AARs

"AAR Tips and Tactics" reference AAR Training Package AAR video clip

The After Action Review (AAR) is a debriefing format designed so that crews and teams can learn from their actions.

The AAR was developed by the military in order to create an avenue for feedback, promote learning, and improve unit cohesion. The AAR is now used worldwide by military organizations, governments, and private industry. It is considered a valuable tool in high-risk professions where the smallest mistakes can lead to disastrous results.

It is essential for wildland firefighters to learn from our mistakes and to capitalize on our successes. The price we pay for our mistakes can be exceptionally high and the amount of effort put into our successes is often left unrecognized. The objective of the After Action Review is to identify successes and mistakes...and once recognized, further examine those successes and mistakes so that the team can improve their skill sets and be better prepared for the next assignment. The AAR should not be utilized as an investigational review.

The links in the upper right corner of this page will provide some references and training tools to help you and those you work with conduct effective After Action Reviews.