Comment #: 221
References:
[1] ALLNAV MSG, "Email Common Sense," 8 Jan 99. Attached.
[2] Ernest Blazar, "War Story," Washington Times, January 8, 1999, Pg. 9. Full text at http://www.infowar.com/iwftp/cspinney/
[3] Navy Email Msg, "Desert Fox Flying" Attached.
[4] Air Force Email Msg, "Good Day for Bombing" Attached.
Observers have long noted that the Pentagon bureaucracy has an unparalleled capacity to suppress and manipulate information. One of the healthiest offsetting developments in the Defense Department has been the widespread adoption of email as an informal back-channel communications medium. Last summer, for example, gobs of Email from the troops in the field flooded Washington with descriptions of the rapidly deteriorating readiness situation. This process of letting the sun shine in forced senior military and civilian decision makers in the Pentagon to admit there were problems, even though their official policy statements, congressional testimony, and reporting systems said otherwise.
Naturally, authoritarian bureaucracies, like the Defense Department, have more than their share of mind controllers. These people hate email, even though email serves an obvious therapeutic purpose by permitting the unwashed masses at the other end of the pyramid to communicate their problems, successes, and desires among themselves and to their superiors.
Reference #2 is an article by Ernest Blazar in the Washington Times about an email describing and F-14 pilot's flying in Desert Fox. Note that it is a puff piece. This particular email flooded the internet and is now known world-wide as the Coondog Msg. Reference #3 is Blazar's raw meat, which I received from a different party who received it from one of the many defense contractors who are distributing it (as of this writing I have received this message from 5 different sources).
Now it has long been argued by high priests of air power that the Navy doesn't have a clue about the future. They say the Navy is obsolete and too hidebound to adapt to new conditions, particularly the technology of information warfare, whereas the Air Force not only represents the future, it actively uses the techniques of infowar to shape its place in the future.
A comparison of References #1 and #4 would seem to support this argument.
Reference #1 is an ALLNAV message (code for everyone in the Department of the Navy) telling the troops to cool it. Several naval officers told me it is the Navy's collective reaction to Coondog's email, and it contains a not-so-veiled hint to be careful of writing messages that will get into the hands of our adversaries or (even worse) the press. Curiously, the ALLNAV msg does not mention the contractors, who are perhaps the most prolific source for this type of information on the internet distribution network.
Reference #4 is an Air Force general officer's contribution to the email wars. Entitled "A Good Day for Bombing," it suggests the leadership of the Air Force takes a very different view of email. Unless we have a rogue general on our hands (several close observers of the Air Force told me its groupthink syndrome makes such a possibility absolutely incomprehensible), the Air Force apparently wants its generals to use email to proselytize the masses on the virtues of the Air Force and air power.
Note how Reference #4 begins, "Dear friends of airpower, thought you might appreciate a brief rundown on events up here in Northern Iraq yesterday. It was a very good day for airpower, and hopefully will enlighten some of the doubting Thomas's of the virtues of air exclusion zones (I'll save the lecture for another time on their growing potential as a strategic tool in the execution our national security strategy)." Setting aside the possibility that Saddam Hussein may be also a friend of airpower, since our drive-by shootings with cruise missiles and laser-guided bombs don't seem to be deterring his aggressive behavior in the predicted way, Reference #4, reveals much more than a rah rah piece of personal braggadocio or well-deserved praise for professional excellence. Like Coondog's message it contains a detailed information about operations, but in this case, it is a detailed description of the decision process and tactics used in planning the strike from a general officer's point of view.
So, there it is: Two competing visions of infowar in the electronic world of the internet: the Air Force uses email as a vehicle to launch its generals with the "good news stories" supporting the party line (after all, it is budget season), while the Navy attempts to choke the flow of information by tying its Coondogs down with a short leash.
For the record, several Navy combat pilots have told me Coondog's msg contains points they disagree with or should be further developed. They would like to debate these points in the interests of making things better, but they feel the ALLNAV message makes it too risky to put their fingers on the keyboard.
