FORT GREELY, Alaska - When it comes to safety, Soldiers stationed at this distant, somewhat extreme corner of the world must be on top of their game. Nearly all Soldier activities, both on duty or off, can push even the most safety conscious person to their limit. The unit pace, or operational tempo, driven by challenging mission, site, and training requirements, remains the same everyday regardless of extreme weather, dangerous wildlife, or remoteness of the unit. Field Manual 7-0, Training Management, provides a doctrinal training model for the Green/Yellow/Red training cycle, which assumes there is a difference between home station and deployed operational units. The 49th Missile Defense Battalion is both; deployed and conducting the dual missions of defending against strategic missile threats and local security threats since 2004, while simultaneously completing all home station individual and collective training requirements.
Military Police assigned to Alpha Company, 49th Missile Defense Bn., work a 24 hours/365 days-a-year mission at the Missile Defense Complex. This work schedule along with the demanding environment provides challenges largely unique to the Alaskan interior.
The adverse weather provides the most challenges to safety. October thru May, the winds can exceed fifty miles per hour and the temperature can range from -10 to -50 Fahrenheit; eight months of winter. As Capt. Lyle Ward, Bravo Crew Director said, "If you do not embrace Alaska's weather, it will intrude itself upon you."
Another of our Soldiers' favorite slogans is "It's not about bad weather, it's about bad gear." Every Soldier must understand the necessity of their training and composite risk management procedures. One way our unit mitigates the risk due to the weather is by issuing each Soldier the Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS), Danner Extreme Cold Weather boots, and Yak-tracks, which provides boots with traction over ice. Select Soldiers also attend Arctic Light Infantry Training (ALIT). The Battalion also employs a call-in procedure developed so that anyone traveling during the winter months must call before departing Fort Greely, when they arrive at their destination, and when they return back to post. The most common winter destination and closest flavor of civilization is Fairbanks, over 100 miles to the North, and the nearest Wal-Mart and McDonalds. Although Soldiers are required to call in, spouses are also encouraged to do so, and many take advantage of this system so they are not stranded in a snow drift for hours before someone notices they are missing.
Weather is not the only safety issue we face. The Alaskan wilderness provides challenges. The rugged terrain that surrounds the post poses its own safety concerns. Moose, bear and the occasional wolf are just several of the obstacles every Soldier faces while conducting physical training or walking around post with his or her family. As Capt. Dale Titus, Charlie Crew Deputy, can personally attest, bear attacks should be avoided at all costs. Thankfully, he walked away with only a few scratches.
All mandatory safety education and training is very specific and tailored to the Alaskan operational environment. Training is time-phased to ensure that safety training is conducted before the appropriate season occurs. For example, as soon as the snow melts, the unit schedules All Terrain Vehicle training. In addition, all Soldiers are instructed in a Personal Firearms Safety class, an ATV/Snow machine class, both instructional and hands-on, and Outdoor Safety courses taught by local experts, to include a Hunters' Safety Program course. The combination of all courses, composite risk management and leadership involvement at every echelon enables the Soldiers to actively manage the assumed risks that they might face on and off duty. Family members are invited and highly encouraged to participate in all safety training and actively take advantage of all battalion programs. Before the onslaught of winter, for example, families have the opportunity to benefit from a winter vehicle inspection program provided by our battalion mechanics volunteering their time.
This is a snap shot of the safety factors the Soldiers and families of the 49th face. All aspects of life in Alaska have some elements of risk. Safety awareness is the key to our success and ultimately mission accomplishment it is in the forefront of everything we do.