The Army Aviation Community isn't as small as it once was, but anyone in it is still only about two degrees of separation from any other member, and us older guys still look out for the young sprouts.
This falls into that category.
NOTE: So, to those fling-wing pilots, crewchiefs, and gunners who hang around here, either commenting or lurking as is your wont, leave me a comment in -- ummmm -- well, the Comment Section, and I'll forward you the link to the survey. No need to stick your addy openly in the comment itself, just enter it in the space provided.
As Red One, my correspondent, noted, "Won't really help us but it might those following in our footsteps."
This falls into that category.
> Subject: FW: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Survey (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
> PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE.
>
> *****************************************
>
> TO ALL FORMER AND CURRENT MILITARY HELICOPTER PILOTS AND AIRCREW:
>
>
> 1. BACK AND NECK PAIN AFFLICTS MORE THAN 60 MILLION AMERICANS. STUDIES HAVE FOUND THAT HELICOPTER CREWS REPORT UNUSUALLY HIGH RATES OF BACK, NECK AND LOWER EXTREMITY PAIN AND RELATED INJURIES. A DOD-SPONSORED ASSESSMENT OF FORMER AND CURRENT MILITARY HELICOPTER PILOTS AND CREWMEMBERS IS UNDER WAY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE MECHANICS OF THOSE INJURIES, THE IMPACT SUCH INJURIES MAY HAVE ON SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL READINESS, AND TO VALIDATE OPTIONS FOR REDUCING SUCH INJURIES IN THE FUTURE.
>
> 2. RESEARCHERS FOR THE OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ARE URGING CURRENT AND FORMER MILITARY PILOTS AND CREWMEMBERS TO COMPLETE A SHORT, ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY AT [addy redacted to foil spambots -- see my note below]. THE SURVEY WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM 1-30 APRIL 2011. SURVEY RESULTS WILL BE USED TO VALIDATE THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM AND, AS NECESSARY, TO BUILD A BUSINESS CASE TO BETTER SUBSTANTIATE PURSUING AIRCRAFT AND CREWMEMBER EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO MITIGATE OR PREVENT FUTURE INJURIES. LICENSE TO ADMINISTER THIS SURVEY IS GRANTED UNDER DOD REPORT CONTROL SYMBOL (RCS) DD-AT&L(OT)2255.
>
> 3. A SIMILAR SURVEY, SPONSORED BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY FOR SAFETY, WAS CONDUCTED FOR NAVY AND MARINE CORPS HELICOPTER PILOTS AND CREWMEMBERS IN JANUARY 2010. IF YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE 2010 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY SURVEY, PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE THIS SURVEY, AS THE RESULTS OF BOTH STUDIES WILL BE MERGED INTO A FINAL DOD PRODUCT. THIS SURVEY IS ANONYMOUS. AND PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION IS NEITHER REQUESTED NOR DESIRED.
>
>Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
>Caveats: NONE
NOTE: So, to those fling-wing pilots, crewchiefs, and gunners who hang around here, either commenting or lurking as is your wont, leave me a comment in -- ummmm -- well, the Comment Section, and I'll forward you the link to the survey. No need to stick your addy openly in the comment itself, just enter it in the space provided.
As Red One, my correspondent, noted, "Won't really help us but it might those following in our footsteps."
As for the survey... I'm sure I don't need to say this, but I will. Print out the survey and your resonses - and keep copies for your VA files.
I mean, who would ever suspect that if you stick someone into a shaking machine with resonance frequencies almost matching those produced by the human body, strap him securely upright into a hard seat, and then lock him in even further by having both his hands and feet in nearly static positions on vibrating controls, that he'd eventually develop some type of spinal problems?
Cheers
Well, they kind of aren't. Notice they don't say they want to fix any injuries.
RESULTS WILL BE USED TO VALIDATE THE SEVERITY OF THE PROBLEM AND, AS NECESSARY, TO BUILD A BUSINESS CASE TO BETTER SUBSTANTIATE PURSUING AIRCRAFT AND CREWMEMBER EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENTS TO MITIGATE OR PREVENT FUTURE INJURIES.
Looks to me as if they're prepping for next-generatrion RFPs.
Keep. Your. Copies.
I doubt it's an attempt to be rude and I haven't seen similar in our military yet there I see it again and again. Must be a reason. I am wondering what it is.
Feels odd to be working for the faceless next gen but it's worth it in most cases. Just as many in our past have worked for us without benefit.
The Navy is most famous for doing it that way. USN Radio operaters clicked their typewriters to CAPSLOCK, put on their headphones, and used their Mad Radio Operator Skillz to transcribe the dits and dahs they heard, to finger motions on the typewriters, without errors. Having to change case would have slowed them down.
You may also have noticed that the standard email format, with subject line at top, is very like a US military letter. Let us thank the US Military-Industrial Complex for the Internet we all love so much! Al Gore? Not so much.
Note: The use of <ALL CAPS> or <BOLD FACE> could be based on the fact that it was not written for the net the web. It was actually written for some of our Older Military Service Person or “Auld Pharts", to be precise.
Bill, I believe this “MEMO”, is just a warning, do yourself a favor, “WEAR THE APPROPRIATE LUBRICANT, IN THE APPROPRIATE ORIFICE. It will save you a lot of grief.
Does the term Perfumed Princes ring a bell? Although it must be expanded to include Perfumed Princesses as well...
Well, there *is* that whole, "rum, buggery, and the lash" ethos the Naby inherited from the Brits...
Okay, not so much the rum, anymore.
These days, it appears that tequila is the quaff of choice...
As a crewman, the flying didn't bother me. When the pilots got bored and started playing 'fighter pilot', THAT bothered me. Hammerhead stalls in a HH-52A will cause that web seat to disappear.....
@BillT, you make it sound like colonial history, the truth is the Brits had a General who was respected by Churchill. Now the British troops, had a much different view. In fact, they wanted to kill him. Without going into detail, his behavior would not be accepted anywhere. One of our Generals spent so much time in Britain trying to calm things down and get this British General under control. The Americans wondered if if he was going to become a British Citizen, but after some of the facts came out, people began to understand the situation. It was not like the American General had a lot of free time, during this same exact time, he was planning 3 different operations that would significantly change the war.
JTG is also correct about CW transription and typewriters.
QM, my first experience with computers was by way of a TTY machine using a 300 baud acoustic modem to establish a connection to SWORCC (South Western Ohio Regional Computer Center) at the University of Cincinnati.
This very high-tech system included a "record" mode in which all key strokes were reproduced on punched paper tape. You "saved" a BASIC program by replaying all of the keystrokes onto the tape, including any typing errors, backspaces, and re-typings.
I used to have some of those saved tapes, but eventually threw them out during one of my moves, alas. :(
I will go to the local dawn service. Fine and sunny it says. Might be a good turnout.