Re: Libertarians and Government

"Keith F. Lynch" <kfl@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

Someone who *did* serve in uniform described to me a case of a pilot
being ordered to bomb an unofficial target, then deny having been
given the order if asked. In such a situation, the officer who gave
the order is not going to 'fess up on the witness stand.

I have heard that one always has the right to get one's orders in
writing. Can anyone confirm this?

Bombing targets are already "in writing", at least as of Desert Shield.

Or more specifically, they are emailed, and then the pilot and the
forward intel guy sit down and work out the order, loadout, and flight
plan, and print the flight plan out on a map, that folds such that it
fits in a transparent pocket on the front of his overalls leg. The
loadout orders get printed out also, signed by the pilot and intel
guy, and given to the groundcrew, which implements it, and then the
crew chief signs THAT, and files it.

Several jobs back, I helped do the software on the one of the
workstations that said pilot and said intel guy sit down in front of
to do this work.

If a bombing order came down outside the usual system, and it actually
got executed, it would leave a trail of noticable anomalies in, the
loadout, maintenence, crew, and flight scheduling, the air traffic
records, and the bomb inventory. Plus there are entirely too many
people just behind and supporting "the tip of the spear" who would
notice and remember it.

One *might* be able to hide something in the "fog of war", but in the
modern US military auditing itself over something so basic, I wouldn't
bet on it.


--
Mark Atwood When you do things right, people won't be sure
me@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx you've done anything at all.
http://mark.atwood.name/ http://fallenpegasus.livejournal.com/
.

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