further spelledout how leaders in the Army, from top tobottom, will raise safety awareness.

“We can’t afford to let this become a‘check the box’ requirement. Leadersmust determine how their unit andSoldiers ‘fit’ into programs and campaignsorganized and promoted by The CombatReadiness Center. Leaders should takethese broad agendas and translate them

into specific tasks and objectives suitablefor their unit and mission. This safetyaccountability focus at the leader level,and counseling to see it placed squarelyinto all officer and NCO development, isvital to preserving our most preciousresource, the Soldier.”

Lady complimented Gen. Schoomaker’smessage on safety awareness in that allsenior raters will pass their support formsdown two levels in their chain ofcommand.

“The appropriate level leader – firstsergeant or company commander in thecase of Soldiers assigned to one of ourcompanies or detachments – commandsergeants major, battalion or brigadecommanders – in the case of more seniorSoldiers in leadership positions – mustmeet with every new Soldier and conducta formal reception counseling session,” hesaid.

See Got Risk? on page 10

The Eagle ... is an authorized unofficial newspaper published for military and civilian members of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Commandpublished under the authority of AR 360-1. The editorial style applies the industry standard Associated Press Stylebook. Contents of The Eagle are notnecessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or U.S. Army Space and MissileDefense Command (SMDC). This monthly newspaper uses offset reproduction and has a circulation of 2,250. Reader input is solicited and welcomed;however, no payment will be made for such contributions. For more information about SMDC or to view The Eagle on-line visit our Web site atwww.smdc.army.mil.

Please direct letters and comments to:U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command

ATTN: Editor, The Eagle, P.O. Box 1500,Huntsville, AL 35807-3801

Phone (256) 955-3887 (DSN 645) FAX: 645-1214e-mail: [email protected]

CG DIRECTWant to communicatedirectly with the CG?Call 866-243-4732

Publisher..........................................Lt. Gen. Larry J. DodgenDirector, Public Affairs................................William M. CongoEditor...................................................................Dottie White

Lt. Gen. Larry J. DodgenCommanding General

CSM David L. LadyCommand Sergeant Major

The Command Corner2 The Eagle February 2006

W e are warriors and members of an Army at War. This Army has lost too many Soldiers due to accidents and irresponsible acts.

Too many failures to apply and enforce standards and too littlediscipline are killing Soldiers.

In an effort to refocus safety initiatives, the Army hasredesignated the Army Safety Center as the Combat ReadinessCenter. This is not an advertising gimmick. This is a placing ofproper focus on the “why” behind safety for Soldiers and Departmentof the Army civilians. The goal of all safety initiatives is to bringevery Soldier to the battle, ready for battle.

Preparing Soldiers for battle and leading Soldiers into battle isleader business — first-line leader business. Leaders demonstrateand enforce standards of discipline. Leaders are accountable fortraining their Soldiers. We Soldiers must do extremely risky thingsregularly; we must not be risk averse, but we must be risk aware.Soldiers must analyze the risk and reduce the risk, but continuewith the mission.

The methods of analyzing a training or combat mission for waysto reduce risks prior to execution are methods that are useful toemploy for off-duty “missions” as well. If the mission is to drive tothe next state for a visit with parents, there are factors of time anddistance, weather and route to be considered. There is equipmentto be collected and a vehicle to be checked for serviceability. Thereis a requirement for “crew” rest and health to be considered. All ofthese factors are part of a person’s risk-assessment.

Teaching Soldiers situational awareness and risk reductiontechniques, to be accountable for their acts, and to be self-disciplined is only accomplished by first-line leaders. No matter howmany senior leaders indicate concern, no matter how many staffinitiatives are begun, no matter how many programs are “stood up,”or “tweaked,” the first-line leader and the peers make all thedifference in guiding Soldiers to change behavior and take safetyseriously.

I applaud the safety performance objectives of both our brigadesand insist that all noncommissioned officers become very familiarwith their critical role in implementing these objectives. Theyfocus on creating disciplined, accountable Soldiers who are fullycapable of conducting high-risk training that is not recklesstraining.

Beginning with arrival and integration into the unit, newSoldiers will learn that they are part of a team and that everymember of the team is depending on them to execute their duties.They will learn of the standards of the unit and that they areaccountable for their actions. They will learn that they must beresponsible for their actions and to act professionally at all times.

Training in risk assessment, risk mitigation and in defensivedriving will seek to drive home lessons that are pertinent to allsituations. Interactive training and directed peer-discussions haveproven to be better training than “safety briefings” (which areusually listened to for no more than the first five seconds).

Developmental counseling will include individual riskassessments. High-risk Soldiers will be identified and will receivespecial training to correct their behavior. Annual officer andnoncommissioned officer evaluations will include an evaluation ofthe individual’s own safety success and success in training safelyand in training “safety” to members of their teams.

We are Warriors and members of an Army at War. We cannot berisk-averse. We cannot be reckless. We must build teams ofdisciplined, responsible Soldiers and lead them to victory.

ON POINT!

Our Army is at war and transforming to meet tomorrow’s challenges. High operational tempo and change are the norm, not the exception. Increased exposure to risks is

part of this rapidly changing environment. The Army is deeplycommitted to preserving and enhancing combat power in support ofAmerica’s joint warfighters. Accident avoidance and safety are vitalto this commitment. As emphasized by Dr. Francis J. Harvey,Secretary of the Army, and General Peter J. Schoomaker, Chief ofStaff of the Army, “Personnel and equipment losses adversely affectthe combat readiness of our Army. The loss of even one member ofthe Army Team — Soldier, civilian, or supporting contractor — isunacceptable.”

In recognition that readiness is a 24/7 concept, the Army hastransformed the commonly accepted concept of “safety” to a broader,more holistic view focused on managing ALL risks: those posed byenemy forces, the environment, materiel, and systems. It alsorecognizes that human error is real, it has an impact, and no one isimmune. This concept — Composite Risk Management (CRM) —supplements the narrow focus on safety (i.e. “what you shouldn’t do”)to a consideration of the complete picture of risk.

CRM makes no separation between tactical or nontactical,deployed or nondeployed, and on-duty or off-duty. CRM recognizesthat a loss is a loss, no matter where it happens, and every lossdegrades our readiness and capabilities. It stresses the importanceof managing risk as part of our daily lives. In essence, this holisticview asks, “Based on everything we know, what hazards will we faceand how can we most effectively mitigate the risks?” CRMacknowledges activities and circumstances collateral to theprimary area of concern are major contributors to accidents andloss of life. An example might be, in addition to ensuring seat beltsare fastened and speed limits are observed, the importance ofconsidering the implications of whether a driver took over-the-counter medications and worked a full day before a long drive.These factors may also increase risks.

Risk management is inherently leaders’ business, but it is alsothe business of Soldiers, civilians, managers, contractors, parents,friends, and co-workers…meaning all of us. Gen. Schoomaker hasstressed this with the statement, “Risk management is a 24-hourresponsibility, and Soldiers must be held accountable for theiractions.” As such, we must continually remind ourselves, “MySoldiers/co-workers and their contributions are invaluable.Regardless of the cause, if we lose one individual the result is thesame: the organization suffers. It is my responsibility to know mySoldiers/co-workers and help manage risk.” The same principlesapply to our off-duty lives.

You may ask yourself, “What can I do?” In fact, we can individu-ally and collectively do much, including implementing risk manage-ment outside the work environment and making risk assessmentson a 24/7 basis, not just during “risky” activities. Information iskey. Very simply, knowledge is power. The more you know aboutthe total hazards you (and others) face, the more effectively you canhelp manage the risks. Real power comes from sharing actionableknowledge, managing risk, and operating in such a deliberatemanner that you can “Own the Edge,” consciously balancingmission requirements with prudent and responsible actions.

Our joint warfighters do this now by knowledgeably equippingthemselves with actionable information on a wide variety of factors,including the route, driving conditions, and weather in addition tothe enemy situation, before going out on their assigned missions.An informative pamphlet, entitled “Transforming Safety Processes

See Risk management on page 3

February 2006 The Eagle 3

What We ThinkThe Eagle asks:What measures to improve safety, or help raise safety awareness, do you take in and aroundyour home or while driving a vehicle?

Sandi AskewOffice Automation Asst.Test Support DivisionReagan Test SiteKwajalein Atoll

I have installed alight and horn on mybicycle, so that otherpeople can see meand hear me if theyare distracted. Thelast thing I do beforeI put my bike up forthe evening is lock itwith a padlock, sothat it is secure untilthe next time I needit.

Debra OglesbyAdministrative AssistantReagan Test SiteKwajalein Atoll

Every morning, before Igo to work, I alwaysmake sure that there’snothing obviously wrongwith the mechanics ofmy bike. And since I’mon a bike, I especiallyhave to be in thedefensive mode and beaware of mysurroundings andpedestrians.

Year after year, Soldiers continue to be injured and killed in privately

owned vehicle and Armymotorized vehicle accidents.More Soldiers have died behinda wheel in fiscal year 2005than in each of the previous 14years. Already in fiscal year2006, POV and AMV accidentshave contributed in 67 percentof Army military accidents.This deadly trend is alarmingand must be taken seriously.

The U.S. Army Space andMissile Defense Command/U.S. Army Forces StrategicCommand Safety Office istaking the trend seriously andimplementing programs toreach all of its Soldiers andensure that they are aware ofthe accident hazards involvedwith POVs and AMVs. Basicallythese programs ensure thatthe Soldiers understand and

apply appropriate risk controlmeasures to reduce oreliminate those hazards.

National Safety Council’sDefensive Driving Course

This course is designed toteach people how to avoid acollision, improve defensivedriving skills and even helps tolower auto insurance rates.

The program is the firstnational safety council drivertraining program to beavailable online. It is based onthe content of the NationalSafety Council’s eight-hour,instructor-led course, taken bymore than 45 million people.

The goal of the course is totrain Soldiers in collisionprevention techniques whilepromoting an attitude ofmutual understanding,courtesy and cooperation onthe road.

All SMDC/ARSTRATSoldiers, 26 years and younger,

who operate a POV will takethis course. Also, a decisionwas made by Lt. Gen. Larry J.Dodgen, commanding general,SMDC/ARSTRAT, that allSMDC/ARSTRAT commanderswill take the course. TheSMDC safety office haspurchased 300 user slots forfiscal year 2006.

Army Accident AvoidanceCourse

This course was establishedby the Army InstallationManagement Agency to reduceAMV accidents.

All Soldiers, civilianemployees and contractoremployees who drive Army-owned or leased vehicles mustcomplete the training whenthey start working for theArmy.

In addition, refreshertraining must be completedevery four years. The course iscustomized to each person

using a risk assessment ofdriving behavior and habits.The course is expected tomotivate people to improvedriving skills.

