Joshua Bland Jr. was repairing a roof on a commercial building in Danville on Dec. 4, 2023, when the 25-year-old fell about 33 feet to the ground, suffering fatal injuries. His employer failed to enforce the use of fall protection – exposing Joshua to the construction’s industry’s most dangerous hazard – falls from heights.
When I dreamed of joining the military, I knew it wouldn’t be an easy dream to realize. I knew I’d have to push myself past my limits and that I could be required to risk my life. Over my 14 years in the South Dakota Army National Guard, including service in Iraq, all of that and more came to fruition.
