Photo By Justin Graff | ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Army Safety and Occupational Health Star flag flies under...... read more read more
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Col. Matthew Parker, deputy commander, Army Combat Readiness Center, formally presented the Army Safety and Occupational Health Star flag to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Albuquerque District during a ceremony at the district’s headquarters, April 1, 2025.
“The Army Safety and Occupational Health star is a massive accomplishment recognizing organizations that excel in developing, implementing, and continuously improving their safety and occupational health programs, demonstrating a strong commitment to workplace safety and readiness,” Parker said.
During his remarks at the ceremony, Parker explained that a tremendous amount of work and dedication goes into achieving the star recognition.
“This is actually a very, very massive and long-standing process which gets you there,” Parker said during the ceremony. “It’s an extensive process and it is actually rarely achieved.”
The process includes six distinct capability objectives, and 48 measurable criteria elements.
The Albuquerque District is the first district in USACE’s South Pacific Division to achieve the Army Safety Star.
In fact, the Albuquerque District is just the sixth among the 44 districts in USACE that has achieved the star. The other districts include the Charleston, Honolulu, Rock Island, and Seattle districts and the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Albuquerque District has spent the past six years working through the Army Star’s three progressive stages to earn the recognition.
“Our first baseline assessment began back in August of 2018,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Miller, commander, USACE-Albuquerque District. “Since then, the Safety Office has conquered 220 inspectable items to complete this award, completing these requirements all while maintaining focus on our unequivocable main goal of safety of our teammates and contractors every day.”
During that span of time, the Albuquerque District has simultaneously seen a 166% increase in meaningful reporting and a decrease in workplace accidents.
“The entire district is engaged, and it shows in compliance with safety requirements from the office to the worksite,” Miller said. “As a whole, we’re better informed, better prepared, and we’re implementing these things in our everyday work.”
Additionally, since 2018 the district’s Safety Office has grown from two employees to a team of five, including a safety specialist, industrial hygienist, and an occupational health nurse.
The current iteration of the Albuquerque District’s Safety Office team began with Tracy Wolf, Safety Office chief, and Lucia “Lucy” Pillera, safety and occupational health specialist, who both started in the district in 2017. The office has grown since 2018 and now includes Anthony Cardona, safety and occupational health specialist; Alyssa Ellison, occupational health nurse; and Curtis Martin, industrial hygienist. Greg Watts, support clerk, also worked in the Safety Office until his retirement at the end of March 2025, shortly before the Army Star ceremony.
“The team has built a robust safety training program from monthly safety topics to my favorite, safety trivia, to the CPR training, fire extinguisher training and you name it,” Miller said in his remarks during the ceremony.
“The impact of the Albuquerque District cannot simply be measured by looking at the district,” he said. “The Safety Office has shared their best practices across the enterprise enhancing the mission and in ensuring the safety of our teammates throughout South Pacific Division and across the nation. The Albuquerque District program has become an example across USACE, helping other districts establish their programs and achieve the CE-SOHMS objectives.”
Parker closed his remarks with a reminder that achieving the Army Star is a milestone, not an endpoint.
USACE-South Pacific Division Commander Col. James Handura reminded the audience that safety is an ongoing journey and the district must continue to learn, improve, innovate, and guard against complacency.
| Date Taken: | 04.04.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.04.2025 18:45 |
| Story ID: | 494637 |
| Location: | ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Hometown: | ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 65 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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