James Carlson has been an ardent supporter of mine, as well as I have supported his efforts to bring clarity and sanity to the Echo and Oscar Flights story. We've developed a close friendship in our search for the truth and education of the masses...at least those who are willing to listen. While I've attempted to look at the technical and psychological side of the story, James tends to dive into more aspects of the case that deals with other players in the story. Back in 2010, James wrote a two part article over at Unexplained Mysteries. I liked it then and I like it now.
Below is part one of his series: Echo Flights of Fantasy part one.
The author of this article, James Carlson, is the son of Captain (Retired) Eric D. Carlson, the commander of Echo Flight on March 16, 1967. All of the details and descriptions of events and reports that his father would have been witness to have been confirmed by him as accurate.
On September 27, 2010, in an attempt to build support for the disclosure of UFO-related documents by the U.S. Department of Defense, authors Robert Hastings and Robert Salas hosted a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Only confirmed members of the press and Congressional staff were invited to attend. With them were seven veterans of the U.S. military who have publically affirmed the interference by UFOs with nuclear facilities in the United States and Europe. According to Hastings and Salas, this proves that the claim of the United States Air Force since 1969 that UFO activity has never had an effect on the national security of the U.S. is a lie. Out of all of the witnesses present, three had come forward to discuss their involvement with a well-known case that allegedly occurred at Malmstrom AFB, Montana in the spring of 1967: the Echo Flight incident of March 16, and an associated event at Oscar Flight on March 24-25. Since first being exposed to public scrutiny by Robert Salas in 1995, this alleged confrontation between UFO and nuclear missile silos has come to be considered one of ten UFO incidents around the world that is best supported by the most reliable evidence. Questions raised regarding the credibility of the witnesses insist, however, that this notoriety is hardly deserved.
read the rest of the article
I'll provide part two this weekend.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Yes, my assessment of Echo Flight sinks any UFO event...
The other day, I received a comment posted on Did-ufos-disable-minuteman-missiles-at Malmstrom. It's an interesting comment and deserved posting here along with my reply. As I stated in my reply to the comment, it did not deserve to be buried in a 5 year old post. Besides, this gives me the chance to discuss something other than UFO inspired music tracks and the Roswell Slides disaster (yes it was a total disaster that was FUBAR).
Here is the comment from "nsurround":
"There was never a final public conclusion to what actually caused the no-go events. However the EMP suppression fixes did seem to stop these events from happening again or so they say. That being said, it really gives no clue as to what actually happened. What ever the cause it had to be localized. That in itself leaves the UFO option on the table considering the chatter in the control room by persons you do not seem to give much credit to. If the cause was known it should have been repeatable using a test set up by engineers etc. You say, that analysis would have been classified and so cannot be known to persons such as yourself. Your main point now seems to be that no witnesses (security guards) who actually say they saw the UFO(s) have come forward with their testimony. That is a good point but does not necessarily refute the testimony of some in the underground control area. In fact your whole analysis still leaves open the possibility of a UFO type event. The only person that does not seem to understand this is yourself."
I don't know if "nsurround" was aware that I had slightly changed my theory as put forth in "Echo Flight: The Makings of a UFO Myth", but the basic premise of the original post still holds true. The difference being that the investigation gave no credence that missile maintenance teams were ever in the Echo Flight area during the full flight shutdown.
"nsurround", it is true that their was never a final public conclusion as to what actually caused the no-go event due to the investigation efforts being classified. The classified status seems to bother people, but when one puts the event into proper context, ie, the height of the the Cold War then the classification rationale makes total sense. Yet with that said, the Echo crew commander, Eric Carlson, has repeatedly stated that the entire wing personnel and the citizens of Great Falls were aware of the missile sorties shutting down so the event itself was not classified...only the investigation.
The EMP suppression fix, ECP 1221, that was installed at ALL missile wings did perform as advertised as there is no evidence that such an occurrence was repeated both in a large or small scale. EMP vulnerability was not a Malmstrom specific issue and this was borne out in the engineering analysis and report for those who want to take the time to read it. To say that the cause was not localized is simply not true. The focus centered on the G & C coupler/Logic Drawer.
Recently, I've come to believe that the issue was more than likely an inherent fault with the Sensitive Command Network (SCN) which interfaced with the logic coupler. This information was in the engineering analysis, but again appears to have been washed aside by those seeking to "understand" the causes. Issues with the SCN was implicated with the Minuteman II system causing the same logic coupler issues resulting in No-Go indications.
"nsurround" seems to think that I've give no consideration to the "chatter" of those individuals in the launch control center. How he comes to such a conclusion puzzles me as Walter Figel's accounting (different accounting) is prominent in my assessment since he is the only one who mentioned "UFO" concerning one of the LFs. I also give equal if not greater weight to the statements of the crew commander, Eric Carlson, who had repeatedly stated that a UFO was not the cause of the shut downs. BTW, Walter Figel has on numerous occasions recanted his original story now maintaining that there was no UFO activity. Read some of Robert Hastings' comments concerning Figel and you get the gist.