This course is availablethrough AKO (Army KnowledgeOnline).

ASMIS POV RiskAssessment Tool

The ASMIS (Army SafetyManagement InformationSystem) POV risk assessmenttool is an automated riskmanagement initiative thatleverages known accidenthazard information andavailable technology to provideexperience to leaders.

The tool modules aredesigned to help leaders makepractical, informed riskdecisions and implementcontrol measures for high riskdrivers. The tool can be foundat https://safety.army.mil/asmis1.

Defensive driving course to train SoldiersBy Jorge FloresSMDC Safety Office

Connie HannafordTraining AnalystG-1, PersonnelHuntsville, Ala.

At my house, we make surecleaning supplies are out ofthe reach of little ones, andall of our electrical outletshave safety covers on them.We also have a swimmingpool that requires safetymeasures to be in place.I make sure at least oneadult has pool duty whenlittle ones are around, andthere is no running or ridingtoys around the pool area.

Doug BanisterInformation Technology SpecialistPeterson Air Force Base, Colo.

In the home, I ensure thatall doors and windows arelocked and anything mythree-year-old can get herhands on is stowed away,either out of reach orbehind a locked cabinetdoor. While driving I makesure that I am well restedand I am always on thelookout for that “other guy”who is out there on theroad with me.

1st Sgt. Lloyd Wesley1st Space Company1st Space BattalionPeterson Air Force Base, Colo.

To ensure safety in myPOV, the first thing I dois turn off my cell phone.Next, I keep my spousein the passenger seat,while I do the driving.At home, I just stress‘situational awareness’with my 12-year-old sonand my three-year-olddaughter to make themaware of things thatmight hurt them.

Always conduct a 360 degreecheck around your vehicle beforeclimbing in and motoring on yourway, as this mitigates thelikelihood of running overstructures which may causedamage to your vehicle. Thisaction also reduces likelihood ofyou hurting pedestrians, especiallysmall children who can be maskedby a vehicle’s blind spot.Maj. David Reid

Chief, S-3 Future Operations1st Space BrigadeColorado Springs, Colo.

to Improve Combat Readinessand Preserve Combat Power,” isavailable at https://crc.army.mil/crc/CRC_WEB_BROCHURE.pdf.

Our leaders are in the processof incorporating this broaderview of risk management intoour command programs. Partic-ular emphasis is focused on theareas of defensive driving;implementation of job hazardtools and methodology; conductof annual safety stand-downdays; and, most importantly,

leader involvement in enforce-ment, and leading by example.Additional guidance will beprovided through your chain ofcommand. CRM-relatedinformation is also available athttp://www.smdc.army.mil/SAFETY/Safety.html. We needeach and every member of theSMDC/ARSTRAT team tosupport our Nation’s fight.

Moving to another importanttopic, earlier this month theDepartment of Defense pub-lished the Quadrennial DefenseReview (QDR) report. This

comprehensive review chartsthe way ahead for the next 20years as the Nation confrontscurrent and future challengesand our military continues itstransformation for the 21stcentury. The current QDR, thethird such review since 1997and the first of which was con-ducted during a time of war,aims to shift military capabil-ities to fight terrorism and meetother nontraditional, asym-metric threats, while shaping adefense structure better able tosupport and speed up this

reorientation. Concurrently,the QDR recognizes the con-tinued need to defend againstconventional threats, conducthumanitarian missions athome and abroad, and help U.S.allies and partners develop theirown defense capabilities. Abroad understanding of the QDRreport is fundamental to anappreciation of our own wayahead in support of the U.S.Strategic Command and theArmy.

SECURE THE HIGH GROUND!

Risk managementcontinued from page 2

4 The Eagle February 2006

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. —“ALL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNELREPORT TO ASSEMBLY AREAIMMEDIATELY.” By the time this dreadedannouncement was repeated, emergencyresponse personnel at U.S. Army Spaceand Missile Defense Command/U.S. ArmyForces Strategic Command’s High EnergyLaser Systems Test Facility had alreadydeparted for the designated area andbegan to deploy their newly equippedEmergency Response Van. Based onsensor readings of the AtmosphericMonitoring and Detection System, arelease of nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), ahighly toxic gas, had occurred at theTactical High Energy Laser site.Personnel evacuating from the THEL sitealso reported the possibility of a leak inthe hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) system. TheHELSTF Emergency Response Teamquickly implemented its incidentcommand structure to ensure acoordinated response and activated theEmergency Operations Center to supportthe team.

The still air and bright morning sunseemed incongruous with the events thatwere about to unfold. But fortunately,nothing would mar this fine morning inthe New Mexico desert since the abovescenario only served as the backdrop forone of two emergency response drillsconducted at HELSTF during 2005. Thesedrills are an important component inHELSTF’s management of risks inherentin handling and storing toxic andflammable gases and fluids associatedwith chemical laser testing. In operatingTHEL and the Mid-Infrared AdvancedChemical Laser, the world’s most powerfulchemical laser, HELSTF stores andhandles fairly significant amounts ofthese substances. These gases and fluidsare stored in pressurized vessels infacilities essentially similar to those foundin chemical plants.

The primary component in effectivelymanaging risks posed by such a hazardouswork environment is a well-trained andproperly equipped contractor work forcehighly experienced in hazardousoperations. These personnel routinelywork with potentially hazardous systemsand are trained and medically qualified toperform their operations in self-containedbreathing apparatus (SCBA). As a result,they form the nucleus of the HELSTFEmergency Response Team whose primaryresponsibility in an emergency is toisolate systems as quickly as possible to

By Hank PlattNorthrop-Grumman

prevent furtherrelease or spillagethat may endangerpersonnel, equipmentor the environment.

The team respondsin concert withHELSTF FireDepartment andtogether they operateunder a unifiedincident commandstructure. Thecapabilities andequipment of the firedepartment furtherenhance HELSTF’sability to managerisk, particularly interms of personnelrescue and decontamination of personneland equipment.

During the spill-response drill at theTHEL site, the unified commandimmediately assigned personnel toassume the key positions of safety officer,operations officer, logistics officer, entryteam leader, decontamination team leaderand liaison officer. The liaison officer tookup position at the EOC in the undergroundLaser Systems Test Center to coordinateonsite and off-site support required by theemergency response team and to providereporting to regulatory agencies, higherheadquarters and WSMR as dictated by theevolving situation. Team leaders assignedtheir team members and sized theirteams according to the anticipatedresponse requirements.

Based on meteorological reports andwind conditions provided by the HELSTFAtmospheric Sciences Group, the unifiedcommand determined the safe route ofapproach and the location of the controlzones to be used during entry to the spillarea. The fire department commandvehicle and the HELSTF EmergencyResponse Van then deployed to an area asafe distance away from the anticipatedhot zone.

Upon arrival, the operations officerestablished the perimeters for theexclusion zone (hot zone) and determinedthe size and perimeters of thecontamination reduction zone (warm zone)and the support zone (cold zone). Onceemergency exit procedures were definedand access control measures wereimplemented, the unified commandcommenced with planning the response.The safety officer’s plan identified thepersonnel protective equipment requiredto ensure the safety of response personnelin dealing with exposure to NF3 and H2O2.

Meanwhile, theoperations officerand entry teamleader debriefedworkers who hadknowledge of theleaks todetermine theirexact location andoptimumapproach routes.They carefullyreviewed systemdrawings todeterminepotential isolationpoints and thehazardsassociated withlocating theproper valves toisolate the supplyof NF3 and H2O2.

In the warm zone, the fire departmentestablished a three-pond decontaminationline with showers to decontaminatepersonnel upon exit from the hot zone.

After being briefed by the operationsofficer and entry team leader, the entryteam and two back-up personnel weresuited up in Level B protective suits andSCBA. Following coordination between theoperations officer and the unifiedcommand, the entry team entered theTHEL site to investigate and reportconditions found in the area of the leaks.

Using a site drawing prepared by thedebriefed workers, the entry team readilyfound the source of the H2O2 leak. Abroken pipe had resulted in a moderatelysized spill inside a building; however, theentry team was able to avoid exposure tothe spill by isolating a supply valve outsidethe building. They radioed theinformation on the spill to the operationsofficer who relayed it to the liaison officerat the EOC. The team moved on to locatethe NF3 leak which was quickly identifiedby a loud hissing sound caused by a loosefitting. The team located the isolationvalve shown on the site map and closed itto stop the supply of gas. After relaying theinformation to the operations officer, theteam announced their intention to exitthe area. The decontamination team wasin position on the decontamination lineready to receive the exiting team. Uponentering the line, gross cleaning of theteam members and their equipment witha cleaning solution and scrubbing withbrushes commenced in the first pond.

In the second pond, the team wasshowered using a portable ring shower toremove the cleaning agent and anyremaining contaminants.

The team underwent a final rinse inthe third pond and this cleaning wasfollowed by removal of their protectiveclothing which was immediately bagged fordisposal. As a final step, the SCBA wasremoved and the team exited thedecontamination line.

After debriefing the entry team todetermine whether additional clean-up ofthe spill areas required call-out of theWSMR HazMat team, all equipment wascollected and stowed in the EmergencyResponse Van and the fire departmentsupport vehicles.

Two weeks after the response drill, allparticipants met to discuss the lessonslearned during the drill. The deficienciesidentified during these drills form thebasis for the ongoing training of HELSTF’semergency response team. Conductingthis drill twice each year builds confidencein the ability of the team to protect theHELSTF community and the valuableinfrastructure of the nation’s premierlaser test facility.

HELSTF conducts emergency response drills

The HELSTF Emergency Response Van, Fire Department Command Vehicle,fire truck, ambulance, and other support vehicles respond to the TacticalHigh Energy Laser site.

Courtesy photo

Portable shower equipment is used to rinse off the cleaning solution and anyresidual contaminants. Collapsible, portable ponds are used to contain thecontaminated water for subsequent disposal.

Courtesy Photo


SMDC/ARSTRAT Soldiers endeavor to ‘Own the Edge’By Ed WhiteSMDC Public Affairs

See ‘Own the Edge’ on page 11

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. —To be a Soldier is to be part of a lifestylethat is inherently dangerous. It does notmatter whether you are dodging fromcover to cover while in pursuit of alQaeda in Afghanistan, riding down IEDlittered streets in Fallujah, repairingelements of a 52-foot antenna or drivingto a weekend drill. Accidents can stillhappen. Planned attacks continue totake place. Personal safety and thesafety of our Soldiers and civilians in theforce need to be looked at in a totallydifferent light.

This philosophy is called “Owning theEdge” and it has many manifestations.What it means is that training forSoldiers needs to be as realistic aspossible in order to give our force theskill set to engage an enemy under anycircumstances. Many aspects of Soldiertraining are risky and all risks need tobe alleviated.

