What happened?: I was feeling confident after a few months in Afghanistan. We were holding our own during the enemy’s “spring offensive” and I felt we had the right plan – for you in the military, our campaign plan, which was much like our annual operating plan in the business world. So on a bright sunny day in early summer I boarded my Black Hawk with my small security team and flew to Kabul to participate in the Afghan National Day festivities, as did every general and dignitary in the country. Smack in the middle of a 21-gun salute to Afghan President Karzai, who was about 50 feet from us on the parade ground, all hell broke loose. Incoming mortar shells exploded in front of us, nearly killing some on parade, and incoming small arms fire pinged off the concrete viewing stands all around us. We escaped without injury, but I was stunned, shocked, and deeply disappointed. I was totally unprepared for what had just happened.  Next time…What I learned…