Risk Management Magazine

The true danger of normalizing deviance lies in its subtlety. Initially, deviations might seem minor and inconsequential. Examples include skipping a procedural step due to a time crunch, deferring a minor maintenance procedure because "it's never caused a problem before" or bending the rules on driver training due to competing priorities.

Combatives training is an important part of being a prepared Soldier. It provides the skills to help you protect yourself, as well as your battle buddies, in combat. Unfortunately, this training can sometimes take Soldiers out of the fight if they don’t take the proper precautions.

After returning from the officer basic course, I had my first drill back with my unit. I asked another second lieutenant how annual training went. I wanted to know what prompted my commander’s urgent email. He told me half of the company and the battalion commander were almost killed. This is the story of what happened.