AIR DEFENSE

21. The most dangerous person in the world is not a suicide bomber or a special forces operative but an ADA Lieutenant with a screwdriver.

20. Voicelinks and/or datalinks will always fail when they're needed the most.

19. The more automated a weapon system is the more catastrophic the consequences of human error.

18. Until boneheaded panic and extreme tension can be artificially induced, simulations will never replace initial combat experience.

17. People who criticize Patriot kill rate of 50-90% will never tell you that the 100% alternative WITHOUT Patriot is a scud crater.

16. The day you leave the unit you've gone on three SWA rotations with your name will come up on levee for Korea.

15. The same people who equipped Stinger with IFF also tell you to make sure you VISUALLY identify the target before shooting.

14. "Friends" never fly over 750 mph and under 5,000 feet, regardless of what IFF response they give.

13. People who have absolute confidence in Patriot's ability to destroy incoming scuds have never been in a Patriot unit.

12. Units that are great as USR presentations will turn out to be unable to deploy when a crisis erupts.

11. If the live-fire is scheduled to begin at 0800, plan on seeing it after lunch.

10. Your missile system will always break down 10 minutes before final formation on a Friday.

9. The portajohns will not be at your site when you roll in. They will arrive as you are roadmarching your equipment to depart.

8. When your unit is deployed it is a good bet that it will be to some country where possession of a beer and/or ham sandwich is punishable by death.

7. When your unit is deployed, it will be a sure thing that you will not see a forest upon departing the plane.

6. When your unit is deployed, the first word in the name of the operation will be "Desert" and not "Beach" or "Jungle."

5. No matter how fast engagement reports are sent up, they will be ten minutes late according to 32nd AAMDC.

4. The component that causes your system to fail will be the one part your battalion doesn't have a spare of.

3. If a crisis erupts, and your hear a rumor that your unit is going, it won't.

2. Unless you are TOLD by your chain of command that you are not going, then you will.

1. Murphy was an Air Defender.