Last night it took me a while to fall asleep. Rather than end up thinking about all the crap I usually do, I tried to come up with something new, something different to think about. Something positive out of those 20 years I served instead of all the pain and suffering it's caused me. After a few failed attempts I fell on the idea of who inspired me to be better, to believe in myself.
I settled on three people who inspired me:
1. AMSC Parker (E-7). All through my young life, including my first two years at my first command I had a philosophy of "if you can't dazzle em with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit", and it worked quite well for me up until I met AMSC Parker. The first few encounters I got away with what I was trying to do, but after the first few times, he called me on it. I was trying to get out of something by quoting the 4790 manual - the "Bible" of aviation maintenance. He listened patiently then dropped the bombshell. He said "Show that to me in writing". I looked at him like a deer in the headlights, "In writing"? I asked. "Yes, go get the 4790 and show me that in writing before you leave today. It was already afternoon, and I wasn't very familiar with the 4790. Oh shit, I thought to myself. I spent the next several hours looking through the various sections of the manual which is 5 volumes. About a foot tall if you stack them all in one pile. I finally found the reference, which by the luck of the stars, I was right. Of course he knew this, but making me back up what I said had a profound effect on me for the rest of my career. He continued to call me on what I was saying forcing me to become more and more familiar with the book. By the time I left that command I was one of the experts and people came to me for help. Later on in my career I became "By the books Barber" (my last name is Barber). Some times as a compliment, sometimes as a put down. Either way, I was known for knowing the manuals well, and if I said it, it had a VERY high probability of being right. I would admit if I wasn't sure and help them look it up. Just knowing WHERE to look was over half the battle.
In aviation, people live or die depending on whether or not you follow the right publications.
2. Sgt. Mendoza . At my second command, I had a Sgt. as a supervisor in the Advanced Composites Shop. The Advanced Composites Shop was the most prestigious in my Division. My command had an exchange program with VFA 125, an F/A 18 training squadron. That squadron had a large contingent of Marines to train them because the Marines use F/A 18's as well, both pilots and maintainers. My command worked on parts, and the Marines needed that training as well, hence the exchange. Sgt Mendoza explained once that the leadership level between the Marines and Navy was lopsided. The responsibility and authority was a paygrade higher for equal rank in the Marines - E-5 in Marines = E-6 in the Navy. Having been around a lot of Marines I could see what he was saying and never argued about it, didn't need to. He behaved to a higher standard than most navy his paygrade. This is the point in my career I discovered through his leadership, that one can act as one wishes to be, not as others may see you, or in other words - Always try to behave, have the knowledge and experience of at least one pay grade senior to your current one.
3. AMC Marks (E-7). If you needed something done, or some near impossible to get replacement part, AMC Marks. He was like radar from the tv show M.A.S.H. but not as tv friendly. He was networked throughout the west coast. He made as many enemies as friends, but EVERYBODY respected him. He knew as many people in the supply system as in the aircraft maintenance field. I don't think there was ever a part he couldn't get, some just took a little longer to find than others. Often it involved taking out a part of one or more of our "parts" birds which wasn't always a welcome adventure for the trade, but we always had one of the best sortie rates in our airwing. All of his efforts were "legal" eventually. Just sometimes the paperwork had to be "shuffled" a few times to get all the X's in the right places.
I was kind of stuck in idle because I couldn't get advanced because of the draw down. Then something happened to me and I was removed from my command by Balboa Naval Hospital the week before we were to deploy. I spent six months at the hospital slowly recovering on my own (case was mismanaged by the hospital). When my Time was up there, I chose to go back to my old command against all common sense. Even though my health wasn't nearly as good, my drive and commitment to the job was 10 times better. AMC Marks took me under his wing and I became the command's "Golden Child", or it's favorite candidate for promotion to Chief. I got this recognition by busting my ass, not kissing ass. We were doing condensed work ups in preparation to go to the Gulf for G2. My Division Chief was going on terminal leave and AMC put me in as acting Division Chief. Then right before we went to the boat my Division Officer had to go to some training for a few months. AMC put me in as acting Division Officer as well. So... Here I am as an E-6 Shop Supervisor, acting as Division Officer AND Division Chief. I had around 110 men and women under my care. According to every one (Chiefs and above) I was doing great. An E-6 as acting Division Officer is pretty much unheard of in the squadrons, usually another Chief or Officer will step in.
