Rockford Meet and Greet

[lauren]

Thought I'd start a discussion for meet and greet that way all don't have to deal with our figuring out plans....lol

[lauren]

remember everyone ....bring Pics to share(thanks Patty).....also I use an address book to keep everyone straight(thanks Pat)...lol

[J/J Mom]

Bummer, i can't make it!!  I'll be thinking about you all ... have fun & i hope i can make it next time!!

[Jo1]

I really had a nice time today and it was nice meeting all of you.  Thank you Pamela for treating us to lunch.  :)

[lauren]

Yes It was very nice but the time went soooooo fast..thanks for lunch that was very kind of you

[Pamela]

My daughter forwarded me an email from her captain.  I got a laugh out of it, Figured I would share it with you!!  Enjoy!!

 

All Hands,

 

  We just passed the 1/3 point in our 101 Days of Summer and the 4th of July Holiday weekend. 

 

 Back to the 1/3 point in the 101 Days of Summer.  We traditionally view the summer period as a time of greater risk to our personnel.  Summer is in full swing, days are longer, and it affords the opportunity to do more outside, like for instance, hurt yourself (hopefully NOT).  It can be a time of enjoyment and distraction from our normal duties, or just a time to heal.  It's the time when we tend to see more injuries on & off duty.

 

 So, how have we done at the 1/3 point?  Not bad BUT, that still represents 12 people (I'm assuming the same person didn't keep injuring themselves) who suffered.   Here's the lineup;

 

* E-5 in Navy housing off duty non recreational, SVM whacked by storm door and broke nose. Ouch! Probably never saw it coming.  TKO to the Storm Door.

 

* E-6 Home off duty non recreational, while changing the suspension on his vehicle SVM member's legs were under the vehicle to give him more leverage to raise the suspension. The jack stands moved and SVM was able to move one leg while the right leg got smashed by the frame of vehicle. 

  Hold it a minute...."SVM under the car using legs to give him more leverage" - it's at least a 2,000 lbs car! I know this, cuz I don't think anybody makes a car less than 2,000 lbs anymore.  Then gets enough leverage to move the jack stands!?  Oh I get it now, about half way through the car lifting leverage act he realized he wasn't the Hulk, not painted green, and clothes were intact, with the stands gone it's best to cushion the car on something, and any leg will do in a pinch (get it).  Nothing broken so says Sentara-Leigh Hospital emergency room, just a "Bone Bruise".  Yeah right, like those don't hurt too. On a more serious note, deadly serious, the FRC Enterprise lost a Sailor some months ago using concrete blocks to support a vehicle and they slipped.

 

* E-2 Home off duty non recreational, Service member was helping a roofing company by picking up old shingles that were removed from the roof and thrown to the ground. While bent down, a bundle of new shingles, approximately 50 lbs (it's called a "Flat of Shingles" and 50 lbs is just about right), slid off of the roof hitting service member in the side of the head. Six staples later (those have got to hurt too), a whopping headache, and a scar & a story for life.  I wonder if the roof got done before the rain...

 

* E-2 The Catcher during a command softball game. The game is tied in the bottom of the ninth, a base hit, and the runner on third advances toward home plate!  Runner is safe at first and in a feeble attempt to save the play the first baseman throws to cut him off, or just take him out.  Missed the Catcher, and the glove, but nails the runner in the ankle as he slides home.  GAME WON! Ankle lost.

 

* E-3 on duty tire shop, SVM was in the tire shop getting ready to start work on an E-2 main mount wheel assembly. He had dropped a socket on the deck so he kneeled down on one knee to pick up a tool and stood up and felt sharp pain in his lower back.  Usually it's us old guys that get SIQ for picking things up of the deck, not the E-3s. Proper lifting techniques are extremely important to prevent hurting yourself into a permanent FOD Walkdown position later in life.  Next time kick it over to an old guy, their backs are already shot. 

