ASSP Member Nicholas Sciacca was named 2018 Army Aviator Association of America's Safety Officer of the Year and received the James H. McClellan Army Aviation Safety Award. This award is presented annually to an individual who has made an outstanding individual contribution to Army aviation safety.
Sciacca's nominator, Lt. Col. Connie M. Lane, remarks on Sciacca's role as a safety professional. "Some safety officers just sit wherever they feel comfortable in safety and don't try to branch out or do much more than what is required," says Lane. "But over the past year with Sciacca, I have noticed that he does reach out beyond his assigned duties," Lane continues. "His knowledge and expertise about the Federal Aviation Administration, air space, drones and other subjects well exceeds his rank. If he sees something that is not being done, he will take the lead and complete that task. He expands past his scope of duty and takes on additional responsibilities."
Some of the accomplishments that led to his selection for this recognition include developing a digital risk assessment worksheet that allows aircrews to identify hazards and implement controls; organizing quarterly battalion safety days; ensuring that each soldier received required training through flexible one-on-one or small group sessions; and holding monthly battalion safety and standardization meetings to help workers identify and develop solutions to manage risks.
"I take my job seriously" says Sciacca. "If anything happened to one of my soldiers, I wouldn't want to have the regret of wondering if I had said something or failed to say something, would things be different? You just don't know if something you say or point out could save someone's life someday."
Sciacca is a professional member of our Ark-La-Tex Chapter, and a member of our Public Sector Practice Specialty and Military Branch.