Risk Management Magazine

Why is it important to know your route? That is a pretty loaded question, both in the military and civilian worlds. Nowadays, it’s easy to determine the best route to a destination, as just about everyone has a smart phone with GPS or a map app. All you need to do is enter an address or city and you will be presented with a few different options on how to get there.

On a long weekend, I headed down to Big Bend Ranch State Park for some moto-camping and to provide support for a 50-mile ultramarathon. While there, I broke Rule No. 1. Luckily, the consequences were not grave. But since I survived, I figured I would share the story.

In 2023, I served as a member of a unit that was engaged in a significant multi-day cross-country movement for an upcoming rotation at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, California. Specifically, I was part of the UH-60M assault company assigned to this training. During our cross-country journey from Fort Cavazos, Texas, to NTC, I owe a debt of gratitude to our company safety officer, who prevented me from making a potentially disastrous mistake.