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JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – For many 3d Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldiers here in Iraq today, ground guiding a vehicle may seem like a simple task. If ground guides are not used or improperly used, however, there can be trouble.
"A lot of what's going on is ... Soldiers are complacent," said Charles Timms, the 3d ESC safety director. Timms, who is from Houston, Texas, said many Soldiers are ignoring basic safety procedures – such as using a ground guide when moving military vehicles – when they consider a task to be routine or second nature. This type of mentality is a clear case of complacency, Timms said.
However, becoming aware of the Army's ground guiding policies and procedures, accidents can be avoided.
According to Army Regulations 385-55, Prevention of Motor Vehicle Accidents, a driver must always check for clearance and give warning (such as by honking twice) when backing up a vehicle. If visibility is limited or blocked, ground guides must be used.
For vehicles in which the passenger-carrying capacity is greater than 12 or for vehicles that weigh 2 ½ tons or more, a ground guide must always be used, the regulations state. When moving a tracked vehicle through an assembly area (where many troops are present), ground guides must deploy in the front and rear of the vehicle.
Timms said Soldiers should be familiar with the standard Army hand-and-arm signals. These signals are outlined in Field Manual 21-60, Visual Signals.
"Coming up with our own hand-and-harm signals is the biggest no-no, because not everyone is familiar with that process," Timms said. "There are ... field manual hand and arm signals that are out there for everyone. The thing is, a lot of folks don't use them."
Timms also said that in the ground guiding process there are a number of common mistakes Soldiers make. Soldiers sometimes use one ground guide instead of two when backing up a large vehicle into a tight space, he said. There are some drivers do not stop when they lose sight of their ground guide, Timms said.
By following some basic safety precautions and not cutting corners, Soldiers can reduce the possibility for problems.
According to the Army's Combat Readiness Center, taking the following steps can reduce the risk of accidents while ground guiding motor vehicles:
•Drivers should stop when they do not understand a ground guide's signal or lose sight of the ground guide.
•Soldiers should understand the hand-and-arm signals outlined in Field Manual 21-60, Visual Signs.
•Ground guides should be positioned to the front and left of the vehicle they are guiding. They should not stand or walk in the vehicle's path.
•If two ground guides are used, both should stand within line of sight of each other; either ground guide should halt the vehicle they are guiding if they lose sight of the other ground guide.
•Ground guides, not vehicle commanders, are in charge of a vehicle's movement.
| Date Taken: | 03.01.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 03.01.2009 11:31 |
| Story ID: | 30598 |
| Location: | BALAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 5,434 |
| Downloads: | 403 |
This work, Ground Guiding Safety, by SGT Alexander Snyder, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