This concept has been defined by theArmy as Composite Risk Management.It enables every Soldier to “Own theEdge” no matter where they are in thefight. CRM teaches Soldiers how tothink, not what to think and challengesthem to be smart about managing risk.This concept puts individual Soldiers andleaders in control of how far on the edgethey can operate.

“We need to be risk smart, not riskaverse,” said Col. Kurt Story,commander, U.S. Army Space andMissile Defense Command/U.S. ArmyForces Strategic Command’s 1st SpaceBrigade.

The brigade’s three battalions eachhave a unique mission that sends theirSoldiers in harm’s way. The 53rd SignalBattalion (SATCON) provides 24/7worldwide satellite communications insupport of Department of Defense andother government agencies. Thebattalion’s remote sites in Germany andJapan require the Soldiers to accomplisha Force Protection mission as well astheir regular support mission.

The 1st Space Battalion and the 193rdSpace Battalion provide assured spacesupport to the warfighter both in theaterand from remote locations in Germany,Qatar and Korea. This support includessatellite imagery, space weather andearly missile warning. Elements ofthese battalions have been involved inOPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and OPERATION

IRAQI FREEDOM since 2002. They havemaintained a constant presence in Iraqsince the city of Baghdad fell in 2003.

“Since 9/11, this brigade has sufferedthree casualties and the program wehave adopted addresses them all,” Storysaid. “There was a civilian and a Soldierwounded in an insurgent rocket attackon their Baghdad hotel. A JTAGSSoldier, recently returned from Qatar onmid tour leave, died in an accident whilehe was home on leave. With ourprogram, the goal is to keep accidentaldeaths at zero in the future.”

The 1st Space Brigade has adopted afive phase program for safety and riskmitigation for its Soldiers. In phase one,“Reception and Integration,” a newSoldier is identified as coming to theunit and is assigned a sponsor. Thesponsor will be someone in a similarsituation as the newcomer, married,single, similar or the same rank, andsimilar in age. The sponsor can relate tothe new person and help them settle inquickly and effectively. A welcome letter

from the chain of command is also sentto the newcomer and it reminds thatperson about risk mitigation whiletraveling to the new duty station. Thesponsor will greet the new Soldier andhis family within 24 hours of his arrivalto the unit. The newcomer will receive abriefing about the command, thecommander’s philosophy and the conceptof “Owning the Edge” is one of theprimary points of this briefing. This iswhere the attitude for safetyaccountability begins to be instilled inthe newcomer. Some safety courses areavailable to the newcomer as well. Theyinclude the Guardian Angel Program,Motorcycle Mentorship Program and aDefensive Driving Course

In Phase two, “Prepare for Combat —Own the Edge,” the newcomer isintegrated into the unit’s trainingschedule and is provided tough, realistictraining that is warrior focused and

essential to success on the modernbattlefield. This training instills theconcept that the unit is not risk averse,but risk smart in all its training modes.This time, the Soldier’s family isintegrated and offered support throughthe unit’s Family Readiness Group.

Phase three, “Deploy to Combat,”prepares the Soldier and his or herfamily for a deployment, emphasizingrisk assessment and mitigation andfamily support while the Soldier is gone.

In Phase four, “Redeployment andReintegration,” the Soldier is welcomedback and aided in safely and easilyrejoining his or her family. Leadersaddress family reunion issues, healthrisks and suicide prevention at thistime. They also address how torecognize and mitigate the “Sense ofInvincibility” that comes back with someSoldiers. This phase is one in which theSoldier is helped by the unit to rejoin thecommunity and to do it smoothly,efficiently and effectively.

In Phase five, “Safety Sustainmentand Owning the Edge,” the Soldierbecomes responsible for maintainingsafety awareness in all that he does.This phase actually runs through all thephases in that in this phase the Soldierlives by the Soldier’s Creed and theWarrior Ethos.

The program is unique because thebrigade has such diverse elements. The1st Space Battalion has a constantpresence in Iraq and the SouthwestAsian Theater. The 193rd SpaceBattalion is a reserve component andhas a similar presence in the fight inOPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM and also has adifferent set of safety challenges.Finally, the 53rd Signal Battalion(SATCON) has its own set of uniquechallenges due to the nature of itsmission and the equipment it operates.

“In the 1st Space Battalion, safety is awatchword. We have people deployed inharm’s way and our safety concerns for

them range from the proper weaponstraining, in case they find themselves ina situation, all the way to hydration andmental health,” said Lt. Col. Lee Gizzi,1st Space Battalion commander. “Weowe our Soldiers the best training wecan give them prior to deployment sothey can survive any situation they maycome against. We also owe it to them toensure that they make safety a part oftheir lifestyle, including safety around offtime as well. Things like drinking anddriving everyone knows about, but it isimportant to remind our Soldiers about itover holidays. We want our Soldiers tolook out for each other and themselves.We want them to clearly assess andmake smart decisions about the risksinvolved in any activity or event. Wewant them to do this all day, every day asa matter of course. That is what we arestriving for,” said Gizzi.

The 1st Space Battalion’s plan reflectsthe brigade’s plan to support its Soldiersfrom the time they learn a person isassigned to the battalion until they leavethe unit. This program constantlyemphasizes the safety aspects of both onand off duty activities.

“A lot of Soldiers, especially thosereturning from the war have a particularsense of invulnerability,” said CommandSgt. Maj. Kevin McGovern. “It comesfrom the heightened sixth sense that isdeveloped during a tour of duty in awartime environment.”

As the Soldier is reintegrated backinto his or her family, and comes back toa safe environment with a normalroutine, the sense of awareness tends tofade while the attitude of invincibilitymay remain. The battalion’s programincludes regular briefings anddiscussions by the leadership about bothon and off duty risk mitigation.

“We get constant reports on individualaccidents and trends perceived by theCombat Readiness Center,” McGovernsaid. “The first sergeants will read theseoff in formation and then personalize theinformation to the troops. For instance,if there is a report on a motorcycleaccident, they will ask who is about thesame age as the Soldier in the report.They will ask who rides motorcycles anddiscuss what could have been done toprevent the accident.”

The “Sense of Invincibility”phenomenon is not just limited to theSoldiers coming back from a war zonedeployment. It can also be present inthose who routinely handle dangeroussituations successfully. The program ofthe 193rd Space Battalion is uniquebecause the Citizen-Soldiers in the unitregularly travel long distances for drillsafter working a full week in theircivilian jobs.

“We must keep this in the forefront ofthe minds of our leaders and Soldiers,”said Lt. Col. Scot Cuthbertson, 193rdSpace Battalion commander. “Ourconstant effort is to ensure that we doeverything we can to instill the safetymindset and to ensure we mitigate riskfor these Soldiers.”

To this end, every Soldier is requiredto complete the National HighwayTransportation and SafetyAdministration’s online driver safetyprogram within the first six months ofassignment to the unit. Leaders areheld accountable for this training and itis tracked all the way to theheadquarters of the National GuardBureau.

“A lot of Soldiers,especially those returningfrom the war have aparticular sense ofinvulnerability,”

— Command Sgt. Maj.Kevin McGovern

1st Space Brigade


LANDSTUHL, Germany — One of thesaddest tales that can ever be told is theaccount of the young, capable Soldier whofights bravely and honorably for freedomand all that is great, but then returns tothe home front only to find his or herself avictim of a preventable accident. It is atear-jerking story that should make everyleader of character who is charged withthe safety and welfare of a Soldier toss andturn at night. Only those leaders whohave ensured their Soldiers have beenproperly educated and briefed about thedangers that face them on and off dutybased on an accurate risk assessmentdeserve to sleep soundly.

The leaders of Charlie Company, 53rdSignal Battalion (SATCON), like to believethey are such leaders. As a unit, CharlieCompany generally uses a two-prongedattack with respect to safety: privatelyowned vehicle and electrical.

During the third and fourth quarters offiscal year 2004, Charlie Company led the1st Space Brigade in POV accidents withsix—three of which were rollovers. Theunit’s safety personnel became activelyengaged in determining the causes andsolutions to this obvious and real threat toSoldier safety.

As a result, the unit issued a number ofsafety initiatives designed to prevent sucha terrible situation from ever occurringagain. The first of these initiatives wasan additional check added to the unit’sPOV inspection checklist. The supervisorbecame responsible for checking thespeed rating on his Soldiers’ vehicles andensuring the Soldiers understood whatthat speed rating meant and how it im-pacted their ability to drive at certainspeeds and under certain conditions.

The second initiative was a revamp ofthe safety classes given to Soldiers duringthe unit’s monthly command informationcall. Rather than brief a set of slides thathad been handed down from past briefers,the Soldier giving the class was encour-aged by the unit’s leadership to be creativeand original in his presentation.

The company also began to utilize theSoldiers within the unit who have provento be both mechanically and safety minded

to instruct theunit on what theyneed in order toremain safe onthe Germanroads. The CIclasses alsobecame a forumfor ideas and achance for se-niors to shareadvice and expe-rience withjuniors.

The safetypersonnel evenwent out andfound winter andsummer drivingsafety videos toreinforce thelessons beingtaught during theclasses. The “sowhat” being thatCharlie Companyhas gone from leading in POV accidentslast year to having only one this year.

As a job hazard, Charlie Company mustalso focus on electrical safety. The opera-tions floor is full of equipment with resis-tors and capacitors that Soldiers musttroubleshoot and perform preventivemaintenance on. There is also theelevated equipment room.

While there have been no electricalsafety incidents in Charlie Company’srecent history, the consequences of suchan incident warrants great attention fromthe unit’s leadership.

Therefore, as with the POV safety, theunit integrated electrical safety classesinto the CI call forum with the sameinnovative approach. The battalion wasable to help the unit immensely by procur-ing numerous grounding straps for theunit and a brand new defibrillator in caseall of the unit’s safety efforts did fail.

While POV and electrical safety are theprimary focus for the unit, numerousother safety topics are discussed andtaught. Some of these subjects includehazardous material, proper lifting tech-niques, physical fitness training safetyand fire safety. The unit also remainsvigilant by being proactive.

Capt. Marcus WhiteUnit Reporter

Charlie Company focuses on safety tactics

Photo by Spc. Joshua Plyler

Staff Sgt. Darren Haynes tests one of the workstations just added to CharlieCompany, 53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON)’s, operations floor as part of theODOCS upgrade as two members of the install team look on.

At least once a year, the commanderarranges for a representative from theArmy Center for Substance Abuse to comeout to the unit and perform a Unit RiskInventory. The URI is designed to screenfor high-risk behaviors and attitudesamong Soldiers that could compromiseunit readiness.

