Risk Management Magazine

On a crisp December evening, I noticed some of the Christmas lights on our house were out. The unlit strand was along the trim in an area not for the faint of heart. In that spot, the trim rises sharply, perhaps 48-50 degrees, to an apex about 30 feet above the driveway. I have an extension ladder that easily reaches that area, so I wasn’t too concerned about making the repair.

Combat outposts on mountain pinnacles are used for observation points and located throughout the post’s training area. They usually are comprised of plywood shacks constructed from MRE boxes, sandbags and concertina wire. All of them present the potential for foreign object damage (FOD) and landing area hazards.

The adrenaline rushes through your body, making you feel invincible. The wind is in your face and the world at your feet. The seemingly unlimited power at your fingertips is intoxicating. These are the things I felt when I rode my first motorcycle at age 11. It never occurred to me how inherently dangerous it was as I tore up the hills behind my childhood home.