Devildoc
Verified Military
In the Goldsboro, NC incident, 4/5 safeties failed. They never found the second bomb.
Random Interesting Bits of History
- Thread starter SpitfireV
- Start date
In the Goldsboro, NC incident, 4/5 safeties failed. They never found the second bomb.
The Navy has dumped a few also.
IIRC the Kirtland incident was a hydraulic failure when the B-36 put it's landing gear down and the bomb dropped through the bomb bay doors.
IIRC the Kirtland incident was a hydraulic failure when the B-36 put it's landing gear down and the bomb dropped through the bomb bay doors.
:
DNBI. It's almost always the biggest casualty producer.
Shitty way to die....
Devildoc
Verified Military
N/V/D is the number one cause of death around the world. Hypovolemic shock is a thing.
Blizzard
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
- Messages
- 3,781
Another "close call" story 
:
How One Black Bear Almost Set Off World War III During the Cold War
On Oct. 25, 1962, the U.S. was in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Most of the U.S. military was at DEFCON 3 and SAC bases were at DEFCON 2, one step below nuclear war. Things were very tense.
U.S. officers were trained that, preceding a nuclear first-strike, Soviet special forces, “spetznaz”, would carry out sabotage operations against U.S. command facilities.
Around midnight on that day, a guard at a Duluth air base in Minnesota saw a portly figure climbing the security fence.
Assuming this was a Soviet saboteur moving on Air Force assets, the guard shot at the figure and activated an "intruder alarm" which sent an alert to all bases in the area.
However, at Volk Field in Wisconsin, the alarm was incorrectly wired. Instead, the Klaxon sounded, which signaled nuclear war, and two squadrons of nuclear-armed F-106A interceptors were ordered to take off.
By the time the error was realized, the aircraft were already headed for the runway.
The base commander sent a truck racing to the flight line. It pulled directly in front of the jets and, fortunately, was able to successfully signal all aircraft to stop, preventing a potential nuclear war.
Turns out the intruder in Duluth was just a black bear.
:How One Black Bear Almost Set Off World War III During the Cold War
On Oct. 25, 1962, the U.S. was in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Most of the U.S. military was at DEFCON 3 and SAC bases were at DEFCON 2, one step below nuclear war. Things were very tense.
U.S. officers were trained that, preceding a nuclear first-strike, Soviet special forces, “spetznaz”, would carry out sabotage operations against U.S. command facilities.
Around midnight on that day, a guard at a Duluth air base in Minnesota saw a portly figure climbing the security fence.
Assuming this was a Soviet saboteur moving on Air Force assets, the guard shot at the figure and activated an "intruder alarm" which sent an alert to all bases in the area.
However, at Volk Field in Wisconsin, the alarm was incorrectly wired. Instead, the Klaxon sounded, which signaled nuclear war, and two squadrons of nuclear-armed F-106A interceptors were ordered to take off.
By the time the error was realized, the aircraft were already headed for the runway.
The base commander sent a truck racing to the flight line. It pulled directly in front of the jets and, fortunately, was able to successfully signal all aircraft to stop, preventing a potential nuclear war.
Turns out the intruder in Duluth was just a black bear.
Blizzard
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
- Messages
- 3,781
No idea about the one at West Point, but they had the same thing at OCS. I'm sure it's vastly different at West Point, not only for the fact that one takes four years of dedication instead of ten weeks.
Personally, I didn't get it. You're dead last. For instance, the guy in my OCS class who got it had to retake the APFT and two academic tests...just to get a passing score. I'm not a fan of celebrating that fact, especially considering how proud the guy in our class who got it was about it.
I should add, there weren't any award items given to him, but there was hoopla made about it.
It’s a thing. A big thing. You get a bag of money for it, and you get everlasting fame in the form of your name on a permanent list.
I deeply dislike the tradition. I don’t think we should recognize or reward mediocrity. It also creates perverse incentives structure where people will deliberately sabotage their grades if they are in the running for Goat.
…but I didn’t go to that school, and the people who did seem to really like it.
Last edited:
Any goats ever go on to be fameous?
I would think today's goat would end up at Bliss running a Patriot Battery.
Blizzard
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
- Messages
- 3,781
According to the article, some guy named George Custer... We know how his story turned out. Probably doesn't make the best case for this to be a celebrated award...
I was kind of ignoring him, though I found it interesting that he tanked on purpose to go Cav (which is almost like Infantry).
Topkick
Verified Military
Too bad the Air Force Academy wasn't available then. He may have been top of his class.
Blizzard
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2012
- Messages
- 3,781
My bad. I didn't intend to erroneously peg you as a ring knocker.
What do you call the goat?
Lt
Lt
Similar threads
