US Army Safety Stand Down
I think this is the first time that I have heard from Yahoo what I will being doing this week during work:
The commander of the U.S. military based in South Korea on Saturday ordered the suspension of all non-essential training and services for a safety review following a fatal accident involving a local civilian.
(…)
“Commanders at all levels will stop non-emergency services and training to review safety procedures, discuss existing measures, and develop improved procedures to prevent vehicular accidents,” Kim said.
Looks like more mandatory classes for me this week. Also I need to point out this inaccuracy in the Yahoo report:
The United States has about 52,000 troops in the South in defence against North Korea, which has 1.2 million active-force troops and is the world’s most militarised country.
There are only roughly 32,000 US soldiers here and the number continues to decline as units are being redeployed stateside.
However, I really believe that these accidents will continue to happen every few years until the camps up here are moved down south in a consolidated area and are colocated next to training land. On a military base in the US you don’t have to drive a military vehicle from camp to camp to get things done like you do here in Korea. Plus on a US base when you go to the field to train, the training land is located adjacent to the camp. This prevents military traffic from driving through urbanized areas with thick traffic and pedestrians. Plus the lack of sidewalks on roads with military traffic only contributes to the problem. Even in areas with sidewalks, often people pulling carts or on a bicycle do not use the sidewalks anyway.
It is extremely hazardous driving up here and the army takes driver’s training very seriously and I have posted before on how USFK traffic accidents have greatly decreased but the driving conditions in Korea make a perfect driving record impossible.
The US In Korea site provides some interesting statistics about the amount of traffic accidents in Korea. Here is an excerpt about deaths involving children:
According to the report based on a survey of the accidental death rate of children below the age of 15, Korea took the first place with 25.6 per every 100,000, followed by 6.1 of Britain and Italy. â€Accidents while walking†are mainly responsible for such a highest rate as they account for 71 percent of the total, compared with Sweden’s 13 percent, and the Netherlands’ 18 percent. Needless to say, the bad habit of not keeping traffic rules has been the main cause of accidents involving children walking on streets.
71% of the accidents involved pedestrians. Shouldn’t that be a sign to somebody that more sidewalks need to be built and that keeping pedestrians off the highways should be enforced by local law enforcement.
If the driver of the LMTV was negligent he will be punished for it. He was on duty so it will more than likely be a court marshal, but I can’t help but feel that this accident is more of a product of the conditions here then negligence. The important thing is to let the investigation play out and report facts not propaganda which is what mostly got reported in 2002.
court-martial, plural courts-martial.
Again your socialist "moral equivalency" seeks bogus remedies. How? By identifying the perpetual child slaughter as merely a Korean infrastructure problem. That is like Jodi declaring the Korean male's hate towards white male/ Korean female pairing can be remedied through –increased media exposure for Korean males.
The reality: the Korean practice of post-partum abortions by vehicle slaughter is a result of self-absorbed drivers picking-off equally self-absorbed pedestrians and victimized children of self-absorbed parents. Korea notoriously lacks a "safety culture" because it lacks a concern for those outside of the "ingroup". Part of the Korean Mafia syndrome.
The PRIMARY victims of the infamous two-girl incident was the American soldiers driving the vehicle: the girls were typical self-absorbed Korean pedestrians who menace vehicle traffic. These girls had the situational awareness of a Korean ajumma on a narrow sidewalk — in other words they were too self-absorbed to be aware or even yield for their own sakes.
Any Korean will tell you they know their reckless drivers and pedestrians with their heads-up-their asses are wrong, they will also tell you — Koreans don't care.
But, Korean solidarity does relish the chance to exploit a death against the USKF.
I know I am speaking to a Soviet GI "mouth breather" — but "maybe" an officer with intelligence will read your blog to gain insight how to identify the correct problem for a practical solution.
Can I speak to your immediate supervisor?
Obviously you didn't read my posting very closely. I said that I felt the accident was probably more likely caused by the conditions then negligence. And earlier in the post I clearly stated that sidewalks need to be built and police need to enforce that your self asorbed people actually walk on the sidewalks because I know by experience that many people here wrecklessly walk in the roads and do not move out of the way even if there is a sidewalk available. At least if these accidents happen again which I'm sure they will, if there is a sidewalk there for them to walk on and they still get hit, it makes it the pedestrians fault not USFK. You need to read more closely.
GI,
Ok. I stand corrected and humbled by a reasonable response from you. Disregard the recent Commie-baiting.
I am just trying to impress on you, that not all cultures are equal. My previous impressions are you actually go along with the socialist tripe of the Marmot and Jodi, and maintain an attitude of "moral equivalency" regarding Korean society.
Realize this: to throw off the political correctness is not hate mongering, but a righteous way of thinking. If the US forces can take off the blinding anti-racism blinkers for just a few seconds — they might orientate themselves to a realistic appraisal of the Koreans. This would provide some reasonable solutions instead of panaceas such as USKF child-dependents cleaning the graves of Koreans. Koreans will melt before USKF kindness on the day they forgive Japan.
In other words, on a collective basis — Koreans are relentless unforgivers.
This clarity would help the USKF — and by extension, America.