6
Nov
2016
Operating a military vehicle in snowy or icy conditions can be a challenge for any driver, especially if they’re not trained in winter driving techniques. Fortunately, a little preparation will go a long way toward helping you, as well as others on the road, avoid being a winter driving statistic.
When I became a company commander in November 2013, I had no idea what my requirements would be over the next three years.
Each year, hundreds of Soldiers experience cold-weather-related injuries. The responsibility for preventing these injuries is a command and leadership function, as well as a personal responsibility for each Soldier.
Our unit conducted a field training exercise during a drill weekend, and I was given an assigned aircraft to fly. On the first day, we conducted a health indicator test, or HIT check, which resulted exactly in the middle of the range on the HIT card.
It was early 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom and I was flying as the tail gunner on a CH-47D Chinook. We were doing a troop movement from Camp Doha, Kuwait, to Balad, Iraq.