Risk Management Magazine

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.

When it comes to personal safety and the safety of others, details matter — even the small ones. That is the lesson my fellow Soldiers learned that day. I also learned to never let anyone convince you into dismissing even the most trivial steps in a well-established process.