1. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend
BRIEFINGPOINTS
• A statistical analysis of the last five Martin Luther King, Jr. three-day week-
ends shows that two Sailors lost their lives in motor vehicle mishaps and
another three were killed in off-duty mishaps. No Marines lost their lives
off-duty during the same period.
• Another 185 Sailors and 66 Marines were injured during the last five
MLK holiday weekends. These injuries ranged from serious and life-threat-
ening to minor. The injury rate is statistically higher during the MLK week-
end when compared to any given Friday to Monday period.
• Several snowboarding and skiing injuries were reported, showing that
while many servicemembers took advantage of the long weekend to enjoy
time on the slopes, not all of them were prepared with the proper gear,
training and personal protective equipment.
• Sports injuries are also prevalent during the MLK holiday weekend. Bas-
ketball, football, and other organized sporting activities led to broken
ankles, black eyes, dislocated fingers and more. Again, proper equipment
can reduce these injuries. It’s also important to know your body and re-
spect your limitations.
• A large portion of the injury reports show mishaps that could have oc-
curred at any time of the year, simply because the mishap victim was care-
less, or not paying proper attention to his or her surroundings. Examples of
these types of injuries that occurred last MLK weekend include: a lacera-
tion by a kitchen knife while preparing dinner, a sprained ankle from step-
ping off a curb, a fractured big toe that occurred while moving furniture,
and a cut on the thigh from a chainsaw. This proves that operational and
off-duty risk management is necessary 365 days a year.
THINK: What are you doing to minimize risk
and maximize fun
this Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend?
