Show army strives to t 0 take some soine of the risks out of warfare soldiers taught how to avoid accidental injuries in battle ordnance specialists call it brisance bridance bri sance A layman would call it the shattering power of a detonated explosive but whatever you call it its terrifically dangerous controlled brisance bridance bri sance kills the enemy uncontrolled by rules of safety it kills and maims americans to speak of safety methods in connection with the grim business of waging war sounds incongruous yet the ardys ordnance department its ground forces its air forces and its service forces have piled up an amazing safety record in time of war for example look at the score in the nations three score government owned contractor cont operated explosive producing arsenals under supervision of the U S army ordnance department in january 1941 less than 11 million pounds of powder and explosives plo were produced in the U S three years later in january 1944 we produced more than th an a quarter of a billion pounds of explosives and during those three years our total production was wa s nearly 6 billion pounds incredible as it may appear in handling the most powerful explosives plo known to man some so sensitive they must be transported under water others so potent that a small amount penetrates five inches of concrete it is nevertheless a fact that there were only injuries during 1943 throughout all these installations in america nor is this safety program confined to civilian workers our men in uniform have benefited greatly from modern safety methods no one would describe the job of a soldier on active wartime duty as a safe job yet granting e that the soldier risks his life constantly in the performance of his duty the army makes sure that he does not risk it needlessly gun tubes for example which must resist high pressures yet must nei i J A twisted or broken ankle can disable a soldier as effectively as an enemy bullet american fighting pen men learn how to jump from a moving vehicle and land without injury this thi is only one of the many tricks taught in army training camps also be light for easy aiming and transportation are tested with excess pressure rounds before acceptance to insure their safety in the hands of the troops now our projectiles are bore safe they cannot explode within the gun reflecting this confidence in the safety of their weapons our men are now regarded as the finest marksmen in the world escape hatches in tanks the combat crew inside a battle tank ta cannot have and do not expect to have absolute safety but the army sees to it that within the limits of normal battle hazards they are protected from unnecessary risks tanks are provided with hatches on both the top and bottom surfaces for easy escape regardless of the position of the tank new automatic controls reduce drivers fatigue seats are cushioned against shock and are provided with safety belts padding is placed at many points to avoid dangerous impact shock forced ventilation cools the tank interior in summer heat and drives off toxic gun gases during combat accident prevention however tn in no way impairs the effectiveness of our fighting men the war department said A hard hitting tough bodied army continues to be our objective there are fewer sprained ankles wrenched knees or sprained backs in our field armies of today because safety training programs have taught men how to jump correctly from relatively great heights with rifles and packs men lifting various heavy objects in the field do so without injury because they many casualties used to be caused jy y premature explosions of projectiles exacting tests ot of both guns and ammunition have practically eliminated this danger shells are now termed bore safe meaning that they will not explode within wi thin the gun gin tube belore before intended antiaircraft Ms gons like the one pictured fire very high powered shells of comparatively small caliber the gun eun crews nevertheless theles S feel confident that they will wil I 1 not be le injured by their own weapon are were taught how during training courses our ra realistic listic training methods arp are actually safety methods experience has shown that the average recruit is as frightened by battle I 1 noise and battle confusion as he is is by bullets such a soldier becomes excited perhaps fires his rifle unintentionally perhaps kills or wounds his own comrades instead of the enemy such a soldier is unsure of himself nerve t taunt aunt jumpy on army infiltration courses cou bat tle green soldiers are taught how to crawl across rough terrain through barbed wire while machine gun bullets whiz above their heads and TNT charges explode nearby like enemy land mines graduates of these safety in battle courses are not likely to suffer needless wounds or needless death they know that in crawling it is vital to keep the head and body down that a smart soldier crawls under barbed wire not over it that a soldier whose weapon is not clean and ready to function when needed is a soldier most likely to become a casualty mention the word doughboy to most persons and they think of a man with a rifle and a bayonet that may have been true in previous wars but it is not true in this one safety training and practice in the army ground forces goes a long way beyond this basic rifle and bay onet conception of the american foot soldier weapon training adds to the soldiers chance of survival by making him versatile with a great many more weapons than his rifle among these are hand and rifle grenades combat knife automatic pistol machine pistol carbine automatic rifle three types of machine guns two types of mortars flame thrower bazooka mines and booby traps bangalore torpedo and other demolition equipment most probably the individual infantryman will never be called upon to use all these weapons in in combat but he may at any time be called upon suddenly in an emergency to use any one of them the knowledge and facility gained during training increases powerfully the safety factor protecting the uniformed man in battle in addition the army ground forces protects its men in the field by careful instruction in battle and field sanitation in personal hygiene in the safe use of drinking water and in de defense ferise against diseases caused by insects and parasites even so small a thing as the common foot blister is not ignored in army safety practice fewer air corps accidents equally insistent on the highest possible safety standards in the dangerous business of waging war is the army forces training command during the first six months of 1943 a total of million military flying hours were logged in continental tin U S during the same period in 1944 the total was million despite this impressive increase of more than hours fatal accidents and death totals were actually reduced furthermore the improvement is continuing in july 1911 1941 the accident rate for training type planes was the lowest yet recorded during july in the continental U S trainees in undergraduate pilots schools logged an amazing total of 0 flying time in PT and with only one fatal accident graduate pilots operating combat type airplanes in transition schools and in the replacement training units established safety records too pilots in B 17 flying fortresses achieved an all time low in crack ups also in july 1944 there were only two fatal accidents in the high speed B 25 billy mitchells this is not the safety record of a c commercial orn mercial airline or even a com merical truck fleet but the safety experience of a giant air force engaged in global war the motto of the army has never been safety first in army parlance safety is knowledge army airmen achieve safet safety y because they know typical is the procedure for forced landings in water which includes how to swim through fire how to handle rubber boats and parachutes defense against sharks precautions to take against wind weather and the hundreds of hazards that confront men adrift in open water airmen know how to take every conceivable precaution in case of i jungle landings or any other type of landing which may lead to danger or difficulty in war great hazards cannot be avoided but trained traine dand and disciplined men with a knowledge of those hazards and the know how to avoid or to overcome some of them have developed one of the greatest organized safety programs of all time ik t |