Risk Management Magazine

Striking a 150-pound deer with your vehicle can cause substantial damage, maybe even resulting in a total loss. Now imagine what a five-pound bird impacting an aircraft traveling at 120 knots or greater can do.

From the beginning of the mission briefing to the end of the debrief, it had already been a nine-and-a-half-hour work day. To add icing to the cake, I had to perform weekly radio maintenance the following day.

Over the years, leaders have set the example for others to follow and decided the punishment for those who didn’t. Leaders have made the standards of behavior known to those serving under them so there is no question about what is expected — how they will conduct operations, support and even their personal lives.