Page 72 - Never Fly Solo

OVER-G | 45
Everyone knew the consequences of noncompliance at the
academy, but still we broke some of the rules. Cadets cheated
and lied and did the things that most eighteen- to twenty-two-
year-old kids do. Disciplinary action ranged from demerits to
marching tours to sitting in solitary confinement. The point
sank in: follow regulations and abide by the honor code, or
suffer the consequences.
The academy taught me that my actions and integrity (or
lack thereof) had consequences, that what I did or didn’t do
affected others. Of course, occasional lapses in integrity are
expected from teenagers and young adults, but at thirty, forty,
fifty years old? Look at the tally of major companies that have
collapsed over the past ten years. How many examples do we
need before we get the picture?
Sure, there’s a difference between the training world of
the Air Force Academy and the business world, but the con-
sequences of flouting the rules can be just as dire. No wing-
men were watching the so-called leaders of failed corporate
highflyers such as Enron or WorldCom. There was no honor
code except the one they devised to help themselves. Account-
ability was nonexistent. The results were lost careers, jail,
depleted life savings, and irreparably broken families—and,
yes, even lost lives. Many sad tales begin with someone ignor-
ing one rule one time. But after setting even one foot on that
slippery slope, they found it increasingly difficult to get off
without sliding all the way down.

SMALL CRACKS LEAD TO BIG CRACKS

There’s another reason fighter pilots are held to such high
standards of integrity, especially where things like the G meter
are concerned. On the body of a fighter jet, a hairline crack