The inventory asks questions related toalcohol and drug use issues and other riskfactors linked to substance abuse, such asdriving while intoxicated, domestic vio-lence, suicide, crime, personal and unitrelationships, perception of the Armyenvironment, and financial problems. Itthen takes the results and compares theunit to the corresponding installation andthe entire Army Risk Reduction Programto give the commander an idea of wherepotential problems are and areas of focusshould be.

The war on preventable accidents is awar the Army cannot afford to lose. Pre-ventable accidents degrade not only uniteffectiveness but taps the Army of its mostprecious resource, the people. Leadersneed to be proactive and exhibit the char-acter the Army expects and the Soldierdepends upon, but most of all, they mustbe safe.

Safety Campaign strives to ‘Own the Edge’By Ann EricksonArmy News Service

FORT RUCKER, Ala. — TheArmy Combat ReadinessCenter’s safety campaign “Ownthe Edge” is in full swing.

Since the CRC campaign’sstart in October, it has beeneducating Soldiers on how tobetter manage risk to safelyaccomplish their combat ortraining missions and off-dutyactivities.

It is part of the CompositeRisk Management program tohighlight the criticalimportance of safetyconsciousness for Soldiers,said CRC officials. The goal ofthe campaign is to improvecombat readiness of theindividual Soldier, wherebypreserving total combat poweracross the Army’s formations.

James Coleman, CRCcommand informationmanager, said his organizationis moving forward fast andfurious because a Soldier diesfrom an accident every 32hours.

“We want Soldiers toacknowledge CRM in every-thing they do,” he said.

CRM is designed tohelp teach Soldiers how tothink and not what to think,Coleman said.

The “Own the Edge”campaign consists of a two-partstrategy. One is audience-

specific, targeting threeseparate groups: seniorleaders, middle leaders andjunior leaders/Soldiers, eachemphasizing the impact andimportance of their actions.

The other strategy isknowledge-based: emphasizingCRC tools and programs tosupport and improve thecommander’s CRM program.

As the CRC continues toserve as a knowledge center forloss across the Army and studydeaths to determine rootcauses, CRC officials said thefollowing trends emerge:Junior leaders are the onesmaking decisions “where therubber meets the road” thatdetermine safe execution orunnecessary loss.

And failure to apply andenforce the most basicstandards and indiscipline is

killing Soldiers.The measurement tool for

how the campaign is doing canbe seen in the number ofSoldier fatalities, Colemansaid. CRC develops anddisseminates weekly “GotRisk?” posters summarizingthe preliminary loss reports forthe previous week.

“We are aggressivelyworking to stop the fatalityarrow and move it in the otherdirection,” Coleman said.

CRC is using variousmethods to get the messageout about this campaign. Hard-hitting video clips depict high-risk activities, for instance,and celebrities have beenfilmed providing safetymessages.

More information about thesafety campaign can be foundat https://crc.army.mil.


Safety comes first in Echo CompanyBy 1st Lt. Jason ShinUnit Reporter

FORT BUCKNER, OKINAWA, Japan —Echo Company Soldiers always have safetyin mind. Though there are many systemsin place to ensure a safe workenvironment, the most important factor isthat safety programs are implemented,enforced and the importance emphasizedby all Soldiers in the unit.

An important part of Echo Company’ssafety program that is specific to Okinawais water safety and preventing heatinjuries.

Every week, all Soldiers receive the“Weekend Dive Report” that identifiesdanger zones and expected conditions forvarious dive sites and useful tips thatfocus on safety in water sports.

The current sea conditions are alsoavailable on American Forces Network orvia an automated answering machine.Service members are prohibited fromentering the water when the sea conditionis red.

Echo Company also conducts drown-proofing classes. Due to the tropicallocation of Okinawa, the heat category isposted and all Soldiers receive a class onpreventing heat injuries. They alsoreceive cardio pulmonary resuscitationtraining. (All Soldiers must be CPRcertified by the American Red Cross.)

To ensure vehicular safety, privately

owned vehicleinspections areperformed monthly bythe leadership andsafety briefings areconducted before allholidays and weekends.

Additionally, defen-sive driving classes aretaught during monthlycommand informationcalls, and all Soldiersare informed that theycan always call for aride when they havebeen drinking. Theresult is that EchoCompany has not hadan injury due to a trafficaccident or a driving-under-the-influenceincident in more thanthree years.

Safety is always the focus whetherSoldiers are working shift or on leave inthe states. In the workplace, the safetynoncommissioned officer ensures thesafety board is fully equipped and quicklyidentifies and corrects any hazards.Automatic electronic defibrillators andcombat lifesaver bags are easily accessibleto all Soldiers at all times.

Before a Soldier’s leave is approved,they must conduct an individual riskassessment that is reviewed by the

commander. It is an opportunity for theleadership to identify any potential risksand ensure that measures are put inplace before the Soldier goes on leave.

These are just a few examples of EchoCompany’s safety program. The programis much more than just paperwork andcompliance. The best part of the programis its ability to constantly improve byidentifying new risks, implementingsuggestions by Soldiers and leaderemphasis.

1st Lt. Jason Shin performs monthly vehicle inspections as part of EchoCompany, 53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON)’s safety program.

Photo by Sgt. Daniel Cox

Bravo Company stresses importance of safetyBy Bravo Company53rd Signal Battalion(SATCON)

FORT MEADE, Md. — Safety iseverywhere at Bravo Company,but 1st Lt. Matthew Kisner, Sgt.Mary Kiser and Sgt. ZacharyStrausser are the subjectmatter experts when it comesto safety at Bravo Company,53rd Signal Battalion(SATCON).

Their mission is to bringsafety to the forefront of everySoldier’s mind and ensureeveryone in the company has asafe working environment. Tothat end, they maintain aSafety Program that includestraining, inspections and riskassessments.

In order to be a safety officerwith Bravo Company, a Soldiermust attend a 40-hour block ofinstruction from the SafetyOffice on Fort Meade. Once theclass is completed, additionalduty orders are signed by thecompany commander, whichmakes it official.

Once it is official, the safetyofficer must do an initialwalkthrough of the entirebuilding, ensuring no safetyhazards are present. After-ward, a report of their findingsand their plan to fix them mustbe submitted to the companyexecutive officer. If the newsafety officer does not find anydeficiencies, a plan must besubmitted on how they willconduct their safety program.

Bravo Company takes safetyseriously; that is why safetyofficers are chosen by thecommand team.

During every monthlycommand information call,Capt. Jermaine Sutton, BravoCompany commander, talksabout safety and how importantit is to do risk assessments,whether it is a formal riskassessment or just a review ofthe activities in the Soldier’shead.

“We must be prepared forthe worst and hope for thebest,” said Sutton. In additionto Sutton’s discussions,periodic training classesare given, whichinclude water andboat safety, winterdriving safety, andvarious everydayactivities that posehazards. Classesmaintainawareness of issuespertaining to theweather conditionsor training situa-tions at hand.

Monthly walk-throughs identifyhazards within thebuildings of BravoCompany. A safetyboard is accessiblein the work area,providing quickaccess to thePersonal ProtectiveEquipmentnecessary to protect

against bodily injury, such asgloves, face masks and hearingprotection. Inspections ensurePPE items, such as eye washstations and fire extinguishers,are in good working conditionin the event they are needed.

“I’m proud of our safetyprogram because it is verythorough and comprehensive,”said Strausser, an alternatesafety noncommissionedofficer.

When it comes to ranges andmissions, safety is a largeconcern for the unit. Asses-sing and managing risksthrough the risk managementsystem helps ensure mission

success while reducinghazards to personnel andequipment.

The Bravo Company safetyofficers play a role in theinstallation of the new equip-ment in the Defense SatelliteCommunications SystemOperations Centers. Exposedwiring, heavy lifting, and slip,trip and fall hazards all need tobe managed to keep personnelsafe during the installationproject. With all the excite-ment, extra personnel on siteand normal operations goingon, safety cannot be pushed tothe wayside. Safety iseveryone’s responsibility.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Solo

1st Lt. Matthew Kisner, Bravo Company, 53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON), checks the fireextinguishers every month to ensure they are serviceable.

Through training, inspections, risk assessments


World War II Howitzer rounds found on Carlson are dBy Mike MooreUSAKA Safety Officer

UXO is stored on sandbags to preventmovement during transport to the landingcraft.

View of Illeginni Island as a second shot of high explosDisposal team.

UXO is prepared to be destroyed. Theaverage weight of each UXO was about 100pounds.

Steve Fuchs, Mike Moore and Travis McDiffett try to dislodge howitzer rounds from the water.Most of the rounds were encrusted in the reef and had to be pried out.

An island guide leads the team to a shallow water location off CarlsonIsland.

On Sept. 15 and 16 theExplosive Ordnance Disposalteam from Kwajalein helpedmake the island of Carlson asafer place for fishermen.

In August 2005, CarlsonIsland elders contacted the U.S.Army Kwajalein Atoll HostNations Office with a request tohave USAKA and KwajaleinRange Services EOD come totheir island to look at a“torpedo.” The islanders wereconcerned about their safety,and the location allowed accessto island children swimming inthe lagoon waters.

The team arrived on Aug. 10,coordinated with island eldersand was shown a shallow reefsite on the lagoon side.

The team walked out ontothe reef and retrieved theunexploded ordnance — a“torpedo” that became four 4.5inch barrage rockets and arocket warhead.

These naval weapons wereused in the WWII bombardmentof Kwajalein during OPERATION

FLINTLOCK. OPERATION FLINTLOCK

began Jan. 31, 1944. Duringthe first two days, more than2,000 tons of ordnance wasdropped or fired from Navyaircraft, ships and Armyartillery positioned on CarlsonIsland for the invasion ofKwajalein Island. CarlsonIsland had the largest U.S.occupation force and was usedas a fire support base for theKwajalein attack.

The rockets and warheadwere safely transported offisland for disposal. The teamwas then taken to an off-shore“fishing ground” used by theCarlson Islanders and wasshown unexploded ordnancelying on a shallow reef.

According to TravisMcDiffett, unexploded ordnancetechnician, the team wastransported to the reef by theManassas, a landing craft, then

traveled by Zodiacs, ridgedinflatable boats, to the sitewhere the rounds were found.

Upon investigation, 36 155-mm Howitzer rounds werediscovered resting on the reefbottom.

It was suspected that a Navylanding craft may have gotten“stuck” on the reef and dumpedthe rounds overboard toextricate themselves. Therounds were unfired and stillhad their shipping plugsscrewed into the fuse wells. Some of the 155-mm roundswere in clean shape whileothers were encrusted withcoral growth. The averageweight of each UXO was 100pounds.

