Troop Talk
In observance of Presidents Day, Fort Bliss will celebrate the holiday with a four-day weekend Saturday through Tuesday. This holiday will present a wonderful opportunity to relax from the rigors of work, training and school for all in our Team Bliss community. Unfortunately, this is also a hazardous period, especially for those exposed to the dangers of local and long-distance vehicle travel and those engaged in outdoor winter activities.
During this time of year, weather conditions are subject to sudden change and reduced hours of daylight are still with us. Remember, the posted speed limits reflect safe driving speeds for ideal road conditions. Therefore, drivers should be mindful of hazardous roads and weather conditions, which require a slower speed and greater following distance. In addition, poor braking and greater stopping distance should be anticipated when driving on wet or icy pavement. Safe vehicle travel requires prudent planning, self-discipline and keen situational awareness to changing situations.
Recently, several Team Bliss Soldiers have died from vehicle accidents and other causes. One Soldier was thrown from his overturning vehicle when he lost control at a high rate of speed and hit a guardrail. This Soldier might still be alive today if he had followed the common-sense safety rule of “always use your seatbelt.” Another Soldier riding his motorcycle at a high rate of speed could not stop in time and hit a large truck. Horribly, his wife and four young children were following him from post and witnessed the crash and his death.
We must stop these tragic events from occuring, and I ask all leaders to aggressively re-engage their formations and double up on accident prevention efforts. I know this is truly a force protection and readiness issue, where we often can’t objectively identify our successful prevention efforts, but always know when we missed, as with our recent tragic events. We must not lose one Soldier, civilian employee or family member to an accident or tragic occurence and keep our holiday period safe. I solicit your wholehearted support in making this a reality and keeping safety foremost in all of your holiday activites.
Maj. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg
Fort Bliss Commanding General