Red flag warnings

 

    Over the course of the last couple weeks, we've seen the memes pop up about the Blackhawk incident in Temple or the Chinook with the 'folded' blade and we can all get a good laugh about it.  (Images from UH-60 Black Hawk Drivers on FB)

     The fact is that making humor out of serious subjects is something service members excel at, if for nothing else than just simply to cope.  Military life is heavy and something has to lighten it up if you're going to survive it.

    But there's something else that should be a red flag in all of this...  when we start seeing aviation mishaps, it's a time for commanders to re-evaluate their units and their abilities in the aircraft.  While I may no longer wear a uniform, the trends of pushing individuals to be Pilot-in-commands and progress faster in their training than their really prepared for.  As the crewmember numbers have dwindled, the pressure to progress individuals faster than they are prepared for has become almost a necessity to keep up with the needs of the military.  There's huge issues with this though - to include the fact that individuals that are not prepared for emergency situations are pushed into them.  

    While optempo and making mission is a priority, doing so at the cost of service members is not only irrational and irresponsible, but simply reprehensible.  So I'm asking, before you sign off on that next PC or send that next flight out just to make the hours for the week, that you pause and think of what you will tell the families of those crew members if something should happen. Because five families recently received that dreaded knock and someone will have to answer to the decisions that were made that led to that moment in time.  We've lost too many over things that could have been prevented if someone had the courage to put their foot down.  

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/06/06/2-injured-military-helicopter-crash-southern-alabama.html

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-09/second-military-aircraft-goes-down-in-imperial-county-authorities-confirm