The team knew removingthis UXO from the reef wouldbe challenging, and a plan hadto be developed. Using the U.S.Army Field Manual (FM) 100-14, Risk Management, andcivilian contractor job hazardanalyses, known and potentialrisks were identifiedculminating in a course ofaction. METT-T was also used: Mission: Safely retrieve,transport, and destroy CarlsonIsland UXO.Enemy: Weather, tides, heavylifting, dehydration, explosives.Terrain: Shallow reef withtidal currents.Troops: KRS and USAKAsupport personnel.Time Available: Per ReaganTest Site (RTS) range scheduleand mission dictated.

Personnel, equipment andmarine vessels becameavailable for use in September.Favorable tides and weatherconditions set Sept. 15 and 16dates for mission accomplish-ment.

During the recovery phase,rope “bridles” tied around theUXO were used along with atwo-man lift to transfer therounds from the reef bottominto a Zodiac boat. Much of theUXO had coral growth; non-slipgloves provided grip and hand

protection. The UXO wasstored on sandbags to preventmovement during transportfrom the Zodiacs to the landingcraft that waited off the reefshelf in deeper water.

All UXO was safely off-loadedonto an EOD truck which waspre-positioned on board theManassas. Upon completion,the Manassas departed CarlsonIsland for Illegini Island wherethe approved UXO demolitionsite is located. The totalMarine Department assetsused were two Zodiacs, onelanding craft, and one searchand rescue boat. Vessel transitto Illegini was three hours; theteam remained overnight forrest and preparation for thenext day’s demolitionoperation.

On Illegini, an island sweepwas made to ensure no onewas in the danger area prior tothe demolition; the search andrescue boat performed an off-shore check to keep vesselsaway; pre-demolitionannouncements were madeone week in advance in TheKwajalein Hourglass (USAKA’snewspaper); TV roller safetyannouncements to theKwajalein community weredisplayed in English andMarshallese; telephone andradio notifications were madeto the Kwajalein HarborControl, Small Boat Marina,Base Operations, and theKwajalein Airfield for marineand airspace safety; and firefighting equipment and first-aid kits were on hand at

Illegini Island for KRS EOD/USAKA Safety use.

Three separate “shots” werecompleted destroying all 36155-mm Howitzer rounds. Thiswas a safety success with noinjuries and no property orequipment loss. This mission

took two moninvolved shoassets, and iof USAKA aninclude localMarshall Isla

The safetyfrom this ev


destroyed in explosive operations on Illeginni Island

The team ties rope “bridles” around the UXO for a two-man assisted lift intoZodiac boats.

sives is fired to destroy the Howitzer rounds recovered by the Kwajalein Explosive OrdnancePhotos courtesy of EOD

UXO is loaded and placed onto EOD trucks for the final trip to the demolition site on Illegini Island.

The crew of this search and rescue boat prepares to perform off-shorechecks to keep vessels away.

onths to complete,hore- and sea-basedd included a mixture and KRS personnel tocal Republic of theIslands workers.ety lessons learned event were many:

• Use FM 100-14; it works and applies to a wide range ofArmy operations;• Accept analyzed risk and apply the Course of Action;• Synergy is created when safety professionals worktogether with those “in the field;”• Visit your Soldiers and employees. See where thehazards are;• Safety is nonnegotiable — on and off duty.


D Company prepares for biannual safety trainingBy Capt. Ryan R. RenkenUnit Reporter

CAMP ROBERTS, Calif. — Inthe fall, the Delta Diablos of the53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON)conducted a Safety Week,which is part of their biannualsafety program.

The idea behind SafetyWeek was to train the Soldierson realistic emergencies thatmight arise and check theirreadiness. “The whole weekprior, we had briefed all theSoldiers to remember that thecompany was going to beconducting a Safety Week,” theDelta Company commander,Capt. Conway Lin, remarked.“We told them something wasgoing to happen. We just did nottell them when.”

Sgt. David Engelhardt, DeltaCompany’s safety noncommis-sioned officer, planned foursafety-related scenarios:earthquake, heart attack,electrocution and fire.

“With some of the scenarios,the company safety standardoperating procedures laid out

step-by-step instructions forthe Soldiers to follow,”Engelhardt remarked. “Withsome of the scenarios, like theelectrocution one, the Soldiershad to think for themselves onwhat steps they needed totake.”

After each squad had beentested by Engelhardt, they wereevaluated by the companycommander and first sergeant,who were pleased with theperformance of their Soldiers.

“We did a great job. However,I know we can do better,” Linremarked. “Since this is bian-nual training, our FebruarySafety Week addressed recog-nizing an emergency better.”

All of the squads had troublecatching on that they werebeing assessed and tested withthe first scenario. After thefirst scenario, all of the squadsunderstood what washappening and performedsuperbly.”

“We validated our safety SOPand the training we had beengiving our Soldiers,” Sgt. 1stClass Alfredo Martinez stated.

Spc. David Barnett, right, observes Sgt. David Engelhardt demonstrating theproper use of the safety hook on Spc. William Wilson, a suspected electro-cution victim, during Delta Company, 53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON)’ssafety training.

Photo by Capt. Ryan R. Renken

February’s training willencompass some of the oldscenarios and some new ones.

“People do not realize thatthe temperatures here atCamp Roberts, Calif., can get

below freezing in the morningsduring the winter months. Wewill be including some coldweather-related safetyscenarios for the Soldiers toovercome,” Lin stated.

Lady says there is a need to educate theSoldier and civilian employee on thestandards of the unit or organization. Thisis most effectively done on a one-on-onebasis. “The thrust of General Dodgen’sinitiative on ‘owning the edge’ and makingsafety a more obvious part of our Soldiers’reception and integration into theCommand is to emphasize the highstandards of the organization and theSoldier’s responsibility for his or herself,the mission, and their buddies,” Lady said.

“We are convinced that enforcement ofsafety standards begins with the leadersdemonstrating and enforcing discipline.The only way that we can convey thecritical nature of preserving your own life,your partner’s life, and accomplishing themission, is to come face to face witheveryone – emphasize from thebeginning,” Lady said, adding, “This is notan additional program that we add to beinga Soldier, this is fundamental to being aSoldier. Enforcing of safety standardswhile accomplishing missions is based ondiscipline, leader responsibility and good,self-and-mission awareness.”

Patricia Vittitow, SMDC/ARSTRATsafety director, said our Command hasdeveloped the following performanceobjectives based on the CSA’s message tothe Army.• Reception and integration of Soldiersinto the Command

— Conducted face to face bycommanders and command sergeantsmajor

— Leaders clearly outline Soldierexpectations, individual responsibilitiesand conduct initial counseling

— Reinforced by first line supervisors• Total leader involvement, buy-in,accountability at all echelons

— Incorporate safety comments into allleader counseling sessions to includeOER/NCOER counseling

— Hold leaders accountable to thelowest level for Soldiers’ performance on

and off duty— Take safety outside the work

environment— Conduct individual Soldier safety

assessments on a 24/7 basis— Emphasize safety with family

readiness groups; incorporate safety intofamily events

— Empower Soldiers to raise the red flagon perceived safety problems

— Recognize Soldiers who step up andidentify problems

— Build on basic Soldiers and leaderresponsibilities through professionaldevelopment and safety specific training• Pre-deployment training and postdeployment reintegration

— Train and exercise leaders to assessand mitigate risk

— Develop specific tools/programs toexpose and prepare Soldiers for risk

— Tailor safety training to specific riskfactors based on mission and specificgeographical region

— Reinforce basic Soldier and leaderresponsibilities

“I think risk assessment and riskreduction are also an important part of thesafety awareness program,” Lady said.“While we, as Soldiers, are asked to do anenormous amount of very risky things,every Soldier and every leader has aresponsibility of looking at the mission,analyzing the risk and danger, reducingthe risk and danger, as much asreasonable, and then going ahead toaccomplish the mission,” he said.

“We’re about ‘mission accomplishment,’Lady said. “We go into hostile zones anddeadly situations but we go in with theidea that we’re going to accomplish themission and preserve as much Americanlife as possible. And that requiresawareness, analysis, mitigation, but thenaction — we don‘t become risk-converse.We accomplish the mission but reduce therisk to preserve combat power and wemove out smartly.”

The U.S. Army Combat ReadinessCenter has developed an awareness

campaign that basically states, “Got Risk?Own the Edge...” as it applies to compositerisk management.

To best understand the SafetyAwareness Program’s definition of termson risk management in the Army, beloware safety awareness terms from theCRC’s public Web site at https://crc.army.mil:• Risk Management - The process ofidentifying and controlling hazards toprotect the force.• Control - Action taken to eliminatehazards or reduce their risk.• Hazard - Any real or potential conditionthat can cause injury, illness, death ofpersonnel, damage to or loss of equipmentor property, or mission degradation.• Risk - Chance of hazard or badconsequences; exposure to chance ofinjury or loss. Risk level is expressed interms of hazard probability and severity.• Exposure - The frequency and length oftime subjected to a hazard.• Probability - The likelihood that anevent will occur.• Severity - The expected consequence ofan event in terms of degree of injury,property damage, or other missionimpairing factors (loss of combat power,adverse publicity, etc.) that should occur.• Risk Assessment - The identificationand assessment of hazards (first two stepsof the risk-management process).• Residual Risk - The anticipated level ofrisk remaining after controls have beenidentified and selected for hazards thatmay result in loss of combat power.• Risk Decision - The decision to acceptor not accept the risk(s) associated withan action; made by the commander,leader, manager, or individual responsiblefor performing that action.

Soldiers and civilian employees maylearn more about what SMDC/ARSTRAT isdoing to “Own the Edge” on safety at:http://www.smdc.army.mil/SAFETY/Safety.html

Got Risk?Continued from page 1


Alpha Company continually stresses safetyBy Sgt. Christopher WrightUnit Reporter

FORT DETRICK, Md. — Safety is a toppriority for Alpha Company, 53rd SignalBattalion (SATCON). Part of the unit’ssafety program is ensuring that AlphaCompany is in compliance with theBattalion’s training guidance, as well asthe U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center,whose primary focus is preventing Soldierlosses.

As the unit’s safety noncommissionedofficer, Sgt. Clayton Tuttle has worked toensure that Alpha Company instructs andenforces safety throughout the year.

Once a month, the company gathers asa whole and focuses on different safetyrelated topics. These areas cover a widerange of topics including first aid, safewinter driving, hot and cold weatherinjuries, water safety, electrical safety,and privately owned vehicle safety.

Although there is usually a yearlyrequirement to provide the training, AlphaCompany instructs the majority of thesafety topics on a quarterly basis. “Givenour mission and the high-poweredequipment we work with on a daily basis,we cannot emphasize safety enough, bothprevention and treatment,” says Tuttle.

