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Would you stake your life, right now, on the condition of your equipment?
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NEWS | May 23, 2023

Half-Mast Sends: Just Ask Already

BLUF: Don’t hesitate to ask questions, even if you're an "old hand."

Soldiers doing PMCS on HMMWV
Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Ernest Henderson
 
This article initially appeared in PS 753, p. 1 (Sep 15).

You don’t know the answer. You’re baffled. You pride yourself on being able to figure things out, but this one escapes you.

Of course it’s not covered in the TM. Or if it is, you can’t find it. And nobody has ever shown you how to do it.

You could ask somebody, but what would the other mechanics say? You’ve been here so long it’d make you sound like an idiot.

Maybe you could get the new Soldier to ask instead. But what if they all look to you for the answer? Or worse, what if everybody knows the answer but you?

Nope, no way you’re asking that question. So you guess. But you guess wrong. And then a real maintenance nightmare begins, one far more embarrassing than simply asking a question up front.

As the original Murphy’s Law goes: “If there are two or more ways to do something, and one of those ways can result in a catastrophe, then someone will do it.”
Don’t be that someone. Ignorance isn’t bliss. But it’s not stupidity, either. It’s just lack of knowledge.

If you’re not sure, ask! Those who guess almost always guess wrong. Sure, you might get a little flak now, but it’s better than making a big mistake later. And once you start asking questions, others will ask, too. It’s contagious—in a good way. So ask already.   
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