Reliability: The Intangible

Reliability isn’t taught in classrooms.

I learned it standing in a hangar, staring at a mess nobody wanted to touch.

I was raised by a father who was a WWII Navy veteran. Reliability wasn’t a word in our house; it was the baseline for who you were expected to be.

However, reality set in when six massive aircraft pallets, full of jet parts, arrived in disarray. They were mine to fix.

For five months, I sorted, counted, rebuilt, and organized a War Readiness Spare Kit for F-16 fighter jets. At the time, I was the new guy and also the lowest-ranking member of the team. Hence, my assignment for the job. No help offered, no shortcuts, and zero complaints.

What I didn’t know? The kit was headed to Norway. When my supervisor picked who would deploy with it, he picked me.

The side eyes and grumbling about why the new guy followed.

My supervisor’s response has stuck with me to this day. He asked three questions.
↳ Who saw the new guy show up early and stay late? All hands went up.
↳ Who offered to help the new guy? No hands.
↳ Who heard him complain about the job? No hands.

He only added, “In my 10 years, I’ve never met anyone more reliable. His reliability is our unit’s reliability. Rank and time here doesn’t matter, reliability does.”

Real reliability isn’t about skill or titles, or who’s been around longest. It’s about showing up, especially when nobody’s watching.

And one day, someone will.