FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - The Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion command team, Col. William Howard and Command Sgt. Maj. James Smith, pinned the Department of the Army Safety Excellence Streamer to the WTB colors during a ceremony June 5.
In front of the assembled formation of Soldiers and leaders, Howard explained that the Fort Campbell WTB is the first of the Army’s 17 warrior transition units to receive this safety excellence recognition.
“It is important to note that this battalion is in the top 25th percentile of safety out of all battalions in the Army, not just at Fort Campbell, but in the Army,” Howard told the WTB soldiers and leaders. “It is because of our safety excellence and everything that you do every single day.”
While most Army organizations earn their streamers for actions in combat, the WTB mission is not to deploy but to heal soldiers. The soldiers assigned to the WTB attend medical appointments and prepare to transition either back to a unit or out of the Army to begin their lives as honored veterans.
“It took a lot of hard work and dedication from the squad leader and company levels throughout all five WTB companies to perform due diligence every day,” said Howard.
Howard explained that WTB leaders, from the top down, work to ensure their battalion is meeting the Army’s safety requirements. This includes instilling a culture of safety to ensure any soldier, leader or staff member will speak up to stop any unsafe act. Leadership at the company and battalion levels have worked to provide meaningful safety briefings, equipping soldiers with the knowledge they need to stay safe.
These measures helped the Fort Campbell WTB meet the Army Safety Excellence Streamer requirements of every WTB Soldier completing Composite Risk Management training and the Army Readiness Assessment Program within the last 24 months, while remaining free of Class A and B accidents for 12 or more months.
The Army defines Class A and B accidents as those resulting in an injury causing a permanent partial disablement, an accident resulting in three or more people to be injured or a high property loss or damage value of more than $500,000.