One officer, for example, sent me the following email message, "The Email from the F-14 XO had been making the rounds in the ready rooms when on Friday the edited story made it into the press. When printed, the issues of lack of training and readiness were omitted. To me they were the most important aspects. Today there is an ALLNAV message that is conspicuous in its timing."
Of course, no one in the Air Force wants to debate a general who mixes praise with lectures about the virtues of air power and the excellence of his decision making.
So, in either case, we will never know the degree to which these informative messages accurately depict reality.
Wouldn't it be better if the generals and admirals simply stepped aside, or better yet, proactively encouraged the troops (as in the Marine Corps) to use email as a competitive market place to debate their problems, successes, and ideas?
Who knows, maybe the barons ensconced in Versailles on the Potomac will realize the troops at the pointy end of the spear have something useful to say.
Chuck Spinney
P 082310Z JAN 99 FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N6// TO NAVADMIN BT UNCLAS //N00000// NAVADMIN 009/99 MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO/N6K/JAN//
SUBJ/EMAIL COMMON SENSE//
REF/A/ALNAV/SECNAV WASHIGNTON/211930ZOCT98// REF/B/CNO WASHINGTON DC/070010ZJAN99/NOTAL//
REF A IS SECNAV ALNAV 084/98 ON WWW POLICY, REF B IS CNO EMAILMANAGEMENT AND POLICY MSG.//
RMKS/1. WITH INTRODUCTION OF IT-21 SYSTEMS, EMAIL AFLOAT HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED BOTH OPERATIONAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE COMMUNICATIONS. NAVY-WIDE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT WEB PAGE SECURITY, TO CONTROL EMAIL LOADING, AND TO CONSTRUCT WEB PAGES FOR OPTIMUM BANDWIDTH UTILIZATION ARE BEING ADDRESSED. LESSONS LEARNED FROM DEPLOYED BATTLE GROUPS HAVE PROVIDED FURTHER INSIGHT ON MANAGING IT-21 CAPABILITY.
2. THE LATEST LESSON NEW USERS AND SOME EXPERIENCED USERS ARE PAGE 02 RUENAAA8061 UNCLAS LEARNING IS THAT EMAIL OVER IT-21 NIPRNET OR INTERNET CIRCUITS IS NEITHER SECURE NOR PRIVATE, AND QUITE LIKELY CAN FIND ITS WAY INTO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN. BECAUSE OF MODERN IT TECHNOLOGY, ANYTHING PUT INTO AN UNCLASSIFIED EMAIL CAN INSTANTLY PROPAGATE AROUND THE WORLD,POSSIBLY FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF A POTENTIAL ADVERSARY OR INTO THE PRESS. EITHER WAY, A SEEMINGLY INNOCUOUS COMMENT OR DISCUSSION OF OPERATIONS CAN BOOMERANG.
3. PROCEDURES AND REGULAR EMPHASIS TO PROTECT AGAINST INADVERTENT DISCLOSURE OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION AND INSENSITIVE OR INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS ON EMAIL CIRCUITS ARE BEST IMPLEMENTED BY INDIVIDUAL COMMANDS. REQUEST EMAIL PROCEDURES BE REGULARLY PROMULGATED AND EMPHASIZED, AND ENSURE ALL HANDS UNDERSTAND INHERENT VULNERABILITIES WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY.
4. RELEASED BY VADM BOB NATTER.//
Date: Thu, 07 Jan 1999 06:14:50 -0500
From: XXX
Subject: FW: Desert Fox Debrief
If you've not seen from another source, know you'll find this interesting. Cheers
Subject: Desert Fox Debrief
Author: James M Wolf at 5-801031-TU
Date: 1/4/99 5:32 PM
Here's some interesting words on Desert Fox from Cdr Will "Coondog" Cooney, recently "installed" XO of VF-32 in Enterprise. He seems to like Paveway quite a bit.
