MCB CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- “We train like we fight.” This is one of the most common phrases in the military today. We say it to remind ourselves often both physically and mentally. It’s in our minds before every training evolution. But are we really ready to face the unknowns or the reality of military trainings, such as stress, risks of injury and even death?
Most military trainings by nature are high risk, actually, extremely high risk. Experienced instructors know the risks, but they love doing their jobs and so they keep on training anyway. “It’s a risky business, but somebody has got to do it,” is often what they say. The trainees know the risks too, but they may not know them as much as the experienced instructors. The trainees, with limited knowledge of the risks, may be more anxious to undergo the training evolutions, but they can’t opt out or they risk losing proficiency in performing their jobs. In reality, the military is a service which deals with the most extreme violence and dangers possible.
We know the risks, so we apply Operational Risk Management (ORM). We assess low, moderate, high and dangerous risks. We study recent lessons learned, review After Action Reports (AAR) and take note of them. We find ways and means to mitigate the risks. Safe is paramount, but we accept all risks at the confirmation brief. Then, the execution phase takes place. The stress, risk of injury and death still exists. Mindful of all those things, we still have to carry out the risky tasks. Then, all of a sudden, a boom or a crash happens! A “training mishap” occurs. All training activities halt! Notifications are reported and heard. Immediately, the first response teams report to the scene for security, search and rescue, medical attention, investigation and then another military mishap goes into the books. More safety briefs and lessons learned should be anticipated.
If we pay attention to military news this year alone, there have been several serious military mishaps that have taken place, eight months into this year. Those mishaps took multiple lives of our fellow comrades and shipmates. We prayed and cared for them, their units, their families and their friends. We sympathized with their griefs and losses. Then, we started to think about our own fate.
Because we don’t know if or when we may be involved in the next mishap, we should still be encouraged to carry out our extremely high-risk duties with faith in the Divine. If we were to be involved with the next fatal military mishap, let us do so with faith in God. “We’ll train like we fight.” We’ll train with faith in God and be ready for the unknowns so that if we happened to die in a mishap or in combat, we would die with hope. The best time to receive and practice that faith is not when we’re seriously injured or dying, but now while we’re still alive and well.
The Chaplain’s Corner covers everything faith related. Facts not attributed are purely the opinion of the writer.