Military Computer Books (Waz: Off-topic...)

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Fri Jan 30 07:15:59 1998

At 09:51 PM 1/29/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>On Thu, 29 Jan 1998, Joe wrote:
>
>> RE: Military course books,
>>
>> I don't know about the Navy but when I was in the USAF you could order
>> the manuals for any course that they tought. This was free to anyone on
>> active duty and I *think* to retirees. If you know anyone in the military,
>> have them contact the base education office and see what's avilable. You
>> may even be able to get them from the US Government printing office. Tech
>> manuals were available from them for many years, but I don't know if they
>> still are.
>>
>> Joe
>
>Joe I think you are right - any item that is/has been declassified should
>be available from the GPO. However - we better watch our step as this is
>a clip from email I received from the ********* (name removed to protect
the guilty) about information like
>this
>

>And I am saddened that I still can not tell my story. Until such time
>as some more old Navy equipment gets to be declassified, something that
>has never happened in the *specific area* of my training, I must remain
>silent about it 8-(

   If it involves Crypto, you probably won't live long enough to see it
declassified.
>
>However, as I was held over at T.I. (Treasure Island Navy Training Center)
>to participate in and critique the very first Digital Techniques Class
>given at T.I. (late 1970) I have to agree that *most* training manuals are
>pretty bad! The majority are extremely good at presenting the facts but
>leave it up to the trainer to figure out how to get them into the
>students.

  The USAF takes the opposite approach, everything spelled out and the
instructors basicly repeat what's in the manuals. I suspect the Army is the
same now. I just spent 8 years writing manuals for one of their new
programs. I never saw them teaching the courses but the manuals were very
good. Most of the USAF trainers are professional instructors and have
never worked on the equipement that they're talking about. At least they
usually have a decent electronics background.

>Some of my most used books are on microwave transmission lines
>and waveguides. After the class, the three of us that were to critique the
>course, saw the new manuals and reviewed then in two weeks. Record turn
>around for the Government 8-) The base attempted to hold on to all three
>of us for instructors - however - we were all slotted to go to Vallejo
>after finishing Radar training. Somehow, at the time, you had to
>understand radar before they let you do Data or Crypto 8-/ Something about
>pulses 8-)

   Yes, we had some crypto types in school when I trained on RADAR too.
(early 70s.) Most of them were completely lost in electronics.

>
>I will say that the Air Force did seem to have better manuals than the
>Navy and Army. I think they still do. As a side note - there used to
>be some GREAT surplus stores in San Francisco - saw my only wire recorder
>there as well as some interesting radar equipment, that at the time, I
>thought was still classifed. Years later (88) I couldn't find them.
>Anybody know what happened to them? I think they were on Market street
>or maybe on the the one south of it I don't remember anymore 8-(
>
    After the VietNam war ended and the military wound down a lot of the
old surplus stores died off. Too bad.

  Joe

>BC
>
>
Received on Fri Jan 30 1998 - 07:15:59 GMT