Risk Management Magazine

During Operation New Dawn, I served as a Shadow unmanned aircraft system standardization operator at Forward Operating Base Warhorse. After a seemingly uneventful mission supporting my brigade combat team’s collection requirements, I was called to the hangar by a ground crewmember to look at an aircraft that had just landed.

Tactical safety should be viewed as a comprehensive strategy that involves all ranks within the military framework. Everyone — from leadership to entry-level personnel — must understand their role in fostering a safe operational environment. This requires ongoing education on safety protocols and a culture that prioritizes safety rather than treats it as an afterthought.

Although many of our licensed drivers were considered experienced, they were not very skilled at operating tactical vehicles in snowy conditions for long distances through mountainous terrain. We discovered how treacherous that could be during our first convoy to Ethan Allen.