Risk Management Magazine

We’d briefed to shoot pen flares over a lake to mitigate the fire risk. However, because the flares did not have fins, some of them propelled in unexpected directions. This, combined with the wind, resulted in a mishap that, fortunately, had negligible consequences.

Inattention and a skill-based error almost led to a catastrophic event that would have been completely avoidable in 99.99 percent of instances. I almost let that .01 percent get me and my front-seater — and possibly the other crew.

There were a lot of risk factors that could have spelled disaster for this convoy, including fatigue, time of day, vehicle speed, convoy spacing, environmental hazards and lack of situational awareness. Thanks to good planning and risk analysis, my platoon took extra precautions against the added hazards.