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

[D C _Mac_ Macdonald]

No dit, shick tracy!!
 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
* 73 - Mac, K2GKK/5 * 
* (Since 30 Nov 53) * 
* Oklahoma City, OK * 
* USAF, Ret'd 61-81 * 
** FAA, Ret'd 94-10 * 
* * * * * * * * * * * 
 
( Once B-52 aircrew )


> From: releazer at earthlink.net
> To: arc5 at ix.netcom.com
> Date: Thu, 2 Jun 2016 10:34:49 -0400
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] OT The BC-659- what were they thinking?
> CC: arc5 at mailman.qth.net
> 
> Dave:
> 
> I recall hearing that in the early days in Afghanistan, when B-52's were 
> striking targets entirely based on what the local FACs on the ground as well 
> as smaller USAF and USN aircraft told them to do, there were complaints that 
> this mode of operation "left nothing for the Wing staffs to do."  They 
> should be overjoyed that airpower is so successful that the whole rest of 
> the US Miltary are serving as FACs for the USAF,  but instead they are 
> focused on their own careers and "what they were trained to do."  And I can 
> tell you that after 25 years on active duty in the USAF, including over 4 
> years in the Pentagon, that sounds all too believable.
> 
> Wayne
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "David Stinson" <arc5 at ix.netcom.com>
> To: "Robert Eleazer" <releazer at earthlink.net>; "Dennis DuValll" 
> <w7qho at aol.com>
> Cc: <arc5 at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Thursday, June 02, 2016 9:53 AM
> Subject: Re: [ARC5] OT The BC-659- what were they thinking?
> 
> 
> >
> > ----- 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
 		 	   		  
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