The probability that I would take the pills went to zero the moment I read the questionnaire’s questions. Then I went home and checked a copy of the physicians desk reference to see what the known side effects were likely to be. All pills in that survey went down the toilet real quick!
What we are seeing is the policalization of the military - you can not advance in the Air Force unless you absolutely support the current Air Force line - what ever it is. That coupled with a lack of historical perspective has lead us to where we are at.
As far as the F-16 pilots are concerned - they have confirmed, again, the findings of a study conducted at the very start of our involvement in Vietnam. That is: a single seat fighter isn’t that effective at night - Air Force doctrine to contrary. Forty years of technological advance hasn’t changed the human operating the machine - something Air Force leadership refuses to recognize.
The worse thing about this whole incident is the Air Force leadership has "converted" the F-22 air superiority fighter (the same thing the F-16 was designed to do) to a ground attack aircraft (like they did with the F-16) to justify the program and continued development of the new aircraft (like they did for the F-16). Forty years of technological development hasn’t been able to overcome the difference in mission requirements (remember the all purpose/all service F-111 of Robert McNamara?)
With all due respect, this incident in no way supports your conclusion. There is nothing in this incident to suggest a backseater would have changed the outcome. Both pilots in this incident were directly involved, as was an airborne controller. The skill of the pilot who dropped the bomb was (unfortunately) first rate, as he was able to accurately deliver a single, precision guided munition, at night, against a very small target. How would a backseater have changed this outcome? Apparently, none of the aviators involved had been briefed there was a live fire training exercise taking place that night. In addition, you overlook the OVERWHELMING number of successful weapons deliveries, at night, from single seat F-16's that have taken place since the last Gulf War. You also conveniently ignore the other friendly fire incidents that have taken place in the Afghan theater, that involved aircraft with multiple crew members. Finally, take another look at the F-117. All that really cool IR footage from the last Gulf War of buildings exploding all over Baghdad (taken at night and under the most intense AAA and SAM fire ever seen) was provided by Air Force pilots flying single seat aircraft.
I would like to communicate to all the Bizzarro-aliens standing around me how, in the world I'm from, just good old common sense dictates that you don't go around launching lawsuits against your soldiers.
And it really goes beyond simply what's "right or wrong" - it has to do with protecting the integrity of the military.
In the world I come from, which I'll call "America" if you don't mind (though I know "America" must mean something entirely different in Bizarro-World) suing individual soldiers for deeds on the battlefield is/was unthinkable. I don't think I'll ever fit in here in Bizzarro-World, but I also don't think Bizzarro-World is going to exist very much longer - I see big pieces of it disintegrating every day.
Indeed they do. The USAF issued them to aircrews ferrying fighter aircraft across the pond. This followed a night of sleep induced by the "stop" pills the USAF issued to the same crews.