Lessons learned from exercises Published June 15, 2006 By Lt. Col. Donavan Godier 77th Fighter Squadron commander SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Last week, the 77 Fighter Squadron and Aircraft Maintenance Unit completed a long set of exercises helping hone skills needed for combat and to prepare for Air Expeditionary Force 3 and 4 tasking. In roughly two months, we successfully deployed to Southwest Asia, Hill Air Force Base and Canada. We clearly demonstrated our ability to project combat power globally. This training was valuable as we learned to operate from forward locations, sometimes in close proximity to real world threats and hone our ability to “Deploy and Employ.” Now that we have had a few days to recover, it’s time to reflect on some lessons learned and what we can take away as Airman. Safety is a mindset, not something accomplished at certain times or during certain tasks. Accidents don’t just happen. They are a result of a series of events that went unrecognized. Learning to recognize potential hazards is something all of us are able to accomplish. It begins with knowing your strengths and weakness and being able to recognize when something is dumb, dangerous or different. For example, during recent exercises we learned that performing tasks in chemical gear under combat-like conditions is not the same as performing our daily tasks -- it requires extra attention to detail. You had to spend more time knowing the environment around you in order to prevent injury or damaging equipment unnecessarily. Something as simple as ensuring your foot is placed correctly on the gas or brake pedal while driving in chemical gear, especially during wet conditions, goes a long way in preventing injury or damage. Not following technical orders and taking short cuts rarely save time. In fact, most of the time, taking short cuts results in unnecessary injury or damaged equipment. TOs, directives, and policies are put in place to prevent bad things from happening, not to make it more difficult to accomplish your job. Most of these procedures are written in blood, meaning someone has already paid the price for their mistake. Because of this, they will not change when we transition to combat operations -- the risk is too great. The training we received this last few months replicated, as close as possible, the combat conditions we could face someday. The habit patterns learned and adherence to strict procedural discipline will go a long way to minimize unnecessary losses during combat operations. Lastly, one of our greatest strengths, our “can do” attitude, was also a potential threat. Don’t get me wrong, having a “can do” attitude is a great thing, but the desire to get things done can lead to an environment that tolerates skipping steps. Last fall, during the Phase II, it seemed impossible to accomplish all the tasks that were being asked. The temptation for short cuts to meet mission demands is very tempting. Let’s face it, we all hate losing. However, with each exercise and deployment, everyone became more comfortable performing the mission -- even during challenging weather conditions at deployed locations with minimal equipment and at bare base operations. By not accepting a lower standard, not looking the other way, and fixing problems as they arose, everyone contributed to the climate both at home and deployed. Our main AEF training is behind us and we have a couple of months to finalize our preparation for AEF 3 and 4 tasking. Though not everyone is in our phase of preparation, it is important to look at others around you and learn what mistakes were made so you will not make the same ones. Let these lessons learned serve as a reminder to everyone for building a safe and successful future as we continue to meet our country’s needs.