Forum: F-16 News

Frightening, truly frightening...

64th AGRS - Tactics, dog fights & dissimilar training

Did the person who was assigned to write this article even finish high school, I wonder? It's one thing for our friends from around the world for whom English is not their first language to make basic grammatical mistakes on this board, but the fellow who wrote this article can barely form a coherent sentence, let alone a complex thought. Is this the level of linguistic profficiency commonly found in the public relations offices of our armed forces? I mean, isn't it these people's JOB to express themselves clearly and coherently? Did the writer of this article not feel it at all necessary to mention something as elementary as the fact that the 1st and 192nd fighter wings fly the F-22??? Unfreaking believable...

So, let's see. The article begins:

Quote:

Langley pilots faced a new adversary during dog fights the past two weeks.

It ends:

Quote:

"The United States doesn't really dog fight," said Captain Stimpson. "We prefer to kill the enemy before they ever see or detect us."

So, in other words, the training was useless. Okay...

The we have:

Quote:

Testing their long-range radar, air-to-air combat drills, mission tactics, barrel rolls, and lessons learned, the 1st and 192nd Fighter Wings pilots faced off against the 64th Aggressor Squadron fighter pilots from Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.

As opposed to short-range radar? Air-to-air combat drills??? What the hell is that? What does that mean? Barrel rolls? They specifically tested barrel rolls? And, let's see, which of these is not like the others... lessons learned??? Is that a new fighter, the F-36 Lessons Learned??? The wording of that sentence is just so odd, awkward and nonsensical this "writer" could not have possibly finished 5th grade, let alone high school. This is what we refer to in the industry as technical illiteracy...

Then there is this mental butt nugget:

Quote:

"Every day when we fight each other, half the pilots have to simulate the threat country, while the other half train in our own tactics," said Capt. Chuck Schuck, 27th Fighter Squadron. "This reduces the amount of training we have in combat, because half the time we are simulating threat country tactics."

What!? How does this make any sense at all? How did this writer choose a quote that simply makes no sense? Sort of like, "Half the time I drive, the other half the time I walk. Therefore, the sky is blue." What!? Also, it "reduces the amount of training we have in combat." What??? You train in combat? How the f##king hell does that work???

Another great quote:

Quote:

"The 64th AGRS are not looking to start a war with any country in particular..."

Huh? Whoever said they were perhaps looking to start a war? What an odd comment to make...

More:

Quote:

"One such technology is the ALQ-188 or advanced electronic attack pod, which jams jets radars," said Captain Stimpson. "When traveling at 1,000 miles per hour, seconds matter."

Again, the first sentence has nothing at all to do with the second sentence, which purports to follow from the premises of the first.

Yet more:

Quote:

Training capabilities are enhanced by adding technology that can confuse the pilot's radar, said Captain Stimpson.

So now pilots have radar? What are they, freaking bats???

Quote:

"The 64th Aggressors could not visually see us and we couldn't see them, " said Captain Schuck. "The plane's sensors see (the enemy), the missiles you're shooting see (the enemy). That's how the U.S. typically fights."

Someone please explain how that second sentence makes any sense. Please.

This one takes the cake, however:

Quote:

During the visit, the Aggressors gave Langley fighter squadrons something to assimilate shooting in the sky along with academic briefings.

And all your base are belong to us!!!??? Is the USAF outsourcing its public relations jobs to China!? You know, so many in this country demand immigrants learn English, when we should be more concerned about the fact that 90% of our native-born citizens can barely read or write the language! Unfreaking believable...

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Obamanite wrote:

Frightening, truly frightening...

heh, heh

OL

Was this post even necessary? Come on, give the guy some slack. So what if he can't write a decent article...at least he tried.

tokenblkguy1785 wrote:

Was this post even necessary? Come on, give the guy some slack. So what if he can't write a decent article...at least he tried.

Seeing as how he is presumably employed and paid precisely to write such articles, there is no excuse. If I were his editor (evidently he doesn't have one) I would fire this cretin post-haste.

The "cretin" involved, is an A1C in the United States Air Force....which means he's a 20 or 21 y/o kid on his first job in public affairs....not a college educated "reporter"....which is who I assume you get your "news" from.

Good job troll-boy....let's rake the PA kid over the coals because you don't like his syntax. The only cretin here is you....as is generally the case.

Call me old fashioned, but I also believe that someone who is payed to do a job and responsible for doing a specific job should be somewhat competent at it.

His supervisor (I think they have those in PA) probably deserves a bigger hit for not recognizing he should either not be in that job, or at least be trained to do it properly, no matter how much sympathy you have for him. I think they still teach English in high school, but you have to listen.

And, yes, "cretin" is a little strong. For a "not college educated" 20 y/o kid, I would say he is normal, "dude".

OL

Is the greatest piece ever written? Nope, but neither is it "frightening" or deserving of having the author called a "cretin" and his words referred to as "mental butt-nuggets"....like that's the highest form of linguistic expression.

C'mon.....I read outright lies couched as "journalism" from highly paid verbal assasins who couldn't string a sentence together in the NYT. You wanna get spun up about journalism, start there and work your way down to the kid making whatever an A1C makes.

I'm not so sure, other than intent, that there is any difference between "lies" told by verbal assassins or concepts not communicated clearly by someone unable to do so.

They both can create problems.

What would be scary is if he was college educated.

OL

(I don't think the A1C income thing holds water.)

Forum Veteran Joined: Jul 01, 2007 - 07:22 PM Posts: 620

Dudes, give the kid some slack. English probably isn't his first language. High school didn't teach me proper writing skills either. Also, the piece means a lot more with some inside info. He should have had a more lengthy review and revising session though.

Free slack here.

At least the article has a little something for everyone, it has pictures.

And who cannot love a name like "Chuck Schuck".

OL

outlaw162 wrote:

I'm not so sure, other than intent, that there is any difference between "lies" told by verbal assassins or concepts not communicated clearly by someone unable to do so.

They both can create problems.

What would be scary is if he was college educated.

OL

(I don't think the A1C income thing holds water.)

Well, sure there is.....one's a pro, making pro money, ones a kid in a new gig learning a trade where he has no formal education....world's of difference.

The concepts were clearly communicated, the syntax was clumsy.

Funny, but does anyone else notice that the original poster's critique of the article sounds more ridiculous than the article itself? The only thing I'd critique is it could've used a better segue between a couple of the paragraphs, and couple of changes in terminology. Other than that, I understood everything the writer was conveying. Then again, I've flown in combat, so I have, and do, employ those "tactics, and lessons learned".

What I think, is that you chose to cover up your own misunderstanding of the article's information, by "claiming" the article made no sense, and thereby giving yourself the opportunity to try and slam the door on this kid, a low-time Airman, simply trying to do the job he was told to do. Congratulations pal. You just made my Christmas list. Mad

Frankly, I'd really rather not waste my time trying to explain the meaning behind what was said in this article to someone whose only other experience with DACT was watching his DVD of "Top Gun". Rolling Eyes

Quote:

Then again, I've flown in combat, so I have, and do, employ those "tactics, and lessons learned"

What the hell do you know? I'm taking the opinions of the guy who spends all of his time reading AvWeek and is constantly logged into CNN and JDN.

You just made the list pal!

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