Risk Management Magazine

Just about every Soldier has experienced the CS grenade. While the gas may be uncomfortable, it's an effective training tool and everyone is OK after a short period of time — especially if they’re wearing a protective mask. I learned, however, that these types of grenades can be dangerous if you lose focus during training.

A major component of any training — military or civilian — is risk reduction. The only way for it to be effective is to implement risk management and not get careless. Years ago, my unit had an incident that could have turned fatal.

Safety is paramount in the military, especially when operating in extreme environments. As Soldiers, we train rigorously to ensure that we can handle anything nature throws at us. But sometimes, even the best training can’t prevent unexpected emergencies.