lessonslearned Hydraulic Justice O 78 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2016
Through his behavior toward an enlisted servicemember, a young and arrogant second lieutenant teaches a future offi cer an eff ective lesson in how not to behave.
One day in 1959, while I was an airman second class (E-3) B-47E maintenance crew chief at Lincoln AFB, Neb., a young and arrogant second lieutenant copilot, two or three years my junior in age, had me reading his prefl ight inspection check- list for him during his preparation for a B-47 training mission. He was very inexperienced with the
plane, and several times during the inspec- tion he did not know what to look for or how to check certain things, so I tried to give him pointers on what to look for and where to look.
I also easily could tell he did not like
receiving tips and instructions from a lowly E-3 — though this lowly E-3 knew a lot more about the airplane than he did. A couple of times, in response to my eff orts to impart some of my airplane knowledge to him, he ad- monished me with a stern, “Just read the checklist, airman!” When we came to checking the fl uid
reached directly for the fi ll cap. As he started to unscrew the cap, I yelled, “No, no, relieve the pressure!” Too late! He got a healthy stream of red
MIL-5606 hydraulic fl uid in his face, all over his head, and running down the front of his fl ight suit. I handed him my mechanic’s wiper rag
and ran to the little toolshed on the ramp between the airplanes, got a couple more of them for him to try to clean up a bit, and left him to read the rest of the check- list for himself.
Though I did not have confi rmation at the time, I was confi dent I would soon be attending Offi cer Candidate School — which I did, three or four months later — and I never saw him again. I took our short association as a good reconfi rmation of how an offi cer should not act.
show respect I’ve thought of him often during the
level in the right aileron control system hydraulic reservoir, I tried to caution him to relieve the pressure in the tank by push- ing the relief button on top of the tank before removing the fi ll cap — or suff er the consequences of being doused with hydraulic fl uid. Instead of reaching on top of the tank to the pressure-relief button, though, he
past 56 years and have tried to be his oppo- site — to treat everyone, regardless of rank or social status, with dignity and respect. It’s also good to remember that, when humility is lacking, it might be forced upon you unexpectedly.
MO
— Wilton Strickland is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. He lives in Goldsboro, N.C. For submission information, see page 6.
Tell Your Story Military Officer seeks service-related anecdotes that left an impression. Submit your stories (between 400 and 450 words) by email to
profseries@moaa.org or by mail to MOAA Professional Series, 201 N. Washington St., Al- exandria, VA 22314. All submissions will be con- sidered for publication.
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