1
Dec
2016
It was June at Self Army Airfield at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and I was almost through my second Joint Readiness Training Center rotation of the summer. I was a new pilot in command and, despite being at JRTC in June, enjoying the flight time.
Unknown to leaders, Soldiers often report to their new unit with a DA 348 that states they are licensed according to the Army standard. However, the reality was quite different.
It was just another routine training flight in the local Fort Bragg flying area. We were conducting a night team flight supporting the local Air Force combat controllers in what is known as the Northern Training Area.
How many times has a supervisor sent a young private into a confined space without first assessing the hazards? The aviation community has always been aware of the dangers of confined spaces when it comes to aviation fuel cells.
If a Soldier ever was to ask the question, “How do I survive a 15-month deployment?” the answer would be one word: “discipline.”