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    Cavalry officer takes safety seriously

    Cavalry officer takes safety seriously

    Courtesy Photo | First Lt. Jeff Sagen, safety officer for Company A, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry...... read more read more

    JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

    03.16.2011

    Courtesy Story

    3rd Division Sustainment Brigade

    By: Staff Sgt. Pat Caldwell

    JOINT BASE JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq — For one officer with the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), safety is more than just another buzzword.

    It is serious business for 1st Lt. Jeff Sagen.

    Sagen, a Kennewick, Wash., native, and the executive officer and safety officer for Company A, 3rd Battalion, said he believes safety is essential for mission success. Much of his job revolves around some tried and true concepts like proper planning and attention to detail, he said.

    “You can’t take away all of the risk. But you try to mitigate the things you can,” he said.

    Sagen’s duties as a safety officer and the company executive officer keep him busy. He must manage all the pieces that go with being the executive officer and ensure his soldiers are using proper safety measures while conducting convoy escort missions.

    Sagen said he often draws on his experience as a full-time police officer at the Kennewick Police Department to help him with his safety officer responsibilities.

    “As a police officer, before I even go out, I go through a routine,” he said. “I put things like my weapon in the same place every time. And that is the same type of safety checks you do before a mission.”

    Sagen’s soldiers in A Company spend a lot of time on the road escorting convoys. While the mission tempo can be hectic, Sagen said that a fast pace demands a high degree of awareness regarding safety.

    “Safety is a huge deal,” he said. “Think about it in terms of how many people we lose to IEDs [improvised explosive devices] versus getting injured when an ammo can isn’t tied down and hits someone in the head inside a truck.”

    The little things mean a lot, he added. And common sense also plays a big role.

    “If you have to ask yourself if the action you are taking is safe or not, chances are it probably isn’t,” he said.

    Sagen’s routine regarding safety inside his company is based on spot checks and consistent oversight.

    “With the platoons, I look for things specifically they are not looking for,” he said. “Simple details. And I make sure I hit every platoon when I can. Most of the time I go out and spot check them. Tie-downs, are they storing ammo correctly, that kind of stuff.”

    Sagen said there is usually a different safety issue to look for every few weeks.

    “Recently it has been tie-downs,” he said. “So I ask certain questions like, do the crews need equipment to help them tie stuff down?”

    The safety officer position is a key one within the A Company command chain, added Sagen.

    “First and foremost, I manage all the [safety] reports and counsel the commander on what the safety protocols are,” he said. “I offer solutions and recommendations.”

    While his job as safety officer is a busy one, Sagen said the devil is in the details.

    “You have to double-check soldiers,” he said. “You can control whether stuff is tied down in the vehicle or whether a weapon is on safe. Those things we can mitigate ourselves. You can’t control an IED, but you can mitigate its impact. That is what a safety officer does.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 03.16.2011
    Date Posted: 03.20.2011 04:50
    Story ID: 67385
    Location: JOINT BASE BALAD, IQ

    Web Views: 81
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN