United States Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center

The U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center (USACR/Safety Center) is a United States Army organization. The Army Safety Team provides safety and risk management expertise to the Army, DoD, and other agencies; develops, maintains and evaluates Army Safety policy and programs; and communicates relevant risk management information to Army Leaders for the preservation of our Soldiers, Civilians, Families and vital resources. It is located at Fort Rucker, Alabama, alongside the Army's major flight training unit.

The center has developed a myriad of tools and resources that reinforce the sound principles of risk management. These resources are a means to assist Leaders, Soldiers, Army Civilians and Managers, and Family members in successfully and safely completing their missions, jobs and off-duty activities while mitigating the harmful effects of risk. The USACR/Safety Center website hosts many tools to identify hazards, reduce risk and prevent both accidental and tactical loss. The USACR/Safety Center objective is to keep all Army personnel and their Family members safe and strong.

It is commanded by Brigadier General Timothy J. Edens, an United States Army Aviation Branch officer.

History
The U. S. Army Combat Readiness Safety Center traces its origin to the Army Accident Review Board, a section of the Army Aviation Training Department of the Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The Review Board consisted of two officers and one enlisted. As Army aviation expanded, so did the work of the Review Board, which was moved to Fort Rucker in Alabama, with the U.S. Army Aviation School in 1954.

The Review Board was renamed the U.S. Army Board for Aviation Accident Research in 1957. USABAAR's mission included not only the review of aircraft accident reports but also crash-site investigations and research into aviation safety matters involving aircraft design, operations, and training as well as supervision, maintenance, inspection, and human factors.

In 1972, USABAAR became the U.S. Army Agency for Aviation Safety under the supervision of the director of Army Aviation, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development. Responsibilities of USAAAVS were expanded to include accident prevention education, safety assistance visits Armywide, establishment of Army aviation safety policy, collection of all Army aviation accident data, promotion of system safety, and support of selected aspects of the Army’s ground safety program. USAAAVS was under the supervision of the Inspector General from 1974 to 1978. In 1978, it became a field operating agency of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, and its mission was further expanded. USAAAVS assumed responsibility for both aviation and ground safety and was renamed the U.S. Army Safety Center.

The Commander of the Army Safety Center became the deputy director of Army Safety in October 1983. The Safety Center was given Army staff responsibility for implementation of the Army Safety Program and served as the primary advisor on accident prevention to the Department of the Army. In July 1987, the Safety Center became a field operating agency of the Chief of Staff of the Army. The commander of the Safety Center was designated as the director of Army Safety. The director of Army Safety was made a general officer position, reporting through the Director of the Army Staff to the Chief of Staff, Army.

Following the September 11 attacks and the resulting U.S. military action, United States Department of Defense leadership recognized the enormous impact that accidental loss had, and continues to have, on the readiness and capability of the Army. As a result, January 31, 2005, the U.S. Army Safety Center was redesignated as the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center with an expanded mission to become the center of gravity for all loss-related areas. As the Army’s knowledge center for loss data collection, analysis and information dissemination, the USACR/Safety Center assists the Army with the preservation of combat power through the application of Risk Management in order to stop Soldiers getting hurt.

Scope
Most Army accidental deaths occur while Soldiers are off duty, and statistics from fiscal 2011 reveal there were 136 off-duty accidental fatalities compared to only 40 on-duty. For soldiers who are at home or play, privately owned vehicle accidents are the most prevalent cause of death. Sedans and motorcycles were involved in most of these incidents.

Risk management is the Army’s primary decision-making process to identify hazards, reduce risk and prevent accidents and can be used by Soldiers at any time even if they aren’t at work. Besides urging Soldiers to use risk management both on and off duty, Leaders, battle buddies and Family members can help reduce off-duty deaths by getting involved in their Soldiers’ lives and helping them make better decisions.

The U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center has many tools and programs to help leaders, battle buddies and Family members identify risky behaviors, provide solutions and help prevent needless accidents both on and off duty.

Tools and products
The U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center has developed a myriad of tools that reinforce the sound principles of Risk Management , which assist leaders in successfully and safely completing their mission, while mitigating the harmful effects of risk. These tools were developed to keep the Army Family safe and strong, reflecting the organizational catchphrase, "Army Safe is Army Strong." Some tools can only be accessed by those with Army Knowledge Online accounts.

The 2013 Army Autumn Safety campaign is currently being featured on the Army homepage . Available now!

The Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Safety Factor,, is a four-part training package that covers more than two dozen safety-related issues and specifically targets young, single Soldiers between the ages of 18 and 25Employing humor and vibrant graphics, the presentation stresses that “it only takes one second to become an accident statistic.” The BOSS Safety Factor was developed as a joint effort between the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center and the U.S. Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

The Ground Risk Assessment Tool, , is an interactive, automated online system developed to augment risk management planning and decision-making for ground operations and off-duty activities. GRAT assists users in identifying, assessing and controlling hazards associated with specific missions or tasks and also produces a Risk Management Worksheet (DA Form 7566).

