It was just another day for me until the ground began to shake beneath my feet. An earthquake, I thought. But this was no ordinary earthquake. The concrete outside the window was moving like the ocean, rippling and swaying as if it were alive. I knew then that something truly catastrophic had just occurred. In March 2011, Japan suffered it’s worst natural disaster when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck mainland Japan, which triggered a Tsunami and a nuclear reactor meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear complex.
In the coming days, I found myself leading the Mission Control Center for Operation Tomodachi, a joint relief effort aimed at providing assistance to Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami. One of the first major challenges we faced was when we received intel from our CBRNE teams that dosimeters would be required for everyone on the crew due to the Fukushima nuclear reactor situation. A flight crew had already stepped to the plane for a critical mission to re-open Sendai Airport, and time was of the essence. I knew that I had to act quickly.
I grabbed a UHF radio and sprinted with a package of dosimeters towards the taxiing aircraft. As I approached the aircraft, I could see the concern in the eyes of the crew and frustration. They were unsure of what was happening, but I quickly explained the situation to them. However, the special ops guys were not too happy about taking orders from a newly minted instructor and a Jr. captain. They opened the door, snatched the bag from my hands, and blasted away to Sendai, leaving me in their “chem trail” and feeling like an imposter in the midst of the chaos.
But in that moment, I didn’t let the imposter syndrome take over. I remembered the principles I had learned in my leadership training, the importance of taking ownership of the situation and pushing through the discomfort and uncertainty.
My redemption story came during a request from HQ to formulate a plan to evacuate 77,000 SOFA citizens due to the Fukushima nuclear reactor situation. Thankfully, one of our most talented weapons officers had already started to plan the situation. Together, we delegated the problem to five other team members and put together a robust plan.
Despite the challenges we faced, we were able to work together to understand the state of the fleet, what was inbound, load capacities, fuel plans, routes, weather, jump points, and more. By focusing on the mission at hand and taking ownership of our roles, we were able to make a difference.
It was the greatest plan never executed, but it gave us a sense of purpose and direction in the midst of the chaos. Looking back on those challenging and emotional days, I realize that imposter syndrome can be a powerful motivator, a sign that you are pushing yourself to do something great. And with hard work and determination, imposter syndrome can be overcome, and success can be achieved. Operation Tomodachi, is one of those experiences that I look back now as a retired service member as one of my proudest moments to wear the uniform. We were visitors in a country that had been dealt a tragic situation which took the lives of 18,000 Japanese citizens. The people of Japan were hurting and our coalition responded to help our friends.
If you want to learn more about imposter syndrome, I recommend checking out Jocko Willink’s book “Extreme Ownership”. And if you want to stay up to date on my latest projects and insights, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Together, we can push through the discomfort and uncertainty, and achieve great things.