Risk Management Magazine

The weather is getting nicer, but the inside of your Army watercraft is still carrying its winter bulk. It’s time to shed that winter fluff and take care of your accumulation of equipment.

Foot marches and land navigation training involve a great deal of walking while wearing a rucksack and other required equipment. These types of physical activities induce significant sweating and fatigue, which can lead to heat illnesses. It’s important that leaders are aware of common heat illnesses associated with these activities, as well as preventive measures to minimize the risk.

There I was, fresh out of Advanced Individual Training. I had just reported to my unit three weeks prior and now found myself sitting in the driver’s seat of a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) parked on a railcar. A few questions were running through my mind: How did I get here? What in the world is a HEMTT? Am I going to drive this thing off the ramps? This was going to be bad.