[ARC5] OT The BC-659- what were they thinking?

[David Stinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Eleazer" <releazer at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [ARC5] OT The BC-659- what were they thinking?


>Note that the idea of ground troops talking to the aircraft 
>to do FAC duties was an alien one for most of the war....
>it sure took them a long time to do what seems 
>blindingly obvious today.  

Alas; maybe not so obvious today.
The fear of the "ivory tower" boys that "some private
will start calling in air strikes,"  requiring support requests
to get chewed up-and-down two or more food-chains 
before any actions are taken can still happen today.

I"m sure many of you heard about the "accidental strike"
our air forces conducted on a "Doctors Without Borders"
hospital.  The investigation concluded that one of the 
contributing factors was the inability of ground forces
to speak directly to their air support.  Not the first and
sadly not the last blood spilled over this ancient and
ongoing mistake.   Some things just never sink-in.

I feel confident in calling this a "mistake" because the
grunts continue to find ways around it (SCR-522 in tanks) 
and it works well when they do.  
But far-away commanders in air-conditioned offices... 
well....

73 DE Dave AB5S