“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of rider, the message was lost,
For want of a message the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.”
This old proverb illustrates how the failure of a simple task — the shoeing of a horse — can have dire consequences for a larger mission: the prosecution of a battle.
Delving further into the specific act of shoeing a horse, there are many factors that might lead to the lack of a nail. One possibility is the deviation from guidance. If the regulations require the blacksmith to put eight nails in each shoe, but he only puts in seven, he violates the basic rule.
For all of us involved in the larger mission at Ramstein, this seems straight forward. Follow the Air Force instructions or other guidance and do the job.
However, sometimes following the instructions is harder than it looks. What if the guidance is not clear or there are conflicting requirements from another instruction, regulation or supervisor? For example, if each horse requires 32 nails for a complete set, but your unit was only given 28, does using seven nails in each shoe make more sense? Maybe, or maybe not.
When following the rules becomes more complicated, there are several ways to help sort out the problem.
First, know the basic rule and follow it. If you do not know what the rule is, there is no way to know whether you are deviating from it. Procedural guidance in instructions and law are often there because of past mistakes or errors; the adage that the flying manuals are “written in blood” applies. Someone’s costly mistakes are now a rule you must follow. When you hear the phrase, “Yes, the regs say that, but we’ve always done it this way because we are (deployed, at Base X etc.),” the hair on your neck should stand up. Have faith that the rule is there for a reason.
Second, communicate. Let your supervisor know if the task you are required to perform conflicts with the guidance you have. If you need 32 nails, but are only given 28, let them know. Your boss can then either accept the risk or channel the information up the chain of command. Do not expect this communication will go smoothly. If you are saying no, it will not be easy.
Sometimes your chain of command knows other information, or may have waived the requirement, unbeknownst to you. Other times, you may be pointing attention at a situation that is in dire need of correction. It can only be corrected through honest communication.
Finally, understand some rules may hinder mission accomplishment, and those rules need to be waived or changed. Following the rules implies a duty to understand which rules need improvement. The U.S. Air Force wrote the regulations, and these rules can be altered. It is your job to make it right. Take the responsibility to follow the rules or expend the effort to make the rules right. After all, the Air Force doesn’t require too many horseshoes, but it does require cyber infrastructure, airplane parts, cargo inspections and trained pilots.
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News for the Ramstein, Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl & Baumholder military communities in Germany 
“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,
For want of a shoe the horse was lost,
For want of a horse the rider was lost,
For want of rider, the message was lost,
For want of a message the battle was lost,
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.”
This old proverb illustrates how the failure of a simple task — the shoeing of a horse — can have dire consequences for a larger mission: the prosecution of a battle.
Delving further into the specific act of shoeing a horse, there are many factors that might lead to the lack of a nail. One possibility is the deviation from guidance. If the regulations require the blacksmith to put eight nails in each shoe, but he only puts in seven, he violates the basic rule.
For all of us involved in the larger mission at Ramstein, this seems straight forward. Follow the Air Force instructions or other guidance and do the job.
However, sometimes following the instructions is harder than it looks. What if the guidance is not clear or there are conflicting requirements from another instruction, regulation or supervisor? For example, if each horse requires 32 nails for a complete set, but your unit was only given 28, does using seven nails in each shoe make more sense? Maybe, or maybe not.
When following the rules becomes more complicated, there are several ways to help sort out the problem.
First, know the basic rule and follow it. If you do not know what the rule is, there is no way to know whether you are deviating from it. Procedural guidance in instructions and law are often there because of past mistakes or errors; the adage that the flying manuals are “written in blood” applies. Someone’s costly mistakes are now a rule you must follow. When you hear the phrase, “Yes, the regs say that, but we’ve always done it this way because we are (deployed, at Base X etc.),” the hair on your neck should stand up. Have faith that the rule is there for a reason.
Second, communicate. Let your supervisor know if the task you are required to perform conflicts with the guidance you have. If you need 32 nails, but are only given 28, let them know. Your boss can then either accept the risk or channel the information up the chain of command. Do not expect this communication will go smoothly. If you are saying no, it will not be easy.
Sometimes your chain of command knows other information, or may have waived the requirement, unbeknownst to you. Other times, you may be pointing attention at a situation that is in dire need of correction. It can only be corrected through honest communication.
Finally, understand some rules may hinder mission accomplishment, and those rules need to be waived or changed. Following the rules implies a duty to understand which rules need improvement. The U.S. Air Force wrote the regulations, and these rules can be altered. It is your job to make it right. Take the responsibility to follow the rules or expend the effort to make the rules right. After all, the Air Force doesn’t require too many horseshoes, but it does require cyber infrastructure, airplane parts, cargo inspections and trained pilots.