CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
In January 2007, I was deployed, flying C-17s for the 817th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron. I was paired with a brand new copilot, call sign "Crazy Ivan," and our first mission was a triple stop in Iraq and then we went back to our deployed location in Southwest Asia.
Crazy Ivan worked extremely hard to keep up with all the radio calls, often with two or three controllers simultaneously, and many with very thick accents. The flights were short and he struggled to keep up with our tactical departure, arrival procedures and dozens of checklists. It was a hectic night, but we managed to get all of our passengers and cargo delivered without any major problems; however, my copilot was completely worn out from the effort.
When we had departed Iraq and finished the combat exit checklist, we had a few minutes to breathe and talked about how we would take our lessons learned from this mission and apply them to the next one. As we coasted out over the Persian Gulf, he slumped back in his seat and said, "It's a good thing this plane has a big tail; I've been holding onto it all night."
Less than one month later, I took command of the 437th Services Squadron and I shared this Crazy Ivan story. I explained that he was trying so hard to keep up with the mission that he felt like he had to grab on to the tail to keep from getting left behind. Now I was the new guy hanging on to the tail, and just like my inexperienced copilot had needed a crusty old pilot to drag him along while he mastered his new job, I needed the services experts to teach me all I didn't know.
Initially, I relied heavily on my deputy and flight chiefs to feed me information for all our daily operations. I applied myself and I gradually learned how to fill my new role. I still rely on my key leaders for the bulk of our operations, but some things have come around often enough that I can actually add some value to the process. But just as I got used to my new role, things started changing again.
This May, the 437th Services Squadron will merge with the 437th Mission Support Squadron and become the 437th Force Support Squadron. There are some strong reasons to merge: The library compliments the Education Center, the Airman and Family Readiness Flight is an obvious peer to the Child Development Center, and Casualty Affairs and Mortuary Affairs naturally go together.
This new squadron will be large and incredibly diverse, but it won't need two commanders so I will be reassigned to Dover AFB, Del., for new challenges. As I face another unfamiliar role, I am getting the feeling I'll be holding on to the tail again, but I am building my game plan.
I have a few rules I'm going to try to follow as I am once again the new guy. I have come up with a little advice from the tail section:
· Never compromise your integrity; just about everything else is negotiable. This is not a new guy rule, but still a good reminder. If you break your word it takes a very long time to recover.
· You aren't expected to know everything right away. When you're tackling a new job it's okay to say, "I don't know," but that new guy shield won't last. Find out who has the knowledge and expertise and learn from them.
· Attack from your strengths. Don't start role playing because you think you're supposed to. You were picked for the job because of who you are and what you have accomplished.
· Expect excellence from your people. Many of our Airmen today are not reaching their potential because no one is challenging them.
· Leave your unit better than you found it. As the new guy, you are expected to ask a lot of questions. When you ask, "Why do we do it that way?" listen for, "that's how we've always done it." Take a note; those are the areas that are ripe for improvement.
These are just a few thoughts from a crusty old pilot who is about to take on a new role. It seems we never get too old to be intimidated by the unknown, but we can prepare. If we start each new job committed to excellence in ourselves and from our new teammates, we will have a good chance to succeed.