Field Artillery: Stopping Accidents in Field Artillery Battalions.

摘要

In World War II, one out of every five American soldiers killed died as a result of an accident. In Korea, more than half the Army personnel hospitalized were injured in accidents. In Vietnam, accidents claimed more than 5,700 lives, disabled more than 106,000 soldiers, and produced nearly 5 million nondisabling injuries. Each year, we kill the equivalent of a battalion of soldiers in accidents; we lose the equivalent of an entire field artillery brigade for more than 6 weeks due to accidental injury. The $300 million direct cost of 1 year's accident would put approximately 400 M109 Howitzers or 15 MLRS batteries in the field. Today's equipment has inherent hazards; it is complex, expensive, and relatively easy to damage. Training hazards are less apparent and not instantly evident...and a single mistake by one soldier can produce a catastrophic accident.