Risk Management Magazine

The rider stopped his motorcycle to render honors to the flag in front of the 1st Armored Division Headquarters. The military police had halted all traffic, as the flag would be lowered in just a few seconds. Then, the unthinkable happened — an inattentive driver plowed into the rider at 40 mph.

Let’s face it, we aviators — especially helicopter pilots — are an egotistical breed. It’s no secret that we have Type-A personalities, but we have to in order to complete the dangerous and complex missions required of us. Sometimes, however, our egos and it-won’t-happen-to-me attitudes can lead us to trouble.

Discipline is the cornerstone upon which our Army was built. All Soldiers, for the most part, understand what the standards are, but some do not possess the discipline to fulfill their obligation to achieve the standard. Whether we are talking about the discipline to wear the uniform correctly — both inside and outside the wire — or the discipline to do the hard right over the easy wrong, it’s all about personal choice.