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The warning from the manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, had not been included in a voluntary consent form given to pilots. "The manufacturer specifically counsels doctors to tell patients they should not operate heavy machinery or engage in potentially hazardous activities while using this drug. No pilot was ever told that."

Too bad this isn't a civilian court, or these pilots would be retiring as millionaires instead of trying to avoid being stabbed in the back by the same outfit who lets them 'volunteer' to take the go pills or keep flying till they crash from sleep deprevation.

The Air Force might wind up wishing the had not tried to stick it to these guys who, from what I've heard, were not guilty of negligence in any reasonable sense.

As a USAF Brat, I can remember hearing stories of "stop & go pills" from pilots and aircrew dating back to the Korean War. It sounded like a policy to get chemically f**ked up legally.

And "voluntary consent" forms? Yeah, right. (Hey -- Grammar Police: that was a double positive that acts as a negative. Add that to your lecture notes.)

Most combat pilots would smoke rat turds if the flight surgeon told them it would give them an edge in getting the mission done -- especially if their commander added his two-cents worth.

Ten hours locked in an F-16 (or any fighter) cockpit is nothing to sniff at. You might have decent headroom and some elbow room, but your legs are jammed into two wells on either side of the center console and you are not gonna stroll aft to use the restroom or hit the galley for coffee.

If you left home base with a heavy load of ordnance, your first job will be to go find the tanker and top off the fuel. Then you orbit around waiting for a target. The target finally gets called in and you roll in, balls to the wall with "green 'em up, clean 'em up, turn on the music" spraying every last molecule of adrenaline into your bloodstream. You climb back out with all MERs empty, all adrenaline reduced to spent blood sugars & assorted waste by-products, hunting for any damned tanker out there to replace the fuel that disappeared while you were turning and burning and trying to keep the grunts on the ground alive (like Uncle JackelopeBreeder).

I don't know about the rest of you vets out there, but I'll take a jet jock on uppers any day of the week. He might accidently smoke me like a Smithfield ham, but I know he was trying his utmost to keep my sorry ass alive.

So far I agree with all posted except 10 and 12's posting.

Regarding poster 10 yes many days on meth. can make you psycotic/schitzo. However doses taken infreaquently is not likely to have any adverse effects.

These guys were given doses of medication. Pharmacy drugs taken in accordance to clinical usage is not the same as someone spinning out on meth and over doing it as with any drug.

And you number 12 poster are sounding like a reactionary not looking at all the facts. Facts which we as civilians only know via the media.

A comment concerning the incident at Tarnak Farms.

A documnentary was aired here in Alberta...and Canada wide on CBC.
Members of PPCLI present at Tarnak were interviewed.
Film stock of Tarnak was shown...the incident was re-created as per time roll.
The PPCLI were not in one spot..but spread out over a distance of 50 yards seperation if not more...where teams fired different weapons.
They fired in intervals....alligned to agreed upon time values.
One position was near a ditch..others were near mud walls.
also...the PPCLI wear reflectors on their helmets and backs..allong with strobes.
With the varying levels of darkness at differing levels as per the pilots perspective...they would see light enhanced by the values of darkness and refraction.
the muzzle fire of an M-16 or equivilent could be magnified when light values reached angular walls..creating a glowing dome effect...walls also block light depending on what angle you are adjacent to them.
I viewed the recreated footage..the PPCLI were firing prone..beside walls..over walls..over hills..from ditches.
as the F-16's approached they may have seen light flashing and building..then subsiding..with tracers and bursts happening on a wide field of vision.
as they approached..they may witnessed a pause in fire..to them it would appear the enemy was waiting to get allignment on them..as they drew closer..more light began to flash in multiple locals within their field of view..it may have appeared to the pilots that they were being re-engaged again.
The reflective light of the PPCLI soldiers helmets and their strobes would add to the spectacle.
On yesterdays news it was revealed that there had been incidents in that sector..the measure not revealed to the public..but a value of +10 whatever was said to have occured recently.
The Pilots were not briefed during step or chop of Tarnaks live fire training....they approached and saw lights..they believed themselves to be engaged...their protocals actually enable them to comit to targeting an agressor on the ground..its their choice as the event unfolds.
Knowing ahead of time there was a possiblity of contact in that sector..the volume of perceived threatcould have weighed heavily on the one pilots mind to engage.
In the end..one could say.."You had to have been there" to know.
I have not read any reports as per their experience in similar scenarios...it could be that the volume of light and its movement prompted the one pilot to engage.
From what I saw during the Canadian documentary..when PPCLI were firing..they were emptying the box for sure.