Risk Management Magazine

One day while watching ESPN, I saw a story about an NFL wide receiver who accidentally shot himself in the leg. I wondered how anyone in their right mind could put a bullet in their own leg. I never would have imagined that one day I’d find myself in a similar situation.

Whether it’s a convoy operation or a trip with your family, it’s always a good idea to perform a map or route reconnaissance. You’ll have the advantage of locating rest stops, places to fill up or, just maybe, possible road hazards. I didn’t do that during a winter ride from my home in Colorado Springs to Woodland Park, Colorado, and it literally proved to be my downfall.

During Operation New Dawn, I served as a Shadow unmanned aircraft system standardization operator at Forward Operating Base Warhorse. After a seemingly uneventful mission supporting my brigade combat team’s collection requirements, I was called to the hangar by a ground crewmember to look at an aircraft that had just landed.