Risk Management Magazine

This weather was much worse than METRO had given us 20 minutes prior. The visibility decreased to one-quarter mile with a ceiling of less than 100 feet.

Let’s face it, we aviators — especially helicopter pilots — are an egotistical breed. It’s no secret that we have Type-A personalities, but we have to in order to complete the dangerous and complex missions required of us. Sometimes, however, our egos and it-won’t-happen-to-me attitudes can lead us to trouble.

Discipline is the cornerstone upon which our Army was built. All Soldiers, for the most part, understand what the standards are, but some do not possess the discipline to fulfill their obligation to achieve the standard. Whether we are talking about the discipline to wear the uniform correctly — both inside and outside the wire — or the discipline to do the hard right over the easy wrong, it’s all about personal choice.