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Never have I experienced anything as frightening as being a heat casualty. I will always remember the way my body felt and the emotions that were running through my mind when I succumbed to heat exhaustion and dehydration.
Despite effective techniques to prevent heat-related medical conditions, military personnel continue to experience severe and sometimes fatal life-threatening heat-related illnesses during both training activities and combat.
Whenever I hear about lightning-related injuries in the military or civilian community, I always share my experience. My hope is that it provides a little awareness about the dangers of a potentially deadly natural phenomenon.
Recently, I had the opportunity to investigate a rollover mishap on an Army installation involving an explosives-laden vehicle. What I discovered opened my eyes as to how often production overrides safety.
With traumatic injuries, such as those seen in combat or vehicle accidents, it’s hard to know which injured Soldier needs care first. Sometimes, however, the Soldier that looks OK is the one who’s in most desperate need of help.
Movement operations might not sound dangerous, and they’re certainly not all that glamorous. As my unit’s movement officer, I must confess I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of moving our equipment — all 1,500 pieces — from theater and being the last to arrive home.