The Army Readiness Assessment Program,  is a web-based tool that provides candid data to battalion and higher level commanders regarding their formation's readiness posture. ARAP was designed to help commanders determine root causes of accidents by focusing on the organization's safety climate and culture. The tool provides immediate feedback from unit personnel, highlighting leading indicators that affect readiness.

Travel Risk Planning System (TRiPS) is an automated trip planning tool that incorporates the principles of Risk Management . TRiPS  facilitates a dialogue between supervisors and their subordinates prior to privately owned vehicle travel. Since its inception, there have been over 7.4 million Army TRiPS assessments submitted, all instrumental in reducing fatalities.

Motorcycle Mentorship Program (MMP)  assists in establishing voluntary installation-level motorcycle clubs where less experienced riders and seasoned riders can create an environment supportive of responsible motorcycle riding and enjoyment. This environment can create positive conduct and behavior and serve as a force multiplier that supports a commander's motorcycle accident prevention program

Firearms Safety Techniques is an interactive tool designed to educate Soldiers, Families and Civilians on privately owned firearms safety. The Firearms Safety Techniques, , includes information and video challenges that highlight aspects of safe firearms handling and combines safe practices and safety messaging into an enjoyable experience. The program addresses factors that commonly contribute to privately owned weapons accidents, including failure to treat firearms as if they were loaded and failing to clear the chamber of rounds.

Leader's Corner is an online package derived from best practices in the field. The Leader's Corner  includes three Soldier risk assessment questionnaires that address Leaders, battle buddies and individuals, checklists, briefing formats, tools and toolboxes, Army safety training and education programs  and more.

Division Commanders' Checklist and Card provides a quick insight to the status of the division's safety program to division commanders. The Division Commanders Checklist and Card  serves as a general performance indicator with questions about various accident-reduction initiatives, safety programs and the safety climate/culture of the division.

The MRAP Safety Awareness Site is a web-based repository of operational safety and training resources pertaining to Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. The site, designed for leaders, commanders and MRAP operators, hosts a robust collection of videos, tools and other information on establishing and maintaining effective MRAP driver training and accident prevention programs. .

The Driver’s Training Toolbox  is a web-based program and repository of drivers training resources for leaders, commanders, master drivers and instructors. The toolbox provides tools and information on establishing and maintaining an effective drivers training program.

POV/POM Toolbox is a Web-based program that addresses safety issues of privately owned vehicles and motorcycles. The POV/POM Toolbox  includes the 6-Point Program, which is endorsed by the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. The program includes a number of privately owned vehicle inspection checklists, tools for trip planning, accident trend analysis, an accident review guide and Leaders’ guides and options available to commanders in dealing with unsafe drivers.

The Off Duty Safety Awareness Presentation, , is a highly informative safety presentation containing statistics, contributing factors and other relevant information regarding off-duty accidents. Developed for use at battalion level and below, the presentation comes complete with embedded videos and speaker notes. Presenters can use the speaker notes as is or modify them to fit their presentation style or reflect unit-specific accident trends.

The Family Engagement Kit is an awareness tool designed to involve Army Families in Soldier safety. The kit, available online at <https://safety.army.mil/multimedia/FamilyEngagementKit/tabid/2150/Default.aspx>, includes an interactive two-part safety presentation, informational posters and handouts, videos, interviews with Army spouses, a train-the-trainer module and a listing of helpful Family and behavioral health resources, all targeted to on- and off-duty safety hazards.

The Range and Weapons Safety Toolbox is a centralized collection of online resources for managing range operations and safe weapons handling. The toolbox hosts various references and materials including publications, training support packages, multimedia products, ammunition and explosives information, and safety messages and alerts. The toolbox is easily accessible, <https://safety.army.mil/rangeweaponssafety> and provides links to useful sites and tools like the Defense Ammunition Center’s Explosives Safety Toolbox and the Ground Risk Assessment Tool.

The Water Safety interactive website, <https://safety.army.mil/SafetyCity/Pages/Water/WaterSafety.aspx/>, hosted by the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center, promotes water safety awareness through user challenges, informational videos and links to related safety resources. The site is designed to help Soldiers, their Family members and other Army users, as well as the public at large, reduce the incidence of water-related deaths and injuries.

The Civilian's Corner, <https://safety.army.mil/civilianscorner> provides a "one-stop" source for leaders, supervisors and safety professionals to obtain current, timely information and necessary safety resources to assist in preventing Army Civilian and contract employee injuries and illnesses.

The Deployment Guide for Brigade Combat Team Safety Professionals, <https://safety.army.mil/deploymentguide>, is a reference guide intended to assist safety professionals in advising their commands in preparing and maintaining accident prevention programs before, during and after a deployment. The guide is a compilation of resources, existing tools, lessons learned, tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and other useful information from Army safety professionals. While developed for brigade combat team safety professionals, the deployment guide is available for use by anyone.

Some tools can only be accessed by those with Army Knowledge Online accounts.