Risk Management Magazine

As an aviation safety officer at Kandahar Air Base assigned to Task Force Out Front, I was a pilot in command (PC) and air mission commander (AMC) and flew more than 150 combat missions responding to numerous troops-in-contact calls in Kandahar province. During my deployment, we had a mid-air collision with an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) because communication and tracking of UASs between ground units within the same brigade was ineffective. Here’s what happened.

When considering the leading causes of boating fatalities, most picture lack of operator training, operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or falling overboard. While that is certainly true, there’s a lesser-known danger that can be equally as deadly when boating — carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.

I’ve noticed a dangerous trend in the Army — units taking shortcuts when issuing tactical driver’s licenses. It seems some of us have gotten away from the standards and regulations put in place to ensure proper training. Driver training across the military has been an ongoing battle, whether it was a transporter or a military intelligence master driver teaching a course. We need to treat this position as a role, not an additional duty.