When a Soldier first arrives at AlphaCompany, part of his in-processingchecklist involves receiving safetyfamiliarization training. A Soldier is notallowed to start working on the operationsfloor until receiving this instruction fromTuttle.

Tuttle familiarizes new Soldiers withthe unit’s safety board and the proper usesof all safety equipment. The Soldiers alsolearn where all emergency equipment islocated, such as fire extinguishers and theautomated external defibrillator (AED),used for treating cardiac arrest.

The number one killer ofSoldiers however, is vehicularaccidents, so in addition toreceiving classes on safedriving, Alpha Companyconducts near monthly POVinspections. One week prior toany training holiday, 100percent of the company’svehicles are thoroughlyexamined, and any deficienciesare noted on a checklist. Thisgives the service member oneweek’s time to correct anyunsafe problem with theirvehicle. Drinking and driving is themost revisited safety topic forthe company (at least once a

Pfc. Michael Jufer prepares to perform mouth-to-mouth breathing during a cardio pulmonaryresuscitation class.

Photos by 1st Lt. Patrick Smith

Sgt. Clayton Tuttle familiarizes new Soldier Pfc. Josef Vasquezwith the safety board.

month, and an initial briefing by thecommander and first sergeant for newlyarrived Soldiers). All Soldiers in the unithave a commander/first sergeant DUIcard, which allows them the opportunity tocall anyone in the chain of command atany time for a ride if they are inebriated,no questions asked.

An additional safety measure isensuring that the company is 100 percentqualified in cardio pulmonaryresuscitation throughout the year. Withinthe company, there are four American RedCross certified instructors—Sgt. StephenWarde, Sgt. Stuart Ransom, Sgt. AlexanderWhite and Staff Sgt. David Barrentine. Byalways maintaining 100 percent CPRqualification within the unit, AlphaCompany is constantly prepared with theproper lifesaving steps to respond to anemergency situation.

Through both knowledge in theprevention of accidents and the skillsrequired to treat them, Alpha Company iscontinually addressing safety andmaintaining a state of vigilance.

‘Own the Edge’Continued from page 5

“Safety is integrated intoeverything we do,”Cuthbertson said. “It is not aseparate program, and wedon’t treat it as such. Ourgoal is to apply riskmanagement and mitigationinto everything we do. Wehave been very fortunatebecause we have operated atan extremely high operationaltempo for a traditionalNational Guard battalion andhave had no major incidents.This is a direct result ofleaders at all levels beingsafety aware and owning theedge.”

The 53rd Signal Battalion(SATCON) has an entirelydifferent set of safetychallenges and has theunique additional challenge ofadministering and monitoringa program for sites spreadaround the globe. The nature

of the workplace requires thatSoldiers in the battalion beacutely aware of the hazardsof working around huge banksof electronic equipment andmaintaining large, tallantennas.

“Safety is everybody’sbusiness,” said 53rd SignalBattalion Commander, Lt. Col.Hae Sue Park. “Ouroperations centers are filledwith high powered electricalequipment and electrocutionpresents the most dangerousaspect of the job. On everyOperations Center equipmentfloor, we have installedelectrocution safety kits toinclude automaticdefibrillators. All of ourSoldiers are trained to usethis equipment,” she added.

The battalion’s safetyprogram is doing wellaccording to Park. Leaders atall levels are constantlyanalyzing the changing

conditions and modifying orupdating safety relatedactivities and passing themessage to the Soldiers.

“My Soldiers are makingsafety a part of everyday life,”Park said. “Risk assessmentsare key. The formal structureand the exercise of engagingin this process remind theindividual of what theyinherently know are therisks. Mitigation followsassessment and the day-to-day training and the operationof the sites is safe withoutbeing risk averse. Remindersare a good thing.”

Army Chief of Staff, Gen.Peter J. Schoomaker hasprovided impetus and solidbacking for the “Own theEdge” approach to riskassessment and mitigation intraining and duringoperations.

“We can’t afford to let this(safety) become a ‘check the

box’ requirement,”Schoomaker said. “Leadersshould take these broadagendas and translate theminto specific tasks andobjectives suitable for theirunit and mission. This safetyaccountability focus at theleader level, and counseling tosee that it is placed squarelyinto all officer and NCOdevelopment, is vital topreserving our most preciousresource, the Soldier.”

Echoing Schoomaker’sinitiative and supportingSMDC/ARSTRAT’scommanding general, Lt. Gen.Larry Dodgen and hiscommitment to the program,Command Sgt. Maj. DavidLady said, “Safety needs to beconsidered an Army value, itneeds to be inherent in allthat we do because it meanscompleting the mission andbringing our Soldiers backsafely from harm’s way.”


Alcohol safety awarenessBy Sgt. William ValentinUnit ReporterSCHREIVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo.— When thinking about alcoholsafety, some of the questions onemight ask are: What is the legalblood alcohol content level in mystate? Who is going to be thedesignated driver if I drink? Howmany drinks can I have before I amconsidered under the influence?

These are very importantquestions to know the answers to,but there are many preconceivednotions about alcohol. Many of themare not good, but the problem mostSoldiers think about may not be theonly things on which they should befocusing. Putting it into words bestis a quote from Brig. Gen. Joseph A.Smith, director of Army Safety.

“When Soldiers wake up each day,whether in combat, in training, or offduty, we want them to askthemselves one simple question:‘What could take me out today?’Some days it might be the enemy inIraq or Afghanistan. Some days, likeon a four-day weekend, it might bespeed, fatigue or alcohol.”

Most people relate alcohol safety todriving. True, there is a veryimportant relationship here becausedriving and alcohol together lead tothe loss of many lives each year.Alcohol safety awareness should notbe limited to drinking and driving.

On Dec. 25, a Soldier in Germanydied from apparent excessive alcoholconsumption from a party heattended the night before. How wouldany person in a leadership positionfeel if they were awakened onChristmas Day with a call saying,“We need you to come to the hospital.Your Soldier is here and overdosedon alcohol?” That is not the callanyone would want to receive aboutsomeone they know, nor would theywant the Soldier who overdosed to behim- or herself. So what can bedone?• Soldiers should know their limitand stick to it or don’t drink alcoholat all;• They should drink slowly. If theydo, they are apt to drink less;• They should eat when drinking;food helps to slow alcohol absorption;• They should alternate an alcoholicbeverage with a non-alcoholic one;• They should not participate indrinking contests and games.

Soldiers should also be aware andthink about the risks and conse-quences of drinking, including beingarrested, getting sick or contractinga sexually transmitted disease. Oneincident of alcohol use could causethem to do something they willregret for the rest of their lives.

Whether or not Soldiers choose todrink, it is still important to knowhow those around them use alcohol.Soldiers do not have to drink to havefun. Leaders should encouragehealthy and creative activities, setgood examples, and if they choose todrink alcohol themselves, do soresponsibly and moderately.

Remember that alcohol safety isn’tjust limited to drinking and driving.Everyone should know his limit,stick with it, and know when not todrink at all.

An employee of the Command recently became a new member of the Paris, France-based

International Institute of Space Law (IISL).Thomas Perham, deputy command

counsel for International Law, U.S. ArmySpace and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army Forces Strategic Command,was notified Dec. 15 by a letter fromDr. N. Jasentuliyana of the IISL that he’dbeen selected to be a member of theorganization.

“This organization, as far as I know, isprobably the only worldwide entitydedicated to addressing and examiningspace law issues,” Perham said.

Individuals distinguished by theircontributions to or proven interest in thefield of space law or other social scienceaspects related to space activities, may beelected as members of the institute by theboard of directors upon an applicationrecommended in each case by a director,or by three members of the Institutewhich, in Perham’s case, was Dr. PaulLarsen, an adjunct professor of law atGeorgetown University’s Law Center.

Perham attended a class from January2005 through July 2005 on InternationalSpace Law at Georgetown Universityunder the tutelage of Larsen. While in theclass, Perham wrote a graduate-levelpaper titled, “Guarding the Heavens: Roadto Peace,” that Larsen said was well-written. This also prompted the professorto nominate Perham, along withendorsement by two other members, as anew member of the IISL.

Perham reflected on having served inGermany a few years ago where access toresearch material is limited.

“One of the aspects I really enjoy aboutbeing in the U.S., as opposed to beingoverseas, is being able to write researchpapers,” Perham said. “It is a difficult

SMDC/ARSTRAT lawyer recently electedas member of international space law entity

Photo by Marco MoralesThomas Perham

thing to write research papers, but I reallylove it.”

Perham’s paper covers everything froma historical perspective of the space raceto current U.S. policy for weapons in outerspace to an alternate approach toprotecting U.S. space assets and peacefuluse of outer space. His paper will becompiled along with other similar ones,published, and made available to anyinternational law library.

Perham said Larsen is consideringasking Perham to be a guest lecturer onmilitary space law sometime in the nearfuture. An endorsement by the IISL alsogives Perham additional access to legalexpertise in support of the Command’smission.

“The honor of having been endorsed intothe IISL puts me in the network of beingable to ‘reach out and touch’ some veryeminent professors in different lawschools whenever I have questions aboutspace law and related subject matter,” hesaid.

By Marco MoralesSMDC Public Affairs

According to an e- mail sent out by Kwajalein Range

Services InformationTechnology depart-ment, Dell has issued arecall notice for certainbatteries for their lap-top computers. Thebatteries can overheatand become a fire risk.

According to themanufacturer, the batteries were soldbetween Oct. 5, 2004 through Oct. 13,2005. The company said that a total ofthree cases of overheating were reported,which involved damage to tabletops anddesktops. The batteries were sold in 18notebook models of the Inspiron, Latitude,Precision and XPS Gen 2 series.

The recall covers the Latitude modelsD410, D505, D510, D600, D610, D800 andD810; the Inspiron models 510M, 600M,6000, 8600, 9200, 9300 and XPS Gen 2 aswell as the mobile workstations M20 andM70. According to Dell, the batteries inquestion came with notebooks, but weresold as optional secondary batteries forprices between $99 and $179 and weresent to customers as part of service calls.

Dell did not release a range of serial

Dell recalls batteries for laptop computersKwajalein Hourglass numbers of the

recalled batteries,but advisedcustomers who couldhave bought a devicewith a defectivebattery to have theidentificationnumber ready whencontacting Dell for apossible replacement. The Web site of theU.S. ConsumerProduct Safety

Commission published images of therecalled batteries to assist Dell notebookowners to determine if their batteries areaffected. According to Trish Wildfang, ITmanager, people in possession of agovernment Dell laptop are requested toremove the battery and look for a whitesticker that has an identification number.Once employees have that number, itshould be e-mailed to IT and include boththe identification number from the batteryand also the model of the laptop so theycan contact Dell and determine if thebattery is included in the recall.

