Risk Management Magazine

It should have been just another traffic pattern entry under night vision goggles to end the mission, but it ended up being a strong lesson for every member of the crew.

The day started out normally as I left for work as an operator of a HEMTT fueler for an aviation unit. When I arrived, I called a friend and wished her a happy anniversary. Little did I know this would also become an anniversary for me. Unfortunately, it’s not one I care to celebrate.

Many articles are written about situations that could have resulted in something catastrophic happening because of a momentary lapse in judgment. These are tough lessons to learn. However, I believe very important lessons can also be learned when everything does go according to plan.