RAPID CITY, S.D. - The South Dakota Army National Guard’s Company B, 139th Brigade Support Battalion, of Mitchell, was awarded The Adjutant General’s Unit Safety Award for fiscal year 2013 on April 26 at the Mitchell armory. The award recognizes outstanding effort and achievement in establishing and maintaining a viable unit safety and accident prevention within the South Dakota National Guard.
“The unit’s leadership, including their appointed safety officer and noncommissioned officers, has established a safety program that promotes awareness and accident prevention,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Lonny Hofer, the SDNG state safety officer. “This is done through training, monthly safety briefs and controls emplaced during their risk assessment for performing mission tasks down to the individual Soldier level.”
Company B, 139th BSB, performs field maintenance for modular brigade combat teams and supporting brigades. They provide recovery, automotive/armament, ground support and electronic maintenance, and maintenance management to brigade base elements.
“With the unit’s particular mission and tasks, including recovering and repairing equipment, they have a higher potential risk,” said Hofer.
Even with the higher potential risk, in fiscal year 2013, Company B had no accidents, no hazards, 100 percent compliance from a safety inspection, and a 92 percent average completion for their required safety related training.
“They emphasize the adjutant general’s safety philosophy,” said Hofer. “Their leadership recognizes that they have a responsibility to remain vigilant in engaging all stakeholders in their unit safety program. And their training, discipline and standards are manifested in the South Dakota Army National Guard safety slogan, ‘Be safe; Know what's right; Do what’s right.’”