Wildfang also suggests all home userswith Dell laptops check their personalcomputers and contact Dell to ensuresafety. More information can be found athttps://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/.


Military NewsCivilian NewsTSP percentage restrictions eliminatedEffective in January 2006, the percentage limitations foremployee contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan wereeliminated. As a result, during 2006 all TSP participants areeligible to contribute via payroll deduction a maximum of $15,000to their TSP accounts. Additional information can be found athttps://www.abc.army.mil/.

TSP returns for G, F, C, S and I fundsRates of return were updated on Feb. 3.

January 2006 Last 12 months (2/1 - 1/31/06)

G Fund 0.36% G Fund 4.48%F Fund 0.09% F Fund 1.91%C Fund 2.66% C Fund 10.40%S Fund 6.70% S Fund 22.00%I Fund 6.14% I Fund 22.91%

New per diem rates announcedThe General Services Administration announced new per diemrates in the Jan. 23 issue of the Federal Register. Specifically,the per diem rates are changing for: for the District of Columbia,Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennesseeand Texas. The new per diem rates apply to travel performedon or after Feb. 1, 2006. The per diem rates can be found atwww.gsa.gov/perdiem. For further information, contact PatrickMcConnell, Office of Governmentwide Policy, Travel ManagementPolicy, at (202) 501-2362.

DoD bone marrow drives comingThe Department of Defense, in preparation for the increasedthreat of nuclear, biological and chemical warfare attacks, hasdevised countermeasures to be ready for such an attack. TheDoD is sponsoring world-wide bone marrow drives on militaryinstallations that will help treat victims of nuclear, biological orchemical attacks. Bone marrow donor registries are in constantneed of donors. The process is very simple, and no longerrequires a blood sample. Mouth swabs are obtained to get DNA,making the process easier and quicker. It only takes about fiveminutes to complete the process. Donors fill out a short form onmedical and ethnic backgrounds making it easier to findmatches for those in need of a donor.

Postmasters Benefit Plan participantsturn to Blue Cross Blue ShieldOn Jan. 23, the Office of Personnel Management announced thePostmasters Benefit Plan offered to federal employees under theFederal Employees Health Benefits Program would be dropped. Ithad nearly 8,000 participants. OPM said the 6,000 retirees andannuitants enrolled in the PBP were transferred into the BlueCross Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan Standard option within 24hours of OPM’s announcement regarding PBP. The remainingenrollees, nearly 2,000 active federal employees, were enrolledinto BCBS the next day. OPM is providing an FEHB Open Seasonduring February so those affected will be able to choose from allavailable FEHB plans as they would during regular Open Season.“The special Open Season will be held expressly for those whowere impacted and would prefer to make another choice,” saidOPM Director Linda Springer.

Implementation of NSPS delayedImplementation of the Department of Defense National SecurityPersonnel System (NSPS) has been delayed. The delay is theresult of re-engineering of the Performance Management portionof the proposed system. The U.S. Army Space and MissileDefense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (CONUS)will no longer convert under Spiral 1.1, but will be part of theSpiral 1.2 implementation group. Spiral 1.2 is tentativelyscheduled to deploy in October 2006. As additional informationdevelops, it will be posted on the SMDC/ARSTRAT CommandNetunder “NSPS.”

Improved benefits for service membersThe 2006 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law onJan. 6 provides enhanced benefits for service members, theDepartment of Defense stated. Maximum enlistment bonuseswere raised from $20,000 to $40,000, and re-enlistment bonusceilings were raised from $60,000 to $90,000. The bill alsoauthorizes an average 5.9 percent increase in housingallowances, including authority to temporarily increase rates by20 percent in response to natural disasters or troop surges fromforce realignments. Other changes include:

• Bonuses of up to $2,500 for service members who agree totransfer from one service to another for at least three years;• Payment of premiums for the $150,000 service members’Group Life Insurance policy for troops serving in Operations Iraqiand Enduring Freedom; and• Full housing allowance payments for reservists activated formore than 30 days.

More information on military pay and benefits can be found atwww.defenselink.mil/militarypay/.

New online military records requestThe National Personnel Records Center is working to make iteasier for veterans with computers and Internet access to getcopies of documents from their military files. Military veteransand the next of kin of deceased former military members maynow use a new online military personnel records system torequest documents, including Discharge Documents DD 214.Because the requester will be asked to supply all informationessential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normallyoccur will be minimized. The new Web-based application wasdesigned to provide better service on these requests byeliminating the records center’s mailroom processing time.Former military personnel and their dependents can get moreinformation at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html.

Army protective gear reimbursementSoldiers may now file claims and receive reimbursement forprotective equipment privately purchased between Sept. 11,2001, and April 2, 2005. The reimbursement is for servicemembers who weren’t issued equivalent equipment prior todeployment in OPERATIONS NOBLE EAGLE, ENDURING FREEDOM or IRAQI

FREEDOM. The Army began reimbursing Soldiers Nov. 21 up to$1,100 for any single item such as protective body armor, combathelmets, ballistic eye protection, hydration systems, summerweight gloves, and knee and elbow pads. A Soldier may bereimbursed for the purchase of a complete outer tactical vest, orfor the separately purchased components of an OTV, to includeSmall Arms Protective Insert plates, according to the U.S. ArmyClaims Service. Claimants can download a printable DD Form2902 at http://www.jagcnet.army.mil under “Client Services andLinks,” or call (301) 677-7009 ext. 431 for additional information.All claims must be filed by Oct. 3, 2006. More information can befound at http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,85396,00.html.

Procedural guidance for safetyrequirements impactingOER and NCOER support formsThe Army Chief of Staff and Sergeant Major of the Army arereinforcing current and future safety programs by requiringthat all rated officers, noncommissioned officers and ratingofficials incorporate safety into their evaluation support forms,developmental support forms and NCOER counseling checklist/records for consideration by rating officials in final evaluationassessments. This requirement will be closely scrutinized bythe chain of command during oversight of their subordinatecounseling sessions. Effective immediately, all raters, seniorraters and rated Soldiers will revise their DA Form 67-9-1 (OERSupport Form), 67-9-1a (Developmental Support Form), and2166-8-1 (NCO counseling checklist/record) to reflect objectivesand tasks supporting their safety programs and plans. Thisapplies to all three components.


Awards/PromotionsCivilian Promotions

Jack Boswell, Huntsville, Deputy Chiefof Staff, Engineer, EnvironmentalDivisionTheresa B. Gopher, Huntsville,Resource Management, G-8, Programand Policy DivisionMario Ares, Huntsville, Research,Development and Acquisition OfficeTimothy L. Smith, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Test and Evaluation DirectorateTiffany W. Torres, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Test and Evaluation Directorate

Military Promotions

Spc. David Blotter, Landstuhl, Germany,53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON), CCompanySgt. Brian Golden, Camp Roberts, Calif.,53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON), DCompanySgt. Justin Jacobsen, Fort Detrick, Md.,53rd Signal Battalion (SATCON), ACompanySgt. 1st Class Jeremy Jones, ColoradoSprings, 1st Space BattalionSgt. 1st Class Mark Lopez, Fort Bliss,Texas, 1st Space Battalion, 1st SpaceCompany, B Detachment

On-the-Spot Cash Awards

Douglas E. Burdettte, Huntsville,Technical Center, Space DivisionDouglas E. Engle, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Interceptor DivisionAnne P. Greene, Kwajalein Atoll/ReaganTest Site, Office of the GarrisonCommander/Office of the DeputyGarrison CommanderYvonne S. Hampton, Huntsville,Resource Management, G-8, AccountingDivisionWheeler K. Hardy, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Directed Energy DivisionKyle J. Holdmeyer, Huntsville,Technical Center, Directed EnergyDivisionDouglas B. Hoskins, Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site, Ronald ReaganBallistic Missile DefenseJanice S. Jean, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Directed Energy DivisionRicky A. Judy, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Space DivisionBernard L. Kerstiens, Huntsville,Technical Center, Space DivisionMichael M. Lee, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Space DivisionMichael D. Lundberg, Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site, Ronald ReaganBallistic Missile DefenseThomas W. Miller, Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site, Ronald ReaganBallistic Missile DefenseBirtha H. Otey, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Directed Energy DivisionCarolyn S. Randles, Huntsville,Technical Center, Space DivisionMartin L. Sargent, Huntsville,Technical Center, Interceptor DivisionDennis L. Simpson, Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site, Ronald ReaganBallistic Missile DefenseJoseph F. Stiene, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Space DivisionGregory T. Trammell, Huntsville,Technical Center, Directed EnergyDivision

Time-Off Awards

Victoria R. Binford, Huntsville,Contracting and AcquisitionManagement Office, Division KFranklin R. Bowles, Huntsville,Technical Center, Lethality DivisionYvonne M. Crutcher, Huntsville,Technical Interoperability and MatrixCenterJerry L. Everett, Huntsville, DeputyChief of Staff, Engineer, ConstructionBranchWeldon H. Hill, Huntsville, Deputy Chiefof Staff, Engineer, Operations BranchCheryl A. Humbolt, Huntsville,Technical Center, Safety OfficeNancy W. Jones, Huntsville, DeputyChief of Staff, Engineer, ConstructionBranchMichael H. Kempner-Strehlow,Huntsville, Deputy Chief of Staff,Engineer, Operations BranchWilliam R. Mull, Huntsville, DeputyChief of Staff, Engineer, OperationsBranchAlbert L. Pardue, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Lethality Division

Special Act Awards

Sandra C. Brock, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivisionJanice M. Christopher, Huntsville,Resource Management, G-8, ProgramSupport DivisionJames D. Deaton, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, MatrixSusan V. Drennan, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Accounting DivisionTyrus R. Edwards, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Accounting DivisionAlmeida A. Green, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivisionBeverly Vadasy Harbin, Huntsville,Technical Center, MDA MatrixHudson D. Harris, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Test and Evaluation Directorate,BMD System Test DivisionJohn C. Henderson, Huntsville,Technical Center, GMD MatrixRussell C. Hutcherson, Huntsville,Technical Center, GMD MatrixDoris H. Ingram, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivisionPaula T. Kennedy, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivisionMolly I. Krisher, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivisionMark T. Little, Huntsville, TechnicalInteroperability and Matrix Center,MatrixThomas B. McAlpin, Huntsville,Technical Center, Test and EvaluationDirectorate, BMD System Test DivisionTimothy W. McDonald, Colorado Springs,G-6, Consolidated Wideband SSE andTransformational CommunicationsDavid C. Moore, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Test and Evaluation Directorate,Data Analysis DivisionRichard A. Mullowney, Huntsville,Resource Management, G-8, AccountingDivisionCatrina L. Murry, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivision

