USACR/SAFETY CENTER HISTORY

The Army Combat Readiness Center traces its origin to the Army Accident Review Board, a section of the Army Aviation Training Department of the Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The Review Board consisted of two officers and one enlisted. As Army aviation expanded, so did the work of the Review Board, which was moved to Fort Rucker, Alabama, with the U.S. Army Aviation School in 1954.

The Review Board was renamed the U.S. Army Board for Aviation Accident Research in 1957. USABAAR's mission included not only the review of aircraft accident reports but also crash-site investigations and research into aviation safety matters involving aircraft design, operations, and training as well as supervision, maintenance, inspection, and human factors.

In 1972, USABAAR became the U.S. Army Agency for Aviation Safety under the supervision of the Director of Army Aviation, Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Force Development. Responsibilities of USAAAVS were expanded to include accident prevention education, safety assistance visits Armywide, establishment of Army aviation safety policy, collection of all Army aviation accident data, promotion of system safety, and support of selected aspects of the Army’s ground safety program. USAAAVS was under the supervision of the Inspector General from 1974 to 1978. In 1978, it became a field operating agency of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, and its mission was further expanded. USAAAVS assumed responsibility for both aviation and ground safety and was renamed the U.S. Army Safety Center.

The Commander of the Army Safety Center became the Deputy Director of Army Safety in October 1983. The Safety Center was given Army staff responsibility for implementation of the Army Safety Program and served as the primary advisor on accident prevention to the Department of the Army. In July 1987, the Safety Center became a field operating agency of the Chief of Staff of the Army.The Commander of the Safety Center was designated as the Director of Army Safety. The Director of Army Safety was made a general officer position, reporting through the Director of the Army Staff to the Chief of Staff, Army.

Following world events, DOD leadership recognized the enormous impact that accidental loss had, and continues to have, on the readiness and capability of the Army. As a result, on Jan. 31, 2005, the U.S. Army Safety Center was redesignated as the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center with an expanded mission to become the center of gravity for all loss-related areas. As the Army’s knowledge center for loss data collection, analysis and information dissemination, the USACR/SAFETY CENTER assists the Army with the preservation of combat power through the application of Composite Risk Management in order to preserve the human capital of the Army.