No One Asked Me But....

We have been in News and in these days of connectivity- this is bound to happen. The stark reality of all that we hear and read in the open domain is the bare fact that such incidents are not in isolation. Every possible sphere of human existence has its share of happenings- sad and happy alike. The missing link in almost every human activity where incidents are reported is the close factor of Human Bonding, Camaraderie and Esprit d Corps. All of us will agree that we have performed against all odds wherever we have risen against our own shallow self. This adage is much more relevant in a close knit society such as Indian Defence Forces where humans from various parts of India's vast Terra-firma come together and perform for a common cause.

At some stage of our professional lives, we have grappled with situations which looked un-surmountable. The sole reason for our survival against those odds was a Happy Crew. The grand Ol' Man (read CO) led us through thick and thin. He held us and we held to our instincts to keep his faith in our abilities. The War Machines at our disposal are not our legacies. We have adapted ourselves to operate these technological marvels. These platforms and weapons across the Three Services have become a part and parcel of our lives as much as they are of their native countries. The OEMs (Original Eqpt Manufacturer) of these equipments and platforms have watched us with keen interest as we have broken many a barriers of performance which even they felt were not a part of the design philosophy. The equipment does not speak; it just performs. The performance of the equipment is best known to the man who drives it. If the man, who needs to extract the equipment's performance, has decided to go ahead with the mission then it is his choice to synergise the platform's performance. No one can question the authority of the man who is responsible for the delivery of the mission.

As a young HOD (Head of Dept) on-board platforms, my word to the Ol' Man was the last straw. No external authority could jostle my thinking or subdue me to accept an order that I could not have executed. My first Deputy Electrical Officer on-board a vintage Leander Class Frigate (1967 commissioned HMS Andromeda) taught me to listen to the rotating equipment's harmonics and understand its health. I learnt to gauge the machine without the test equipments during the silent hours rounds around the majestic ship. A wobbly feeling at the finger tips was checked by the duty sailor immediately with the test equipment to rest any doubt. The machines are designed to perform and fail too. The failure can surely be predicted (to a large extent).

A large part of basic training involves equipment phase. As a young Officer, one has to understand the nuances of systems and integration of each system with its counterparts as the War Machine comes to life. The most crucial aspect of the War Machine, therefore, are the men who make things happen. Equipments , if left to themselves, cannot power up. It is these Men who control the War Machines to deliver the desired punch. Each passing year with the War Machinery increases the confidence of the young Men as they gain their Sea/Land/Air Legs under the watchful seniors. The Services provide a wonderful opportunity to young Men to take decisions. The only link between the HOD on-board a Vessel and the Commander-in-Chief is the venerable Ol' Man. He is my shield, he is my barrier and he is my umbrella. I am responsible to him for the performance of my section and my section's integration with the other sections on-board the vessel.

The time has arrived for the introspection. Each one of us has a core job to perform and we need to continue our own tryst with our core sector. We can not be complacent and we can not be sulking at lost opportunities. We all are a part of the large War Machinery of this Nation and each one of us a role to play. The Ol' Men at every level need to take charge and ensure the desired performance. The HODs and Men need to ensure that the equipments tick on, perform and integrate seamlessly to make the War Machine come alive. Any stumbling block needs to be rectified and Happy Crews must set sail for the missions to be accomplished.

Mere rhetoric (nameless especially!!) at this stage of time need to understand that able Indians need to be motivated to come forward and don the Uniforms and not to let the independence wither away. We have traveled far and we still have miles to go. This journey is arduous and so it has been for every other Nation on this planet. Salute the Tri Color and keep looking straight at it rather than bend over the eyes on each other's shoulders.