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Subject:Re: Consequences of inadequate docs/training From:"Simon North" <Simon -dot- North -at- synopsys -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 27 Mar 2002 16:27:58 +0100
> This provides one explanation for why soldiers spend a lot of time
> cleaning their weapons.
Possibly. Doubtfully. The main reason is simply that for its operation to be guaranteed it must be clean
and cleaning needs to become a completely ingrained habit, almost a reflex.
> Usually, military personnel study the documentation of
> the equipment and are tested in their knowledge of it.
Very much depends. In 10 years of airborne service I don't think I ever saw a manual for a sidearm or a
rifle; come to think of it, I think the first manual I ever saw was for a 109 mm howitzer after being
commissioned. During 6 years service as an avionics technician I more or less cohabited with the
documentation, but the automatic flight control system of an anti-tank helicopter is a little more
complex than a 9 mm Browning ...
> One reason for this is that they don't carry
> the manuals into combat operations,
Well, actually they often do. Most aircraft have an onboard tech library (on a C-130 it's on the left just
behind the cockpit). Our forward repair units always used to bring a tech library into the field with
them. It's been said that a USN frigate would sit several
inches higher in the water if the documentation were removed.
Maybe American forces do things differently from Europe? (I remember being appalled at how the US
was experimenting with producing vehicle repair manuals in comic strip form some years ago ... ;-) ).
Simon.
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