Risk Management Magazine

Ask any Soldier that has been deployed about the inherent stresses caused by the theater of war and you will surely hear the near-miss and there-I-was stories. The multitude of things that can go wrong during any deployment cause a state of constant and heightened situational awareness. 

As I continued my cross-check to outside the aircraft, I turned to look at the pilot in the right seat. I was shocked when I noticed a dark shape floating immediately above and to the right of his helmet. We were not alone in this little patch of sky.

Fixed-wing flying is a different animal than what we have grown accustomed to in our Army helicopters. I was fortunate enough to learn at a young aviation age that you need to ensure that you always have all of the necessary publications prior to taking off.