Actions Speak Louder Than Words
The AMTSociety held its sixth-annual Maintenance Skills Competition (MSC) in the Las Vegas Convention Center March 13–15, 2013. Within the MSC were representatives of our craft and profession from around the world, with men and women from Australia, Canada, China and the United States competing in five categories. By coming to the MSC, these professionals help to promote a positive, informative and professional image of today’s skilled aircraft maintenance technicians and aircraft maintenance engineers to the public and, to a certain extent, our own industry.
The teams that come to the MSC are representatives from across the aircraft maintenance world and are sponsored by their respective organizations and companies. Some companies sponsor more than one team. FedEx again fielded three different teams and the Aviation Institute of Maintenance Schools fielded seven teams from amongst their campuses. The military category had teams scheduled to compete and represent the United States Navy, Air Force, Army and Coast Guard. The USCG even had an event sponsored for the 2013 MSC. But with sequestration in effect, the result was that the funding for all the military teams was rescinded. The military category for the 2013 MSC was now empty because of a lack of funds.
Being asked to represent a company in a venue such as the MSC is an honor for any AMT or AME. Being chosen for the MSC is, in effect, being chosen to represent your company and organization and to show a professional image and high levels of skill and knowledge. To be chosen and then told you could not go was, I’m sure, a hard dose of bad news for the men and women in the military category. But without funding, what could these military aircraft maintainers do?
In the case of the USCG, one of the two teams decided to take matters into its own hands. The team from Station Clearwater Florida believed that the USCG needed to be represented. They asked their commanders if they could represent the USCG if they went on their own. The answer was yes and the planning went into action. The team members who had been chosen to represent Station Clearwater Florida used their own personal time and money for air fare, hotels, food and entry fee for the MSC. These Coast Guardsmen felt so strongly that the USCG needed to be represented, they took it upon themselves to stand tall for their branch of the U.S. military.
Competing in the 2013 MSC as the only team in the military category would certainly focus attention on their actions. No one questioned that they would come in first place by default; but rather what was answered was the USCG team members’ passion and pride in being aircraft maintainers. The actions of the team from Station Clearwater Florida does not diminish the passion and pride of other maintainers in the other branches of the U.S. military in the slightest. Rather, what it accomplishes is that it raises the level of pride and passion. The following USCG servicepeople need to be recognized for their actions:
AMT 1 Jim Fielder
AMT 1 James Bastick
AMT 2 Dani Church
AET 2 Michael Bosch
AET 2 Andrew Poulin
This story doesn’t stop here as an example of actions speaking louder than words. The MSC is a world-class venue for showcasing skills needed to provide safe, airworthy aircraft worldwide. The competition is also a stage upon which camaraderie and honor are displayed. FedEx stepped up to the plate this year to drive this point home. Prior to the announcement of the final scores, the members of all three FedEx Teams passed around a hat to raise several-hundred dollars which was presented to the USCG team to help with their expenses related to competing.
In taking first place in the commercial aviation category, FedEx Team LAX was presented with first-place plaques as well as multiple tools provided by Snap-On Tools, Shure-Step step stools and world clocks from Crane Aerospace. The score FedEx Team LAX finished with also earned them the coveted William F. “Bill” O’Brien Award for excellence in aircraft maintenance. This is a trophy named after the FAA ASI who created the Charles E. Taylor Master Mechanic award. Along with the trophy are even more prizes sponsored by Snap-On Tools, Silvertronic, Top Flight Watches, ProBuilt Lighting and PPG Aerospace.
The PPG Aerospace prize was having the entry fee for the 2014 MSC paid for the recipients of this award. After receiving the PPG award, the FedEx LAX Team called the members of the USCG team up on stage and offered the award to them so they could help fund competing in 2014. This was both a classy and honorable action on the part of the FedEx team.
All of the technicians, engineers and students competing in the 2013 MSC let their actions of competing speak for their belief in promoting our craft. The actions of FedEx spoke for the brotherhood these professionals call their own.