Risk Management Magazine

I knew I couldn’t stop in time, so I instinctively grabbed a handful of front brake and started looking for maneuver options, but they were limited. There was no road shoulder — only a pineapple field to my right. Riding into it would ensure a crash, so that wasn’t a good option.

I thought working at Fort Drum, New York, for more than 18 years had given me a pretty good feel on how to gauge weather conditions. However, one winter day, my complacency and overconfidence made me question not only my “weather nose,” but also my sanity.

Soldiers do a pretty good job of integrating risk management into their professional decision-making process. Rarely do you catch us blatantly disregarding written procedures. Rotations to the National Training Center and Joint Readiness Training Center aren’t spur-of-the-moment decisions. They incorporate much planning and forethought at all levels. Off duty, however, we tend to live on the edge. We might do something like fill our hot lawnmowers with gasoline without personal protective equipment or gloves, giving little thought to the risk. Recently, I did an excellent job of demonstrating personal and professional differences from a safety standpoint.