U.S. Air Force Wants Soldiers to Be Like Batman
- Thread starter Tom Goldman
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In response Al-Qaeda announced today via video release to Al-Jazeera that they would be launching their new JOKER program. Standing for Jihadists Organized for Killing Encroaching crusadeRs, the hope is to create a force that can effectively counter the airforce's new BATMAN initiative through the use of elaborate traps, deceptive gadgetry and novel anti-intuitive tactics. Already an undisclosed number of the most unbalanced soldiers available to them are being paired with special equipment and an undisclosed number of acid vats and jack in the boxes have been purchased.
Could become interesting if they follow the things in batman begins and the dark knight.
Imagine air-droppable tumblers, semi rigid gliders instead of parachutes, appearing in the dark like a demon no-one expects.
Urban warfare just became a whole lot more interesting.
Imagine air-droppable tumblers, semi rigid gliders instead of parachutes, appearing in the dark like a demon no-one expects.
Urban warfare just became a whole lot more interesting.
Sounds like a PR stunt to me more than anything.
I say this because when it comes to actual fighting what most people don't understand is that you don't want your typical soldiers to be smart. The two keys for soldiers are simplicity and disapline. Creating a training program and gear that any monkey can use and will be easily distributed and maintained in the field. Soldiers need to be conditioned to do what they are told to do, when they are told to do it, without asking questions. Too much information in the hands of "Joe Private" is too much information the enemy can get even if they are just listening in when your telling him. What's more part of the reason for happily ignorant soldiers is that sometimes in war you need to kill your own people, sacrifice this group here, so that group over there can complete an objective towards winning the war. You don't spend lives easily, but sometimes that's what needs to happen in the big picture, and you don't want your soldiers to be too hesitant (or informed) if it comes time to feed them into the meat grinder. Nobody wants to be sacrificed as part of a diversionary tactic for example, but the nessecity of such things is why war blows chips.
You do not want a soldier who is thinking in terms of getting cute with his "Bat Charger". What's more electronic toys like that have a good chance of getting broken, or malfunctioning in the field. Some people might remember the original incarnation of the M-16 which was supposed to be a "self cleaning" rifle that would make training easier as well as reduce the gear our troops had to carry. The systems didn't work properly in actual use, the guns jammed up and malfunctioned, and nobody was issued cleaning kits because they weren't supposed to need them. Later these problems were fixed (despite what some people think) and the M-16 is arguably the best infantry combat rifle in the world, but it has a horrible reputation because some bright boys decided "hey, let's get all innovative and cute with gear!".
Your typical soldier needs a good pair of boots, a gun, tools to keep that gun working, and food and water to get from point A to point B on those boots. The closer you keep it to that basic ideal the better it works if you fight an actual war properly.
Now, I can see the level of innovation here for various "Special Forces" type groups, who are people taken from the masses of infantry due to their testing and abillity and upgraded substantially in capabilities and responsibility. That however does not seem to be the case if I understand the intent here.
I suspect the entire point of this is to try and drum up positive PR for the military since the authorities are not exactly anxious to institute a draft, and we're looking towards a lot of war and conflict coming up.
It's somewhat easier to get some kid to sign up with The Military if he thinks they are going to teach him how to be Batman (Independant and Powerful, with all kinds of cool toys) as opposed to a more honest portrayal of "here is your gun, here are your boots, and now we're going to beat all the question asking out of you" which isn't all that glamourous. The guys who get the cool stuff are going to be special forces, and the vast majority of people who join the service will never be able to qualify for that. Especially seeing as right now one of tghe problems (from my reading) has been that the military doesn't have as many people as it needs on the bottom-most levels, having become way too "top heavy" so to speak.
I say this because when it comes to actual fighting what most people don't understand is that you don't want your typical soldiers to be smart. The two keys for soldiers are simplicity and disapline. Creating a training program and gear that any monkey can use and will be easily distributed and maintained in the field. Soldiers need to be conditioned to do what they are told to do, when they are told to do it, without asking questions. Too much information in the hands of "Joe Private" is too much information the enemy can get even if they are just listening in when your telling him. What's more part of the reason for happily ignorant soldiers is that sometimes in war you need to kill your own people, sacrifice this group here, so that group over there can complete an objective towards winning the war. You don't spend lives easily, but sometimes that's what needs to happen in the big picture, and you don't want your soldiers to be too hesitant (or informed) if it comes time to feed them into the meat grinder. Nobody wants to be sacrificed as part of a diversionary tactic for example, but the nessecity of such things is why war blows chips.
You do not want a soldier who is thinking in terms of getting cute with his "Bat Charger". What's more electronic toys like that have a good chance of getting broken, or malfunctioning in the field. Some people might remember the original incarnation of the M-16 which was supposed to be a "self cleaning" rifle that would make training easier as well as reduce the gear our troops had to carry. The systems didn't work properly in actual use, the guns jammed up and malfunctioned, and nobody was issued cleaning kits because they weren't supposed to need them. Later these problems were fixed (despite what some people think) and the M-16 is arguably the best infantry combat rifle in the world, but it has a horrible reputation because some bright boys decided "hey, let's get all innovative and cute with gear!".
Your typical soldier needs a good pair of boots, a gun, tools to keep that gun working, and food and water to get from point A to point B on those boots. The closer you keep it to that basic ideal the better it works if you fight an actual war properly.
Now, I can see the level of innovation here for various "Special Forces" type groups, who are people taken from the masses of infantry due to their testing and abillity and upgraded substantially in capabilities and responsibility. That however does not seem to be the case if I understand the intent here.
I suspect the entire point of this is to try and drum up positive PR for the military since the authorities are not exactly anxious to institute a draft, and we're looking towards a lot of war and conflict coming up.
It's somewhat easier to get some kid to sign up with The Military if he thinks they are going to teach him how to be Batman (Independant and Powerful, with all kinds of cool toys) as opposed to a more honest portrayal of "here is your gun, here are your boots, and now we're going to beat all the question asking out of you" which isn't all that glamourous. The guys who get the cool stuff are going to be special forces, and the vast majority of people who join the service will never be able to qualify for that. Especially seeing as right now one of tghe problems (from my reading) has been that the military doesn't have as many people as it needs on the bottom-most levels, having become way too "top heavy" so to speak.
See now If we don't allow the gays in the military we'll be left entirely vulnerable to the seductive whiles of Julie Newmar.
Yes, but the Battle of Fallujah was fought with a few Regiments (a regiment numbering 5,000 combat soldiers plus supporting elements). Those on the front line, all the time, could be given more expensive equipment without requiring that all of the armed forces do.Heatray said:
Outstanding. That is just rampant silliness disguised, and unmasked. Though, it would be an engineer to come up with something that already exists in fiction.
