Risk Management Magazine

We can preach situational awareness and vigilance until we are blue in the face, and we can practice endless techniques to keep ourselves out of dangerous scenarios, but no individual can see everything. In aviation, we rely on the entire crew to fill in those blind spots.

Let me tell you a story about how "get-there-itis" and a little bit of exhaustion can turn a hero move into a $150,000 nightmare in about four seconds flat.

As a surface maintenance mechanic, I have installed countless MDS units across the fleet on a wide variety of Army vehicles. Having also served as a platoon sergeant and motor sergeant, I witnessed firsthand how this specific HMMWV retrofit endangers crews.