Risk Management Magazine

It was the beginning of fall, and my friend, Joe, and I planned a trip with the motorcycles we’d bought earlier in the year. Our bikes weren’t new, but they were new to us and had all the power one could ever need.

In the summer of 2017, my unit headed out for a rotation at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California, in preparation for a deployment the following spring. This would be the first time since flight school that I would be taking off, flying and landing in actual dust conditions.

Aviation maintenance directly affects an aviation unit’s ability to execute missions and provide combat and service support to ground forces. Failure to maintain aviation assets undoubtedly affects capabilities and sustainment and has a direct impact on mission execution.