Risk Management Magazine

After spending six years in Alaska, I thought winter driving at Fort Drum, New York, would be a snap. After all, I’d seen my share of accidents and figured I was prepared for anything. It only took a week to show me I was wrong.

I now give an even more in-depth safety brief to my Soldiers and ensure they have my phone number and know they can call me at any hour for a sober ride home. I’d much rather see them get home safely than in the hospital — or worse, in a coffin as we lay them to rest.

Hanging upside down in my driver seat, restrained by my seat belt, I was thinking, “How did I get here? What did I do to get myself in this situation?”