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Risk management key to Air Force team's seven summits: Part 6

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  • By Tech. Sgt. Kathee Mullins
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  (Editor's Note: This is the final article in a series about the U.S. Air Force Seven Summits team. Since the start of the Seven Summits Challenge almost eight years ago, a lot has changed from the number of members, to their individual growth and service affiliation and duty stations, but what hasn't changed is the focus of the team. When this challenge was in its first stages of conception it was about bringing awareness to the Wounded Warrior program, to honor those that had made tremendous sacrifices for their country. In taking on the challenges of the seven highest peaks of the world, team members used their Air Force training to accomplish each summit safely, meeting the risks of mountaineering and managing their success. The team will continue, looking for new challenges while insuring that risk management is at the forefront of each challenge, so that they can live to fight another day.)

"Risk management in the military is never about eliminating risks. The only way to eliminate risk is to never engage, and that's not an option. So we use the principles of risk management in our jobs and when we are off duty. We don't stop being the Air Force's top asset as its personnel just because we take off our uniform. On the mountain, that rings truer than ever," said Staff Sgt. Nicolas Gibson a Reserve pararescueman and physician-assistant student stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla.

Many Airmen in the Air Force face fundamental dangers on a daily basis. The Air Force knows this and trains Airmen to evaluate and assess the risks before any challenge or mission. Having the proper training and skills and to know when and how to use them is a big part of RM.

"We discussed ways to mediate risks and remain safety vigilant at great lengths before we even left for the summit of Mount Everest. Some examples include balancing speed in the dangerous regions of the icefall with steadiness in the safer parts. We also discussed eating and drinking on a regular schedule to stay ahead of running out of gas, as it became a lesson we had all learned the hard way by that point. I reviewed the precipitating factors for altitude illness such as acute mountain sickness (AMS), high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE), and high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE). We discussed and educated each other on the risks and planned ways to mitigate each risk. We then implemented those plans, just as we do in our respective high-risk jobs, to best ensure our safe return from the mission," said Gibson.

Preplanning, mapping out scenarios and being mentally and physically ready for the challenge are RM tools that all Airmen have been trained to use. The U.S. Air Force Seven Summits team is no exception. Even though this was an off-duty challenge for the six Airmen, they used those skills and all returned home safely, mission accomplished.

"When Capt. (Colin) Merrin made his decision to turn back, I remember feeling sad hearing it on the radio but, as the medic, I was pleased that he recognized what his body was telling him," said Gibson.

"When it was my turn, there was a point where I had multiple factors contributing to my decision," added Gibson. "I was stuck behind a large group of slow climbers, which dictated my pace. I was too exhausted to pass them and couldn't move fast enough behind them to stay warm. In the end, numb, stiff toes represented a decision I had made months ago, before I even set foot on the mountain. I will not give this mountain my fingers or toes. I am no good to anyone as the team medic if I can't treat them. Rule one in the rescue business is don't become a victim. The bottom line: What would I have told any of my team members if they told me their toes had been numb for almost two hours and were now stiff..... I would say turn around."

Even though the decision not to summit was tough, the fact that both Airmen had the training, knowledge and the mindset to make that call speaks volumes for Air Force training in the RM field. Both men could have kept going with their eye on the prize and not on the end results. Gibson knew that the decisions he made would affect him short and long term. He had spent exhausting hours preparing for the challenge both physically and mentally. He knew that if the risk for injury or harm is greater than the desired outcome, there is no reason to take the chance and continue. The mission was to raise awareness of and to honor wounded warriors while returning home safely, so decisions had to cover all skills, including RM skills to increase mission effectiveness.
"My advice to the general public is to remain vigilant in all day-to-day activities. Consider ways to better engage in your own adventures with a safety mindset," said Gibson. There are often ways to expend a small amount of effort to ensure you and yours stay safe. I also want to emphasize that the 'mountains' our veterans climb every day with their health care issues. Take a moment to not only thank the veterans in your life, but engage them to learn more about their lives. I think you'd be surprised at the response you'll get. And I would say to the veterans, don't fight a war in your heart alone. We all know what being a part of a team means, so make that team stronger by getting help if you are suffering. Protect yourself, the asset. Honor your fallen by not choosing to join them -- fight".

"The fiercest battle you fight on the mountain is with your own body. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. Always live to fight another day, if you have that choice," said Gibson.
With the Seven Summits completed, the U.S. Air Force Seven Summits team is continuing with a new mission. Through the many years split between combat zones and mountain tops, the team members have seen firsthand the healing power of time spent in the outdoors. The new direction of the U.S. Air Force Seven Summits Challenge is to introduce Airmen battling physical or emotional difficulties to mountaineering. Whether an Airman is dealing with seasonal depression, battlefield injuries, PTSD, or an otherwise stressful period in life, the goal is to help them decompress and learn to deal with their situation by climbing a mountain with fellow Airmen. They have already assembled their first team, comprised of 12 Airmen and civilians, to climb Mt. Rainier July 19-22.

Check out www.ClimbingForWarriors.com for more information.