Soul Mx - Ops Checks

 This is part of a series shared ecumenically with members to whom I was assigned; the goal was to start conversation and deep thought, and many of these messages led to great conversations.

Ops Checks
Original Publication Date: 12 August 2024

Greetings,

It is popular in many faith traditions to say that “My faith is being tested” and/or “God is testing me” and/or “I’m being put to the test”, etc. This is said when we’re pushed outside of our comfort zone, stressed, and overwhelmed.

Sometimes we hear statements like that and think that the “test” is meant to break us, or to determine if we’re valuable enough, but that is not what is meant. The word test is more in line with “Ops-Check”, to determine if we are “airworthy”, capable, and effective. The test is to show where we can be stronger; where improvements can be made. In many historical cases the word “test” is a metallurgical word for “refine”, or to make more valuable. Doesn’t it sound more effective, pleasant, and beneficial to say, “I’m being refined”?

Many years ago when the F-22 was in its infancy we ops-checked a system on the ground—per the TO—using a power-cart; everything checked out. The next day when we put a pilot in the seat the system failed immediately and the mission was ground-aborted. After a little digging we determined the basic ops-check was ineffective to determine the airworthiness of the airplane and that particular ops-check in the future needed to be done on an engine run using full operating parameters.

When we “test” our airframes we often make sure they are effective in extreme circumstances pushing the airframe outside of its comfort zone: 110% torque, 105% N1, 100% max weight, max G’s, max deflection, task saturation, etc. But we don’t want to live in those extremes or we are likely to break things. My first airframe, the Bell 206L3, could exceed 100% torque for a couple of seconds in an emergency with no ramifications, but the recommendation was to keep it below 85% during normal ops to extend the service life of the mast and transmission among other parts.

As your chaplain, I want to ask how you’re being ops-checked: Where are you being put to the test? Where are you overwhelmed? How are you pushing yourself? How are you pushing others to grow beyond their comfort zones? Are you being pushed beyond the parameters you can sustain? What is your plan to operate in an effective, capable, worthy manner?

In one sense these are rhetorical questions, in another sense I’d love to hear your answers.

 

I’m looking forward to being your chaplain, and I hope we all “Ops-Check Good” in life and soul maintenance so that we’re effective for the Air Force, our community, and our world.