Risk Management Magazine

When a grueling, 10-hour convoy movement pushes an experienced crew to the brink of exhaustion, a single overlooked safety step turns a routine training mission into a rollover disaster.

I'll begin with this: Don't let experience, years of service with deployments and training received lull you into a false sense of security. A little about myself as we begin. I have been in the service for 36 years. I take good care of myself and choose to stay active with workouts in the gym, running and staying relevant within my MOS with as much fieldwork as possible within the maintenance community. A few years ago, however, it all almost came to an end.

Falling from a vehicle might sound funny, but witnessing it firsthand offers a starkly different perspective. Regardless of the administrative controls in place, variables like time, fatigue and complacency directly affect our decisions to wear PPE and follow standard operating procedures.