Risk Management Magazine

In the quest to be the best-trained, best-equipped military in the world, Soldiers and equipment are pushed to the limit during grueling exercises and operations. We cannot forget, however, that we must always consider and integrate safety into any activity, both on and off duty.

The structure wasn’t exactly what comes to mind when picturing a bridge; it was more of a low water crossing. If not for the previous days’ rain, crossing this bridge would have been simple. Now, it was flooded.

It was a typical summer night at the Joint Readiness Training Center — hot and humid. A unit was conducting an exercise that simulated an assault on a town and included mounted and dismounted Soldiers. Shortly after the exercise began, the light infantry dismounted from a truck about one kilometer from the objective and linked up with some M1 tanks.