Risk Management Magazine

Just after midnight, there was a knock on the door to my containerized housing unit. I opened it to see my platoon leader (captain) and platoon sergeant standing there grimly. I knew we hadn’t crashed, but by the looks on their faces, I knew something happened.

Prior to our deployment, my unit was told we’d be getting three M114 HMMWVs equipped with the Automatic Fire Extinguishing System (AFES). Since no one knew anything about the AFES, we were given a nice PowerPoint presentation to explain the system’s capabilities. While the presentation was informative, it later became apparent that a few of us didn’t pay close attention to it.

As a young Soldier, I was always trained to execute any orders from my superiors without question. This discipline alone defined and ensured my — and many other Soldiers’ — survival at the two-way live-fire range. I remember my platoon sergeant being especially hard on Bradley crews to be disciplined and vigilant before, during and after combat operations.