Cynthia A. Nelson, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program and PolicyDivisionKay H. New, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program SupportDivisionRhonda M. Norris, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Program and PolicyDivisionDaniel A. Peterson, Huntsville,Technical Interoperability and MatrixCenter, PEOMS MatrixEdward A. Sangalang, Huntsville,Resource Management, G-8, ProgramSupport DivisionSo Hui Smith, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, MatrixSharon P. Upton, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Test and Evaluation Directorate,BMD System Test DivisionJeremiah D. Wesley, Huntsville,Resource Management, G-8, ProgramSupport DivisionScott J. Wilson, Huntsville, Test andEvaluation Directorate, BMD SystemTest Division

Length of Service

15 Years

Steven Brozo, Colorado Springs, G-6,Consolidated Wideband SSE andTransformational CommunicationsJeffery Compton, Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site, Office of the GarrisonCommander/Office of the DeputyGarrison CommanderSeyed Hamidi, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, GMD Matrix

20 Years

Granville Anderson, Huntsville,Technical Center, Test and EvaluationDirectorate, BMD System Test DivisionKelly Helser, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Interceptor Division

25 Years

Beverly Atkinson, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, GMD MatrixNorma Jenkins, Colorado Springs,Intelligence, G-2, Operations and PlansDivisionFreddy Killen, Huntsville, ChiefInformation Office, Automation DivisionJoseph Klevorn, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Safety OfficePatricia Ward, Huntsville, ResourceManagement, G-8, Force StructureDivision

30 Years

Phyllis Poyhonen, Colorado Springs,Contracting and AcquisitionManagement Office, Operations

35 Years

Milton Boutte, Kirtland Air Force Base,N.M., 1st Space BattalionMichael Lavan, Huntsville, TechnicalCenter, Technology DirectorateMichael Schexnayder, Huntsville,Deputy to the Commander for Research,Development and Acquisition


1st Space Brigade hails new SoldiersBy Master Sgt. Dennis E. BeebeSMDC Public AffairsPETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. —Col. Kurt Story, commander of U.S. ArmySpace and Missile Defense Command/U.S.Army Forces Strategic Command’s(USASMDC/ARSTRAT) 1st Space Brigadegave a newcomers’ briefing to the largestgroup of Soldiers to ever report for duty tothe brigade.

Sixteen Soldiers arrived to SMDC/ARSTRAT’s 1st Space Brigade, somehaving just finished schools; somearriving from Germany, Kuwait, Korea orparts of the continental United States; afew from the local area of Denver,Cheyenne Mountain and Fort Carson andone new Soldier recently came to theArmy after a stint in the Air Force. Theirjobs will take them throughout the Brigadeto positions in the 53rd Signal Battalion(SATCON), the G-6, and the 1st SpaceBattalion. Although there were a fewofficers, the majority of the new membersof the command are junior enlisted andnoncommissioned officers.

During the brief, Story gave them thehistory of the brigade, through itsprovisional “standing up,” and itsexistence as a Table of Distribution andAllowance unit, to becoming a MilitaryTable of Organizational Equipment. Underthe provisions of the TDA, allowance forthe development of a non-doctrinal unit forwhich a TOE does not exist was made.TDAs are needed for ‘unique’ units. Theyform the blueprint for the mission,organizational structure, personnel andequipment requirements, andauthorizations. A TDA’s requirements arebased on manpower surveys, desk auditsand other methods to determine workloadrequirements and are the first step inbecoming a TOE unit. The next step tobecoming an MTOE is to develop from adoctrinal basis and prescribing theorganization, personnel, equipmentrequirements and authorizations toperform a wartime mission. Under theprovisions of an MTOE unit, the Brigadenow has the ability to fill slots and build upits equipment for the Soldiers to utilize intheir wartime missions.

When the brigade first organized, therewere very few younger enlisted Soldiers.Most were seasoned officers. Now theranks are filling, and there will be up to 70Soldiers arriving throughout the next fewmonths.

Story continued to encourage the newSoldiers to “become a sponge, get smart onour mission and cross reference withothers in the command to find out how theunit operates as a whole entity toaccomplish the mission.” This unit isunique in the Army as it relies onintegrating the National Guard andReserve to accomplish its worldwidemission.

The Brigade is globally dispersed and isa ‘one-of-a-kind’ organization, having theonly Space Brigade, the only SpaceBattalion, the only Satellite ControlBattalion and the only National GuardSpace Battalion in the entire Army, whichall function together to provide “Space toMud” products and services to thewarfighter on the ground.

Story also introduced the leadershipphilosophy of Lt. Gen. Larry J. Dodgen,SMDC/ARSTRAT’s commanding general:#1 - Readiness, #2 - Make sure everybodycounts, #3 - Supervisors make the hardcalls, #4 - Have a “power down’ structure,#5 - Be good stewards of everybody’s areasand equipment, and #6 - Have fun.

Story went on further to give his ownphilosophy of training to the new Soldiersstarting with the Mission Essential TaskList, to taking care of Soldiers,maintaining their equipment and

facilities, empowering their subordinates,treating others with dignity and respect,and having a doctrine of “no surprises.”Story further stated that he would back hispeople if they made honest mistakes inpursuit of excellence, but there was alimit to his patience for doing things thata Soldier knows is wrong, such as drivingwhile intoxicated or shoplifting.

Story further emphasized the need tokeep safety in the front of everyone’sminds. “We have the best and mostadvanced off-the-shelf equipment availableto do our jobs. We are working in one ofthe nicest buildings the Army hasavailable, and we have a very niceenvironment around us here at PetersonAir Force Base. We also are highly visibleto these neighbors, so we must ensure werepresent the Army in the best ways pos-sible. We cannot become complacent andhurt ourselves or our equipment. We needto think through our actions before we act,and do the right thing at the right time.

“I expect each Soldier to strive forcontinuous improvement, to have apositive attitude, and to have dedicationand a sense of responsibility. I want youto develop, train and counsel subordinates,be aggressive in performance of duties,and keep high moral standards,” Storysaid.

Col. Kurt Story, 1st Space Brigade commander, poses with 16 new members of the 1st Space Brigade.This is the largest number of new Soldiers ever to report at one time in the history of the brigade.

Photo by Master Sgt. Dennis E. Beebe

Col. Patrick H. Rayermann gets the Legion of Merit medal pinned on by Lt. Gen.Larry J. Dodgen, commanding general for SMDC/ARSTRAT.

Col. Patrick H. Rayermann, who served as the U.S. ArmySpace and Missile Defense Command/U.S. Army ForcesStrategic Command deputy chief of staff for operations andplans from June 25, 2003, to June 30, 2005, received aLegion of Merit award from Commanding General, Lt. Gen.Larry J. Dodgen. Rayermann was awarded the LOM for“the highest level of professionalism, leadership andoperations expertise while serving as an inspiration tosubordinates and peers alike” while fulfilling his duties asSMDC’s G-3. Rayermann said it had been fun andexciting to do his job. “It was all team work, we worked asa team. It was a tremendous privilege,” he said after thepresentation. Although Rayermann left SMDC/ARSTRATat the end of June 2005, he asked that the awardceremony be postponed until Dodgen could be scheduledfor the presentation. The ceremony was conducted Jan.19. In July 2005, Rayermann went to the Department ofthe Army G-3 and now serves as the chief of the space andmissile defense division. He said the job he now has isnot quite as exciting or demanding as was his timeserving as the SMDC G-3, something he misses.

Colonel receives Legion of Merit award

Photo by Diane Schumacher


Built and powered by GMD Soldiers

‘Interceptor’ sled competes in SnoFest’s Cardboard DerbyBy Majors Laura Kenneyand Hector Valle, 100th GMD

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. —SnoFest, a winter sportsextravaganza held exclusivelyfor the military every year byKeystone Ski Resort, focuseslargely on skiing andsnowboarding. But anotherevent, the hugely popularCardboard Derby, drew theattention and participation of acrew from the 100th MissileDefense Brigade (Ground-basedMidcourse Defense). Thecontest’s rules call for teams toconstruct original snowvehicles with which to race,and the GMD team chose tomodel their craft into afacsimile of the unit’scenterpiece, a ground-basedinterceptor.

The “Interceptor,” or “TheDemolisher” as the vehicle wasaffectionately called, wasconstructed entirely ofcardboard, tape, paint and ropein the garage of one of theteam members. The team,comprised of 1st Sgt. Herbert

Rodriguez, Maj. Hector Valleand Sgt. 1st Class RichardMach, dedicated over 200 man-hours to their project, whichcarried with it the hopes of the100th. The final product made

everyone proud and wastransported on a trailer to theslopes at Keystone on Jan. 28.The event had variouscategories to include singles,family and organizations. Eachcategory had well over a dozen

entries, with most militaryorganizations in the ColoradoSprings area participating inthe event. The GMD Brigade Crew wentdown the slopes against one ofthe fastest entries in thecompetition (from SchrieverAir Force Base), and thenexperienced a malfunction onthe steering and guidancemechanism halfway throughthe run, resulting in loss ofcontrol, as well as the race.

“We were doing great, allthree of us packed inside,when about halfway down, thetail end swung around 180degrees. Someone correctedus, but it happened again, andwe ended up going down themountain backwards for themost part. I finally got out andpushed, so we made it to targetbut didn’t win. It was a blast,though,” said Mach, who’dstayed up the entire previousnight painting the vehicle byhand after his paint gun self-destructed.

The crew learned from theexperience and intends tocorrect the malfunctions onthe vehicle to make it a surefirst-place win for next year’sSnoFest.

Sgt. 1st Class Richard Mach painstakingly puts together a mock ‘interceptor” to be used as a sled of sorts for theannual SnoFest Cardboard Derby. He and two teammates spent over 200 man-hours constructing the colossus.

Photo by Maj. Hector Valle

The “might” of the 100th MDB (GMD) entry into SnoFest’s Cardboard Derby is evident, as it rests next to puny rivalsat the start point of the race. Sadly, its doughty size was of no avail, as it suffered a mishap during its slide downthe mountain.

Oct. 11, 2005

Phase II begins to take shapeThe second phase of the Von Braun Complex construction project on Redstone Arsenal, Ala.,begins to take shape. The project, which began Oct. 11, will eventually become home tothe Missile Defense Agency Center. It will contain approximately 234,000 square feet andhouse nearly 1,000 employees. The contract was awarded to Turner Universal ConstructionCompany Inc. of Huntsville, Ala., for more than $30 million. The scheduled completiondate is May 2007.

Photo by William Congo

Photo by Dottie White



Photo by Charo de Leon

Feb. 7, 2006

Jan. 31, 2006

Jan. 19, 2006

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