The Navy and Marine Corps are dedicated to protecting our nation and its interests. Inherent with that mission is the responsibility to take care of every Sailor, Marine and civilian on our team. I welcome the opportunity to share with you an overview of the Naval Safety Center, and specifically for readers of The Hook, our aviation directorate’s efforts to prevent mishaps.
The Naval Safety Center has a long history of leading our safety programs. Although much progress has been made, we continue to lose personnel and equipment to accidents. As we investigate each mishap we all too often find that it was preventable. Whether the mishap occurs on or off duty, eliminating the loss of personnel is everyone's priority. Last year alone we lost 58 Sailors and Marines in off-duty motorcycle accidents — an unacceptable loss.
On the inside front cover of our magazines [Ed. note: Approach, Mech and Sea & Shore magazines], we state the following, "Mishaps waste our time and resources. They take our Sailors, Marines and civilian employees away from their units and workplaces and put them in hospitals, wheelchairs and coffins. Mishaps ruin equipment and weapons. They diminish our readiness. This magazine's goal is to help make sure that personnel can devote their time and energy to the mission. We believe there is only one way to do any task: the way that follows the rules and takes precautions against hazards. Combat is hazardous; the time to learn to do a job right is before combat starts."
Our Naval Safety Center staff is dedicated to providing the assistance, guidance, programs and resources to the fleet. When everyone is on board with the right safety outlook, then we'll reach our goal of zero preventable mishaps.
Our aviation directorate comprises 55 committed Navy and Marine Corps officers, enlisted personnel and civil service professionals. They represent a varied and in-depth level of fleet, Marine and safety expertise. We're dedicated to enhancing readiness through safety by reducing risks and preserving resources.