On Saturday, December 14, 2002, at 03:03 PM, Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
> Military Matters #4
>
> Victories Overruled
>
> by Stan Goff
>
> In the second instance, again at night, we attacked a small
> strongpoint that we could easily overwhelm. Instead of seeking cover
> afterward to hide from the swarm of "killer eggs," AH-6J helicopter
> gunships that were buzzing overhead to provide cover for their
> Rangers, we stripped the infrared "I'm-an-American" glint tape from
> the helmets of those we had "killed," fixed it on our own heads. We
> strolled straight down the middle of the airfield, blending into the
> beehive of activity on the "secure" airfield and we climbed right up
> on the aircraft. "Hi, guys. You have just been captured." Dead simple.
>
> In the latter case, we were told to leave, and everyone pretended that
> we hadn't done it at all. A lot of really important people were
> watching this exercise, and it had to succeed.
anyone remember "the dirty dozen"? moreover, aren't there similar stories about the war games (or anyway, trials of air power) that eventually established the air force as an independent branch of the military?
in any case, stories like this confirm what everyone fears about the US military, in this respect: that its war games insist that the "enemy" units "play by the rules"--i.e., not be creative or innovative.
j