Risk Management Magazine

It was a typical day in Tennessee — nice weather, beautiful scenery and plenty of fun things to do. I was in high school and, like many people throughout the country, raced all-terrain vehicles during my free time. I’d never taken an official safety course, but my father did a good job giving me instruction on proper riding techniques.

As a sergeant with the Louisiana State Police, I often respond to the scenes of fatal accidents. The hardest part of my job, however, is not seeing these tragic deaths; it’s having to tell loved ones that a family member is not coming home.

All too often we hear about off-duty mishaps involving military personnel performing unsafe acts. How can these Soldiers spend months in theater or training without an accident only to be injured or killed within days of returning home? .