Risk Management Magazine

I had just gotten gas and pulled back onto Interstate 40 when I spotted a smoking mass of twisted metal ahead. I pulled my company truck to the side of the road, grabbed the fire extinguisher from the back and ran to the vehicle. I was the only person who stopped. Everyone else just kept driving past the scene.

As a longtime motorcycle enthusiast and fan of riding periodicals, I read about various strategies for avoiding accidents. Articles warn of traffic-related problems motorcyclists encounter all too frequently — drivers backing out of driveways, oncoming drivers turning left and drivers in the left lane suddenly turning right.

Have you ever wondered how a Soldier feels after coming home from a deployment in a country like Iraq? After living in dangerous and demanding conditions for a year or more, some of us feel incredibly strong — almost invincible. That feeling of invincibility got me into a dangerous situation during the winter of 2007.