Back in the mid-80s when it seemed we were churning out a major new position every few weeks, the advocates of another collection system came to us assuming it was their data we were exploiting. They wanted to use that information for budgetary support purposes and for within Navy bragging rights. So, they asked us if it would be possible to quantify their contribution which they assumed was the great majority.
The answer was: (quote) Certainly (end quote). It would be easy because, when we derived a new position or characteristic, we always included figures that displayed the data from which the position had been derived which was why the Big Red Books often ran to more than 500-pages each. So, what we did was to review those hundreds of figures and compile source statistics, i.e., which collection system had provided the data.
Much to the surprise of all – except the analysts at ONI – the “System” contributed 60-percent of the critical data. Thus ended the effort by "others" to use those statistics for what amounted to propaganda purposes. Of course, since the fox was in charge of the chicken coop, we were not allowed to officially acknowledge the relative “batting averages.”
And so, all those who designed, manufactured, operated, managed, maintained or in any way supported the "System" – or still do - should look in the mirror and take a bow.
On behalf of the “Resident Engineers”, who sometimes helped the cause, thanks, Bruce! The maintainers (wet side and dry) filled a critical role in keeping things perking (from ensuring continuity on a few pairs of wires – or maybe just one, replacing vacuum tubes and MDL heads, understanding DSA and SV, to making sense of ones and zeros, and today, IT). But to me the real magic was performed by those carbon-covered guys and gals who made sense out of those grams! And most importantly to the analysts and experts like Bruce Rule, and George, and Ernie CIII and RS-P, and so on (and on), who put the pieces of the puzzles together to produce solutions that made a difference.
