The 3rd Infantry Division is the winner of the 2014 U.S. Army Forces Command Exceptional Organization Safety Award (Division Level) for superior performance in reducing fatalities both in on- and off-duty activities, and its overall effectiveness in safety-program management and execution.
“This is the first time the division has ever won such a prestigious safety award,” 3rd ID Safety Director Charles A. Fitzpatrick said. “It’s a tribute to every soldier and a testament to the significance of engaged leaders.”
“Our successes in the safety arena for fiscal year ’14 represent years of effort targeting the areas of greatest risk to our soldiers and civilians. The lesson is we all can make a difference,” said John W. Hornick Jr., 3rd ID deputy safety director.
During FY14, the Marne Division reduced motorcycle fatalities to zero. There was one privately owned vehicle fatality, and the soldier was not at fault. The additional duty safety-officer positions were 100-percent filled, and 98-percent trained to standard as well as 100 percent of assigned company commanders have completed the commander’s safety course. Safety councils and meetings also routinely were executed from division to company level.
“The 3rd ID’s uncompromising leadership efforts in safety-program management and safety-standards enforcement are proof positive that engaged leaders at all levels are key and do make the difference in accident reduction,” wrote Lt. Gen. Patrick Donahue II, forces command deputy commanding general, in a nomination letter.
“Safety is infused into all aspects of Division activities, enhancing our aggressive mission focus,” said Brig. Gen. James Blackburn, Task Force Marne commander. “These superior results were a product of combined soldiers, civilian and family energy and effort, directed by committed leaders.”
The division’s efforts represent a 100-percent reduction in motorcycle fatalities and a 72-percent reduction in vehicle fatalities over the previous three years. 2014 was the first time in almost 10 years that the entire division was at home station for the majority of the year.
“The division motorcycle-safety program is a model for the Army,” Hornick said. “We actively share our best practices. Staff Sgt. William Pendleton, in my opinion, is the best division motorcycle-safety manager in the Army as objectively demonstrated by these results.”
“The goal going forward would not be to rest or to let down our guard, but to maintain the focus and awareness levels that we achieved in 2014, and to raise the bar even higher for 2015,” Fitzpatrick said. “At the end of day, it’s the soldiers and their families that are the true winners.”
Maj. Gen. Barrye L. Price, deputy chief of staff, G-1 at FORSCOM presented the FORSCOM 2014 Exceptional Organization Safety Award (Division Level) to the 3rd ID Safety Team, commending them on their excellent efforts in safety leadership and dedication to soldiers.