Congressman Anthony Brown Applauds Inclusion Of New Tactical Vehicle Black Box Pilot Program In FY22 NDAA
Statement
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04), a member of the House Armed Services Committee and 30-year Army veteran, released the following statement praising the inclusion of his amendment to establish a new pilot program to install and maintain data recorders in Army and Marine Corps tactical vehicles in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):
"We must work to ensure the safety of our service members. Tactical vehicle accidents are preventable if we improve training and ensure a culture of safety within the Marines and Army. This program establishing data recorders in tactical vehicles will help alert supervisors of potential lapses in safety, ensure accountability and empower our services to make better decisions when and if another accident occurs. My heart continues to go out to families still grieving the loss of their sons and daughters. We have a responsibility to them to prevent additional tragedies from occurring."
In 2019, lawmakers requested a study on non-combat deaths involving tactical vehicles after increasing numbers of rollovers, including the tragic death of Marine 1LT Hugh Conor McDowell, who was a victim of a training rollover at Camp Pendleton. In July 2021, the GAO published its report finding 123 soldiers and marines lost their lives along with over 300 accidents that resulted in permanent total disability or damages, from 2010 to 2019.
Congressman Brown and Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01) previously introduced the 1st Lt. Hugh Conor McDowell Safety in Armed Forces Equipment Act of 2021 which would:
Establish the installation and maintenance of a data recorder on Army and Marine Corps tactical vehicles
Enable the identification of near-miss accidents and automated potential hazards that would otherwise go undetected, creating a safer environment and more ready force.
Incorporate assessments of individual driver proficiency to allow for tailored training to ensure our service members are ready for their missions.
Establish a database with telemetry data, driver data, and event data for more consistent implementation of safety programs across installations and units.
Require installation commanders to incorporate the actionable data sets and statistics into safety programs.
Source