I settled on three people who inspired me:
1. AMSC Parker (E-7). All through my young life, including my first two years at my first command I had a philosophy of "if you can't dazzle em with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit", and it worked quite well for me up until I met AMSC Parker. The first few encounters I got away with what I was trying to do, but after the first few times, he called me on it. I was trying to get out of something by quoting the 4790 manual - the "Bible" of aviation maintenance. He listened patiently then dropped the bombshell. He said "Show that to me in writing". I looked at him like a deer in the headlights, "In writing"? I asked. "Yes, go get the 4790 and show me that in writing before you leave today. It was already afternoon, and I wasn't very familiar with the 4790. Oh shit, I thought to myself. I spent the next several hours looking through the various sections of the manual which is 5 volumes. About a foot tall if you stack them all in one pile. I finally found the reference, which by the luck of the stars, I was right. Of course he knew this, but making me back up what I said had a profound effect on me for the rest of my career. He continued to call me on what I was saying forcing me to become more and more familiar with the book. By the time I left that command I was one of the experts and people came to me for help. Later on in my career I became "By the books Barber" (my last name is Barber). Some times as a compliment, sometimes as a put down. Either way, I was known for knowing the manuals well, and if I said it, it had a VERY high probability of being right. I would admit if I wasn't sure and help them look it up. Just knowing WHERE to look was over half the battle.
In aviation, people live or die depending on whether or not you follow the right publications.
2. Sgt. Mendoza . At my second command, I had a Sgt. as a supervisor in the Advanced Composites Shop. The Advanced Composites Shop was the most prestigious in my Division. My command had an exchange program with VFA 125, an F/A 18 training squadron. That squadron had a large contingent of Marines to train them because the Marines use F/A 18's as well, both pilots and maintainers. My command worked on parts, and the Marines needed that training as well, hence the exchange. Sgt Mendoza explained once that the leadership level between the Marines and Navy was lopsided. The responsibility and authority was a paygrade higher for equal rank in the Marines - E-5 in Marines = E-6 in the Navy. Having been around a lot of Marines I could see what he was saying and never argued about it, didn't need to. He behaved to a higher standard than most navy his paygrade. This is the point in my career I discovered through his leadership, that one can act as one wishes to be, not as others may see you, or in other words - Always try to behave, have the knowledge and experience of at least one pay grade senior to your current one.
3. AMC Marks (E-7). If you needed something done, or some near impossible to get replacement part, AMC Marks. He was like radar from the tv show M.A.S.H. but not as tv friendly. He was networked throughout the west coast. He made as many enemies as friends, but EVERYBODY respected him. He knew as many people in the supply system as in the aircraft maintenance field. I don't think there was ever a part he couldn't get, some just took a little longer to find than others. Often it involved taking out a part of one or more of our "parts" birds which wasn't always a welcome adventure for the trade, but we always had one of the best sortie rates in our airwing. All of his efforts were "legal" eventually. Just sometimes the paperwork had to be "shuffled" a few times to get all the X's in the right places.
I was kind of stuck in idle because I couldn't get advanced because of the draw down. Then something happened to me and I was removed from my command by Balboa Naval Hospital the week before we were to deploy. I spent six months at the hospital slowly recovering on my own (case was mismanaged by the hospital). When my Time was up there, I chose to go back to my old command against all common sense. Even though my health wasn't nearly as good, my drive and commitment to the job was 10 times better. AMC Marks took me under his wing and I became the command's "Golden Child", or it's favorite candidate for promotion to Chief. I got this recognition by busting my ass, not kissing ass. We were doing condensed work ups in preparation to go to the Gulf for G2. My Division Chief was going on terminal leave and AMC put me in as acting Division Chief. Then right before we went to the boat my Division Officer had to go to some training for a few months. AMC put me in as acting Division Officer as well. So... Here I am as an E-6 Shop Supervisor, acting as Division Officer AND Division Chief. I had around 110 men and women under my care. According to every one (Chiefs and above) I was doing great. An E-6 as acting Division Officer is pretty much unheard of in the squadrons, usually another Chief or Officer will step in.
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