National news headlines underscore what happens when people don’t pay attention to details.  Forget about that stray ammunition in your carry-on bag?  Welcome to the Turks & Caicos detention center – not on the beach, we’re guessing.  Thought that crypto was secure?  Not to 2 MIT grads who swiped $25M in twelve seconds.  And no, unfortunately that wasn’t a dolphin you hit with your boat.  All of these headlines could have potentially been prevented if people took the time to keep their training current and slowed down enough to pay attention to the details.  This matters both inside and outside of the government contracting world.  Too often, though, people look at training classes as a distraction, something to be endured rather than embraced.  It’s only when problems develop that some people suddenly get compliance religion.  To paraphrase an old Army adage:  There are no atheists in IG audits.  There don’t have to be IG audits in many cases, either.  Ensuring compliance on existing projects doesn’t take time away from pursuing new ones, it really gives your company the opportunity to win new business because it is still eligible to do so and has good past performance ratings.  Good training and compliance programs don’t prevent 100% of bad things from happening, but they do prepare your company on how to best manage them when they do.  Mandatory training at regular intervals is an established best practice in and out of government contracting.  That matters the next time your federal contract ends up in the middle of the proverbial Hudson River, sinking like a stone.  Make sure your team can land safely and get out in time.