Unintended Consequences of Senior Leadership Decisions – A Visionary Proven Right

By Col (Ret) Larry Chandler

Major General (Ret) Lewis Curtis, SA-ALC/CC (1987) owned the Aviation Depot Squadrons AVDS). The chain of command was AFLC/CC to SA-ALC/CC to SA-ALC/DSW to the three AVDS squadron Commanders---pretty direct chain of command. The AVDS squadron commanders  (Lt Col) wrote a monthly letter on the status of the squadrons direct to AFLC/CC and info to SA-ALC   (This was inspired by the “ADM Rickover Letter” that Sub Commanders had to write each month—the AF adopted the practice).  The following text resulted from the AF wide discussions on merging the munitions officer career field into the aircraft maintenance officer career field – a single consolidated career field in 1987. MG Curtis saw this merger as a bad idea… the story follows.

MG Curtis wrote a letter to BG Philip Metzler, HQ AF Director of maintenance and supply (LEY), 21 April 1987. MG Curtis argued that merging munitions and aircraft maintenance officers would produce only superficially qualified officers. He called the merger “dangerous.” --- Quote, “We have learned through long and bitter experience that nuclear logistics operations demand experience and technical expertise far beyond that required for general maintenance of even non-nuclear munitions (Curtis, 1987). MG Curtis wrote this memo in 1987 and 20 years later in 2007 we have the Minot and Taiwan incidents which were both obviously, “Nuclear logistics operations,” and were the management responsibility of 21M officers. The results of senior leadership decisions are often not evident until 15-20 years after the decision (Jacques’s Stratified Systems Theory [SST], 1986).

MG Lew Curtis was insightful to see 20 years into the future and be right! Even I thought the merger was a good thing in 1987---But I was drinking the “cool-aid” and trying to run with the herd to get promoted too. It is probably a good thing to remember, we want the AF/mission and America to be a win… and not just our individual careers to be successful.  Bottom line, MG Lew Curtis was absolutely right, the munitions officer career field (nuclear and conventional) are too technical and the risk of failure too great for a “generalist” maintenance officer model!  lchandler@avesllc.com