Commanders must find ways to protect their soldiers and equipment from accidents during realistic training to prepare for war. Commanders must compensate for the numerical advantages of the threat by protecting their combat resources from accidental loss. Commanders and staffs can use this appendix as a guide for managing risk as it applies to their organization and mission. Risk management is a tool leaders can use to make smart risk decisions in tactical operations. It allows leaders to execute more realistic training scenarios not otherwise possible because of the high probability of accidents.
Risk management is a commonsense way of accomplishing the mission with the least risk possible.
It is a method of getting the job done by identifying the areas that present the highest risk and taking action to eliminate, reduce, or control the risk. Risk management thereby becomes a fully integrated part of mission planning and execution. Risk management is not complex, technical, or difficult. Once understood, risk management is a way to put more realism into training without paying a price in deaths, injuries, or damaged equipment or all three. Risk management is not limited to training scenarios.