Risk Management Magazine

To be honest, I haven’t always been the poster child for riding safely. I’ve been fortunate enough to survive my experiences and learn from them, but not everyone is so lucky.

After 24 years in Army aviation and six more as a civilian helicopter emergency medical services pilot, I recently returned to the military community as a Department of the Army civilian (DAC) aviation safety inspector. In just six months on the job, I discovered a trend that has not changed since I first left the Army — the lack of near-miss reporting.

Live-fire training, testing and battlefield use have left military munitions in lands and waters throughout the country, and many people find and keep them as souvenirs or keepsakes, placing themselves and others at risk.