Dear Editor,
After a long, hard day, Soldiers are often in a rush to shut down and get home. But one mistake Soldiers need to avoid is shutting down a generator that’s powering other equipment before shutting down the equipment itself.
If something like the Patriot missile system’s radar suddenly loses power, the radar’s software, hard drives, and circuit and video cards could all be damaged. And you could lose any programming work you’ve done.
Even if the system escapes major damage, it could take hours and hours to get it up and running. So always make sure you know what equipment is hooked up to a generator and make sure that equipment is properly shut down before you shut down the generator.
CPT David Anderson
SSG Patrick Rayburn
Ft Carson, CO
Editor's Note: Excellent advice. In short: shut it down right or you'll be shut down!