On 3 March 1981, at considerable risk to his own life, Pte. Michael John Hackbart, of Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, rescued an injured member of the Forces from an area of exploding artillery ammunition. During an airborne battery exercise in marginal wind conditions, heavy equipment was dropped, immediately followed by personnel. A parachute malfunction caused a jeep trailer containing twenty-eight rounds of 105 Millimetre high-explosive Howitzer ammunition to free fall to the ground. On impact the trailer burst into flames and troops were ordered to clear the drop zone. Pte. Hackbart, who had landed very close to the trailer, saw a fellow soldier closer to the fire, injured an unable to move. Realizing that the man was facing further injury, he went to assist. While ammunition was exploding, spreading debris everywhere, Pte. Hackbart dragged his comrade to safety.