Risk Management Magazine

To understand the basic dynamics of a thunderstorm, just remember M-I-L. Moisture. Instability. Lift. Start with some moisture, add a pinch of instability and a dash of lift. That’s the basic recipe for a thunderstorm. Throw in a sea breeze, an outflow boundary, merging cells or other interaction, and a run-of-the-mill air-mass thunderstorm can quickly turn into something far more dangerous.

For several years, the U.S. Army has experienced an increase in Soldiers dying in off-duty mishaps. Whether they were driving a vehicle, riding a motorcycle, swimming, walking or handling a privately owned weapon, one thing always seems to ring true: either the mishap Soldier or another individual did not apply real-time risk management (RM) before engaging in that off-duty activity.

Despite effective techniques to prevent heat-related medical conditions, military personnel continue to experience severe and sometimes fatal life-threatening heat-related illnesses during both training activities and combat.