1ST LT. JEFFREY BRADEN
581st Troop Command
Maryland Army National Guard
Hagerstown, Maryland
I was a newly commissioned second lieutenant in the National Guard. My company just stood up a year prior to my arrival and was still the size of a platoon. Since we were building the unit, most of our training was individual Soldier skills that was supported through our battalion.
While I was attending my officer basic course, the unit headed out for annual training. Just a few weeks into my course, I received a frantic email from my commander explaining that I was the new additional duty safety officer (ADSO) and needed to complete a distance learning course immediately. I thought it was strange that the commander would send this message halfway through the unit’s annual training and while I was at my course. Given my junior rank, however, I didn’t ask any questions and completed the ADSO training as instructed.
After returning from the officer basic course, I had my first drill back with my unit. I asked another second lieutenant how annual training went. I wanted to know what prompted my commander’s urgent email. He told me half of the company and the battalion commander were almost killed. This is the story of what happened.
A part of the annual training plan included practicing the grenade qualification course with dummy ammunition. However, there was some miscommunication between our company and the battalion, and the battalion requested live ammunition instead of dummy grenades. The battalion drew the grenades from the ammo supply point and dropped them off with the assistant instructor, a noncommissioned officer (NCO).
The NCO didn’t inspect the ammunition, assuming it was the dummy grenades. He then told the primary instructor, a private, that the grenades arrived and to perform a demonstration for the rest of the company. The private grabbed a grenade, but just before pulling the pin, he felt something was wrong. He asked another NCO to look at the grenade, who confirmed that it was in fact live ammunition. The Soldiers immediately stopped the demonstration. The whole time, the battalion commander was standing just feet away with the rest of the company.
When I look back on this incident, I can see all the failures that occurred at each level and how they lined up to nearly cause a catastrophic mishap. It’s something I’ll never forget. Had risk management been implemented instead of just a check-the-block motion on a piece of paper, this close call could have been prevented.
A few drills later, I spoke to the private. He told me he almost didn’t say anything that day because he didn’t want to second guess the assistant instructor. Since then, I emphasize to everyone in my unit that rank doesn’t matter when it comes to safety. If you see something wrong, speak up. Remember, everyone is a safety officer.
FYI
The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center’s Range & 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. Check it out at https://safety.army.mil/ON-DUTY/Range-and-Weapons-Safety-Toolbox.