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You're just a baby. Let me date myself. There were no networks when I was in the AF. What became MILNET was just becoming DARPA when I got out. Got my first 300 baud modem after I got out and went to work for an accountant.

I was the first admin type in ATC to put a computer on a squadron desktop. Purchased myself--an Osborne "portable"--26 lbs, 5 inch CRT and 2 90k floppies. Built the 232 interface to lash it to a Royal electronic typewriter. Finished my career with a Trash 80 Mod 3 and DW-II. Impressed the hell out of the ORI and IG guys during inspection time.

The only computer on the base that the AF owned was that gawd-awful Burroughs in CBPO. The one that took 2 hours for the drum to spin up or down. Lightning within 10 miles? Shut down the system.

One of those friends we're talking about ran that Burroughs. "Now sarge, you know we can't kick out a specific SSN for a random pee card. That's why they call it random. But now, if you give me the number, I can start my search from that point when I set up the run."

Never failed to get a card with the number I needed on it. And never failed to get a positive when they went to pee.

Wow....You were going away just as I was arriving! I did actually see ARPANET turn into MILNET. I left AD in 1998 or so, but even then there was ancient equipment still in service, especially where we interfaced with the FAA. Man....the very term "ORI" nearly throws me into flashbacks. :-) I'm glad I never have to go through one of those. ...and the ole "pee test". :-) I never put anything into my carcass that showed up on a pee test, but I knew more than a few who had their careers (and sometimes their lives!) altered on account of it.

I worked on a team in 1990 at WPAFB to move the AFLC (I think it's AFMC now) logistics systems operations center (LSOC) across the street. There were some disc packs on old computers in there that probably weighed 25 lbs and held a "whopping" 10 megabytes. :-) We took several out to the range (because they were throwing them away) and shot them up. Then brought them back, and hung the platters on the wall at the workcenter. Our NCOIC got nervous that we were under "stress" from the project. We assured him that we were NOT....but not everybody else on that project knew it, and a lot of people calmed down around me and my partner because of this. :-)

I think back on it sometimes though...and have to admit that I (sort of) miss it. :-)