Risk Management Magazine

There I was, fresh out of Advanced Individual Training. I had just reported to my unit three weeks prior and now found myself sitting in the driver’s seat of a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) parked on a railcar. A few questions were running through my mind: How did I get here? What in the world is a HEMTT? Am I going to drive this thing off the ramps? This was going to be bad.

Tactical safety should be viewed as a comprehensive strategy that involves all ranks within the military framework. Everyone — from leadership to entry-level personnel — must understand their role in fostering a safe operational environment. This requires ongoing education on safety protocols and a culture that prioritizes safety rather than treats it as an afterthought.

Although many of our licensed drivers were considered experienced, they were not very skilled at operating tactical vehicles in snowy conditions for long distances through mountainous terrain. We discovered how treacherous that could be during our first convoy to Ethan Allen.