 

* E-6 home off duty non recreational, SVM woke up Sunday morning with slight stiffness in lower back. As day progressed stiffness and pain increased. SVM doctor said the activities from the day before may have contributed to the injury (You think?). The day before Service member was performing automotive work on a POV at his residence (No jack stands were injured in the making of this injury).

 

* E-4 on her way to work, SVM fell off bike and received minor abrasions on her right leg and arm. There simply has to be more to this story...nobody just falls off a bike.  Come on folks, put some of the good stuff in these reports.  Hehe, or I'll do it for you ;)

 

* E-5 on duty, while toasting marshmallows on a C-17 air conditioning unit exhaust member's arm touched exhaust pipe and sizzled his right forearm to well-doneness. Well, that's not REALLY how it happened but if I told you the truth you'd not remember it... BUT, getting a 3rd degree burn is nothing to scoff at, it's memorable, it hurts like the dickens and could have lasting disability.  So remember, when working around unfamiliar equipment please be extra careful and grill forearms very rare. Around hot exhausts...think about marshmallows.

 

* E-4 on duty, Thud...crunch...ouch!  The familiar sounds of heavy "stuff" falling on feet.  In this case, just a foot but if it's your foot, it hurts more than the other guy's.  The thud was a heavy plate (138 lbs) and happened with a lift bucket toppling.  Wait a minute...test plate + lift bucket, sounds suspiciously like some kind of test and we got caught unawares... I've always been told not to be under "stuff" if it's likely to fall, survived my childhood with this thinking (not entirely unscathed).   Big heavy plate lands on boot means broken bones and lots of light duty (28 days).  I mean it's not like a flat of roofing shingles...oh, I'm a little ahead of myself...

 

* E-4 on duty, How many people does it take to change a light bulb?  Haven't heard that one in a while...  Well, a few more than you think when you start to counting the ladder holder, safety observer (it was a Navy light bulb), the ambulance, the escorts, the medical staff and the EKG operator.  Whew, we ought to process map this! In addition to the risk of breaking the bulb there's the issue of electricity and you guessed it, ZAP!  The problem with electricity is it's not like one of those fancy Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) that warn when electric shock is about to administered.  Wouldn't that be great to know while working on a piece of equipment? "Stand Clear while electric shock is administered" everyone in the shop back away and wait for the lightning bolt to nab one of their co-workers.   Thankfully, "Sparky" was able to return to work later after getting the requisite EKG and a better understanding of electricity.

 

* E-2 Home off duty non recreational, "Gravity takes out another Sailor" is the headline in the local paper. Service member was helping a roofing company by picking up old shingles that were removed from the roof and thrown to the ground. While bending down, a bundle of new shingles, approximately 50 lbs (Editor: it's called a "Flat of Shingles" and 50 lbs is just about right), slid off of the roof hitting service member in the side of the head. Service member was transported to the hospital by ambulance and received medical attention. Service member received six staples on rear side of his head. Thinking back to the light bulb, I'm guessing picking up shingles takes as many people.

 

* E-4 on duty, It's why I stayed away of the tron business...member was testing a piece of electrical equipment when he became part of the ground path - that's bad I seem to recall. Member immediately executed the proper corrective action for electric shock - let go!  Now see, if we only had that AED Voice warning us, this wouldn't have happened...

 

 We've got 2/3 of the 101 Days of Summer left and 12 hits in the system. I suppose it could be worse but I'm glad it isn't.  Please practice ORM on and off the job.  What's "ORM"? you may ask? Well despite already getting the training...it's about thinking about all the bad things that can happen to you BEFORE the Skipper gets the mishap report and makes you famous.

 

  Please take care of yourself, your family, and each other.

 

R/

Skipper

 

[Pat L. in IL]

Thanks Pam. Appears the captain has a sense of humor! Very funny!

[lauren]

Thanks for sharing Pamela....it is nice to see them having some fun ...makes it go so much smoother