What are the best (or worst) Safety briefs points you have heard / issued?

SFC Casey O'Mally — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 16:29:07 -0500

We've all been there. The long weekend / post-deployment / 24-hour liberty safety brief.

What are some of the points you have heard? I am looking for the great (wow, good point! I'm glad you mentioned that!) the groan (really? *that* is what you think we need to be worried about?) and the giggle (ways of making the same old stuff at least mildly entertaining).

Toward the end of my career, I tended to give the same safety brief every weekend, unless there were specific concerns...

Don't do nothin' stupid.
If you're not sure, call me. I'll tell you it's stupid.
If it's stupid and you do it anyway, call me as soon as possible so we can mitigate the effects of your stupidity.
And then I would call out 3-6 Soldiers by name (depending on how much time we had to kill) and have them name things...
PFC Smith, what's something stupid?
Drinking and hooking up, Sergeant.
Absolutely. Don't wait until you are drunk to pick your date - bad decisions are made. And don't wait until the other person is drunk to make your move - that's called rape and that is very, VERY stupid. That is a level of stupidity I simply can't help you recover from. Who's next? SGT Jones, name something stupid....

I'll admit it isn't the most creative, but it at least wasn't another leader standing in front of the formation lecturing them.

Anyway... what are your best and worst?

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2024 5:03 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:03:53 -0500

When I was the Safety Committee Chairperson, I played this video right before the Fourth of July weekend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-8PBx7isoM&list=PLfarPZn3vADZ5oe8OdeapXYI576FLuz_M&index=1

Embrace Life - always wear your seat belt

For all licensing and broadcast information visit: http://www.alexandercommercials.co.ukAll material 2010 Sarah Alexander/Daniel Cox/Sussex Safer Roads Par...

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 18 at 2024 5:14 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:14:49 -0500

"If you end up in jail, establish dominance immediately" is probably the worst I've heard.

I tried to to keep mine simple when I was acting as the OPS SGM and had to run formations in lieu of the BN CSM: "DON'T DO DUMB!!! If there is even one notion in your head that thinks this is dumb, then it's dumb so DON'T DO IT. If, for whatever reason you ignore my advice and do dumb, don't do dumber and hide it. 1SG's, take charge."

Response by COL Randall C. made Jan 18 at 2024 5:33 PM

COL Randall C. — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:33:57 -0500

Response by Maj John Bell made Jan 18 at 2024 7:29 PM

Maj John Bell — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 19:29:30 -0500

Best long weekend safety brief, by my 1st Sgt

You know what is right and safe. You know what is wrong and unsafe. Act that way. If you don't know, kill yourself quick because we don't need any dumbfucks in this company. Questions?

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2024 8:16 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 08:16:07 -0500

Don't add to the population. Don't subtract from the population. Stay out of the hospital, newspaper, and jail. If you do end up in jail, establish dominance quickly.

Not one I ever heard or used. Still funny and covers everything, though.

Response by SFC Marc W. made Jan 21 at 2024 12:11 AM

SFC Marc W. — Sun, 21 Jan 2024 00:11:04 -0500

Any time 1sg or Cpt (insert Ltc or Csm as appropriate) would chime in with "just to piggy back off what ___ said". No, just freaking don't. At this point you just want to hear yourself talk and the troops are absolutely not listening, just pissed you feel the need to talk more instead of let them go to their weekend.

My personal favorite, and one I used frequently, safety brief was: if you drink and drive you're an a**hole, if you beat your spouse you're an a**hole, if you do anything illegal you're an a**hole, so don't do be a what this weekend? Loud response of a**hole, they always got a kick out of it, and it was super short.

Response by TSgt Ken Vandevoort made Mar 25 at 2024 2:46 AM

TSgt Ken Vandevoort — Mon, 25 Mar 2024 02:46:53 -0400

The best safety briefing I remember attending was on winter driving. It was done at Offutt AFB in June for my reserve unit during our annual tour.