Risk Management Magazine

While the refrigerator power failure was unanticipated and unavoidable, this was a close call. There were several issues that could have gone better.

In the domain of Army Aviation, where precision, adaptability and safety intertwine, a trifecta of principles — conservative response, mature decision-making and effective risk management — guides pilots and aviation professionals through the labyrinth of operations. At its core, the conservative response methodology epitomizes the mantra of "Safety First." It urges pilots to err on the side of caution, particularly when confronted with uncertainty or ambiguity.

Many of the articles in Risk Management magazine tell a story about a less-than-smart decision a co-worker, leader or subordinate made at some point in the author’s career. In this story, however, I am the happy idiot who made the mistake and taught the entire platoon an important lesson.