Saturday, May 14, 2011

THE TRUE MEASURE OF LOYALTY

Loyalty is one of the most prized traits of mankind. I first learned about the true measure of loyalty while flying for the U.S. Marine Corps. The most crucial component of loyalty is trust, for without trust there can be no loyalty. There can be no higher level of trust than to put one's life in the hands of others. Conversely, when others put their lives in your hands the level of their trust in you is at its utmost extreme. I was tasked on a daily basis with certifying that aircraft that would be transporting 40 to 50 people were indeed safe to fly. Before every flight I was required to sign in ink a statement attesting to the airworthiness of each aircraft. Those who flew on those aircraft had an implicit trust that I would do my job 100 percent.

One morning I arrived at the flight line to find that the maintenance officer was frantically searching for me. The maintenance chief bellowed that I would be going to Leavenworth. He went on to state that I had signed off an aircraft safe for flight, which went as far as the taxiway before suffering a catastrophic failure. The enormity of the moment caused me to fall silent. My brain raced to find answers as to how I could have let this happen. Some fifteen minutes passed before I could even stammer the words "I did not sign off that aircraft". My statement was met with an incredulous glare and the logbook thrown in my face, which appeared to have my signature on it. Once again I fell silent and thought to myself, "my God what have I done". I was 21 years old and apparently through my negligence 40+ lives were put at risk and I would now be heading to Leavenworth. After a few minutes I quietly stated that I had not done the preflight check for that aircraft. This statement prompted the enraged maintenance chief to scream at me, "obviously you didn't, so why did you did sign it off". I looked down at the logbook again and then realized that although it was my name, it was not my signature. The investigation widened and it determined that a certain third shift supervisor failed to have the correct number of planes ready for the morning launch. Instead of taking the heat for his mistake, his solution was to pick a plane off the line then simply sign the logbook with my name attesting to its "safe for flight condition".

I had known this man for over a year and a half, he was a friend, and appeared to me to be an honest and loyal Marine. It was at that precise moment I truly realized that my loyalty to this man had to end. For the greater good I had to choose loyalty to principles over loyalty to a friend. He was stripped of rank, sent to Leavenworth for one year, and eventually dishonorably discharged.

Some of you may have been faced with similar decisions in your lifetime. This election may force you to have these same feelings. Search your soul and ask yourself this question. Which is more important, loyalty to the principles of honesty and truthfulness or loyalty to an old friend?

I am sure that if you search your soul and even feel it in your heart, you will choose correctly.

Former U.S. Marine Thomas Helwig