Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Running Up Hill

I woke up this morning at 6 and was on to work by 7. The air was cold and either the thermometer at my hooch is broken or we have had about a week of 28 degree mornings. I expect it’s the latter.

Since the new Blackhawk unit joined us, we have restructured our Production Control and us Blackhawk guys have broken off from the Apaches. The two aircraft are just too different and it is more counter productive to meet together. Besides, we really don’t want to associate with those guys. Even among helicopters and maintenance crews, there are rivalries. We don’t like the attack guys much.

Anyway, now that we have defected, I am working longer hours. Lately it’s been 15 to 16 hours a day. I am afraid, especially after the last couple of days, we’re slipping and can’t hold this pace much longer. We’ll do our best but it’s a LOT of work and there just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. The Battalion commander said, with the addition of the new Blackhawk unit, it would take the weight off of the guys who were doing all of the flying. Now, the work had doubled and they are buried. I don’t tell my guys how I feel but I really am starting to worry. A “Can Do’ attitude only goes so far. I feel like I am running out of steam. I’m not trying to do the WOE IS ME thing, but sometimes, I feel like it. I wonder if the great leaders ever felt like I do. Still, for every complaint, I can think of something I appreciate here. Like the internet, the food, our hooches, friends and good co-workers. It could be worse…A LOT worse.

Tomorrow’s schedule already looks like it has the potential to set a new record for the highest amount of maintenance in one day. We’ll get trough it, but it won’t be pretty. At the top of my list of concerns is that my guys will get burned out and the quality their maintenance will deteriorate. We can’t afford to let that happen. There is no pulling over to a cloud when a problem comes around.

I have recently started a trend where my dinner meal is a sandwich that “Wheel Man” “Bear Cub” or “Chickie” has brought back from the mess hall for me and left in my room. They usually volunteer to do it or sometimes, they don’t even ask, they just take care of me. They know when I really need a break. They can tell. They always go out of their way to make me some coffee or get me lunch or dinner or just do something extra for me. The best thing about it is they’re not trying to brown nose, they just care about me. That has to be one of the best feelings that a leader can have. I appreciate them a lot.

“Megtime” is a co-worker at my civilian job back in the States. Every now and then, he drops me a note. He doesn’t ramble on about this and that, he provides words of encouragement, tells me “Thanks” and a line or two about what’s going on at work. I really appreciate those emails. Not too heavy and not too light. Thanks! They really mean a lot to me.

Lots of people are very supportive of me over here and it’s really comforting to have the support of my family and friends and loved ones. They are the ones who get me through the rough days. The support they provide is crucial to my daily well being.

posted by Merlin @ 10:58 PM