Subject: Desert Fox Flying
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1998 19:41:37 -0500
Dear All, Sorry about the first attempt not going through. I'm the weak link when it comes to computers. So here it goes again.
Anyway, I got out here on Thurs, 10 Dec. On Friday CAG has a meeting with CO/XOs. He hands me 2 strike folders to plan (night 2 and 4). Now you must remember, I haven't led more than 2 jets around in almost 3 years and he's making me the strike lead (what's he thinking??). Also remember I have no LANTIRN (FLIR pod) or Night Vision Devices (NVD or goggles)training. You talk about not feeling up to speed. Thank God I inherited a great team of strike planners. We get our strike planned and I brief them to the Admiral(RADM Dawson, black shoe and a great guy) and CAG. For you old Rippers, Capt. Tony "Eagle" Reade is the Admirals COS.
So there I am flying the first night, first strike. I'm sitting in the jet,aft of the island, waiting to get the 11th hour "abort" call like has happened to VF-103 on the IKE. When off the port (left for you AF guys) side I see about 10 TLAMS get launched from one the small boys in our Battle Group. What a sight. The first night was all Navy, NO Air Force (not even their tankers) or Brits. It was designed for single cycle...surprise.
We're (Tomcats) loaded with 2 GBU-16s (1000#ers) and our target is within city limits. Tomcats were given most of the hard targets because of the LANTIRN. So ours has possibility of collateral damage (unacceptable, except to us who don't care). We find our targets and schwack 'em. Remember this is me flying Night Vision Devices and LANTIRN for the first time. The learning curve was steep...at least for me, my RIO may think different. To watch these buildings go away was impressive. We meet AAA and ballistic launched SAMS.
On night 2, first strike is mine. It's a double cycle with AF tanking and GR-1s from the UK. We're heading farther north to make the Republican Guards life miserable. Targets are headquarter and barracks (as seen on CNN). I have 3 Tomcats carrying 2 GBU-10s (2000#ers) each, 8 Hornets with either GBU-16s or GBU-10s, HARM shooter and of course the Brits (who are always on their own program it seems). Now this is my FAM 2 on NVD and LANTIRN. 2,000#ers are incredible to watch go off. My weapon of choice. You may have seen it on CNN. There wasn't a building standing when we finished. Again, there was AAA and ballistic SAMS.
Night 3 was a 2 strike night for me. My second hop landing at 0615 when the sun was rising (I still counted it as a night trap). On the first strike I was carrying 2 GBU-24s (2000+# penetrators). First time the Navy has used these weapons in combat. Tomcats carried a lot of these. These are the bunker busters. Our target was hard but they crewed me with the best LANTIRN RIO in the squadron. Again helping the weak link. He impressed the shit out of me. We came back and I briefed 1 hour later for the second strike. Both these missions were over 3 hours. Second mission we're carrying the GBU-10s again :-), I love this bomb. It just makes shit go away. Lets just say I'm glad I'm not a Republican Guard. Oh yeah, FAM 3 and 4 for NVD and LANTIRN complete. I sleep for 3 hours and get up to put the finishing touches on my night 4 strike.
Night 4 was my second strike lead. I'm dragging butt, but I know the fun will stop soon. I have the LANTIRN God in my back seat again for more bunker busting with 2 GBU-24s. This strike again has 3 Tomcats, 8 Hornets, 4 GR-1s from UK, 4 F-16CGs and the HARM/SEAD package (Prowler and 2 Hornets). By night 4 the Iraqi's were pissed off...go figure. Our targets are up north again and I can see the AAA just filling the skies on the ingress. Some schmuck on CNN said they mounted a feeble opposition. Well he wasn't sitting where I was. Anyway, we're coming in and the AAA is going off above and beside me. For some reason, all I'm thinking about is my Dad's story from Viet Nam about how AAA at night looks like flying into a Christmas tree...he was right but it scares the crap out of you. I trap back onboard after 3+ hours for my 3rd night trap and strike in under 24 hours (not recommended but fun). FAM 5 complete and I'm NVD/LANTIRN qualified. I'm exhausted, Desert Fox ends and I sleep until noon the next day.
