Risk Management Magazine

It only takes one incident to shake up an entire command. The mishap below, which occurred several years ago in my old battalion, sure got the attention of leaders at every level. Commanders, command sergeants major and first sergeants were all scrambling to identify the root cause of the mishap and restore morale in the unit. I wrote this article with the hope that it will help commands emphasize the importance of two basic tasks — conducting preventive maintenance checks and services (PMCS) and developing driver training programs at the unit level.

It was the end of a very productive, mishap-free day. We’d completed about 10 building safety inspections, and the clock was ticking closer and closer to time to punch out for a well-deserved weekend. Then the phone rang.

I was 19 and assigned as the commo platoon sergeant driver as my unit prepared to head out for annual training. I had very little driving experience, only receiving my civilian license the morning of the movement.