I feel fortunate, my timing couldn't have been any better. The Tomcat is the machine when it comes to precision strike. The Hornets know they can't touch us. The Swordsmen JOs rose to the occasion and impressed the shit out of me. We got everyone over the beach at least once. We dropped over 111,000 pounds of ordnance and had a 100% sortie completion rate (no spares launched).
We're presently in the Red Sea heading back to the Med. Looks like we will take a few days off in Souda Bay, Crete. The beer low light is on.
Happy New Year
Will
From: Deptula David Brig Gen
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 1998 11:29 PM
Subject: A Good Day For Bombing
Dear friends of airpower, thought you might appreciate a brief rundown on events up here in Northern Iraq yesterday.
It was a very good day for airpower, and hopefully will enlighten some of the doubting Thomas's of the virtues of air exclusion zones (I'll save the lecture for another time on their growing potential as a strategic tool in the execution our national security strategy). I had the privilege of authorizing and directing an attack of an Iraqi SA-3 site that launched 3 SA-3s at our Operation NORTHERN WATCH aircraft. The aircrews involved did a magnificent job, and exercised absolutely superb judgment. It was our first mission back in the AOR since the conclusion of Desert Fox. We had a well thought out plan that gradually moved us from north to south over the period of several hours. We operate up here differently than in the south, and work as complete composite force packagesthis was our largest to date. After 2 hours working north of the known SAM sites we put our foot in the water and sent a bunch of F-16CJs through the northern fringes of the known SAM sites. Abo! ut the time they were exiting, three of our F-15Es got uncorrelated SAM launch indications, and one a SA-3 launch warningtwo missiles were observed passing above the aircraft and exploding. About a minute later one of our F-16s saw a third missile launch and at the same time one of the F-15Es happened to be observing a known SA-3 site through his LANTIRN pod from 37 miles away and saw the launch! The mission commander called back to the combined air operations center (CAOC) and requested approval for a DEADdestruction of enemy air defense attack. We normally practice these in the AOR on a daily basis, and my JFACC normally mulls for a couple of minutes over the decision to recommend approval or not to me ... not this timeto me it was a issue of self-defense ... yours truly was up in the CAOC overseeing all this, and the JFACC didn't have a chance ... it was the fastest approval ever madeseconds from receipt of the request to approval ... you might say I had sort of thought this one over in advance.
The attack was perfect...first a couple of F-16s launched pre-emptive HARMS at two other SAM sites in the immediate vicinity of the SA-3 site that launched to keep their heads down while a four-ship of F-15Es rolled in on the launching SA-3 site. Three out of 4 F-15Es dropped 2 GBU-12 500lb PGMs each for a total of six...all "shacks" on either the radar and optical tracking unit or the command and control van. The guy that didn't drop was because he couldn't get a positive target IDthe kind of super judgment displayed throughout the entire mission. You should see the video on CNN soon... the quickest way to get the video out was to give the CNN Turkey representative a copy of the gun camera video... we don't have enough comm bandwidth at Incirlik to send out the digitized video nor do we have VTC capability (maybe this event will light a fire under the bureaucrats that have been slow-rolling our efforts to bring this place into the 20th century).
The most rewarding moment of my career to date was when the roll call was complete after the attack and everyone responded... I meet each aircraft after it landed and I can't describe how elated everyone was with the outcome of the mission. You all can be real proud of all the men and women that make up the team hereand I believe reflect the current military forcethey are magnificent professionals! Now if we can just get some of the HHQ staffs to act with the same warrior spirit... that's another story and I don't want to ruin this one by telling it!
To borrow a phrase from a good friend..."It's a good day for bombing!"
Cheers!
Dave