Now we come to the crux of my current belief. Nowhere in the unit history and in the engineering report states that maintenance and security personnel that supposedly were out in the flight area were questioned. To me this is a striking bit of information since it would have been more important to question those individuals who would have been out on the LFs (inside the silo itself) as the sites where dropping No-Go, yet this potentially crucial first hand testimony is not there. Could it be possible that there were no maintenance/security personnel out there to begin with? The evidence leads to support the non-existence of such individuals. And one has to remember that the UFO sighting supposedly came from a maintenance team member "deep inside" a closed up missile silo. How can anyone see anything while inside a closed up silo? Worse yet, how can anyone make a claim if there was never anyone out there to begin with?
More importantly, all ten of the flights launch facilities were electrically isolated from one another with only individual HICS cabling for command and control purposes going to and from the launch control center. There was no direct interfacing with one launch facility to another. So the claim that one event at one launch facility would cause the rest of the flight's launch facilities to go No-Go is a total impossibility.
This leads to the LCC as being the source of the problem as only from the LCC could an event such as an EMP be generated to effect all ten missile launch facilities. Since topside personnel, security personnel and facility manager, never made a report of a UFO sighting near or over the site, then the UFO angle is totally sunk. And yes, "nsurround", no one has ever come forward to support the sighting of a UFO in the Echo flight area after what? 48 years.
There is NO area of my analysis that leads to even the most remote possibility of a UFO event. With that said, I have to seriously ask, "Did it really happen?"
The EMP suppression fix, ECP 1221, that was installed at ALL missile wings did perform as advertised as there is no evidence that such an occurrence was repeated both in a large or small scale. EMP vulnerability was not a Malmstrom specific issue and this was borne out in the engineering analysis and report for those who want to take the time to read it. To say that the cause was not localized is simply not true. The focus centered on the G & C coupler/Logic Drawer.
Recently, I've come to believe that the issue was more than likely an inherent fault with the Sensitive Command Network (SCN) which interfaced with the logic coupler. This information was in the engineering analysis, but again appears to have been washed aside by those seeking to "understand" the causes. Issues with the SCN was implicated with the Minuteman II system causing the same logic coupler issues resulting in No-Go indications.
"nsurround" seems to think that I've give no consideration to the "chatter" of those individuals in the launch control center. How he comes to such a conclusion puzzles me as Walter Figel's accounting (different accounting) is prominent in my assessment since he is the only one who mentioned "UFO" concerning one of the LFs. I also give equal if not greater weight to the statements of the crew commander, Eric Carlson, who had repeatedly stated that a UFO was not the cause of the shut downs. BTW, Walter Figel has on numerous occasions recanted his original story now maintaining that there was no UFO activity. Read some of Robert Hastings' comments concerning Figel and you get the gist.
Now we come to the crux of my current belief. Nowhere in the unit history and in the engineering report states that maintenance and security personnel that supposedly were out in the flight area were questioned. To me this is a striking bit of information since it would have been more important to question those individuals who would have been out on the LFs (inside the silo itself) as the sites where dropping No-Go, yet this potentially crucial first hand testimony is not there. Could it be possible that there were no maintenance/security personnel out there to begin with? The evidence leads to support the non-existence of such individuals. And one has to remember that the UFO sighting supposedly came from a maintenance team member "deep inside" a closed up missile silo. How can anyone see anything while inside a closed up silo? Worse yet, how can anyone make a claim if there was never anyone out there to begin with?
More importantly, all ten of the flights launch facilities were electrically isolated from one another with only individual HICS cabling for command and control purposes going to and from the launch control center. There was no direct interfacing with one launch facility to another. So the claim that one event at one launch facility would cause the rest of the flight's launch facilities to go No-Go is a total impossibility.
This leads to the LCC as being the source of the problem as only from the LCC could an event such as an EMP be generated to effect all ten missile launch facilities. Since topside personnel, security personnel and facility manager, never made a report of a UFO sighting near or over the site, then the UFO angle is totally sunk. And yes, "nsurround", no one has ever come forward to support the sighting of a UFO in the Echo flight area after what? 48 years.
There is NO area of my analysis that leads to even the most remote possibility of a UFO event. With that said, I have to seriously ask, "Did it really happen?"
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
"We'll make great pets..."
I recall this little jingle from back in the mid 1990s courtesy from the alternative rock band Porno for Pyros titled "Pets."
Here's the lyrics:
Children are innocent
Teenagers are fucked up in the head
Adults are even more fucked up
And elderlies are like children
Teenagers are fucked up in the head
Adults are even more fucked up
And elderlies are like children
Will there be another race
To come along and take over for us?
Maybe Martians could do
Better than we've done
Maybe Martians could do
Better than we've done
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
My friend says we're like the dinosaurs
Only we are doing ourselves in
Much faster than they
Ever did
Only we are doing ourselves in
Much faster than they
Ever did
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We will make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We will make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
We will make great pets, we'll make great pets
We'll make great pets, we'll make great pets
I've a link to the song via Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H833o5lnB2E
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Fraying of Nerves: Fight in the simulator...well, almost.
Posts from "Tales from the Crew Force." I chuckle about this now, some 30 years past, but serious shit back when I was at Vandenberg AFB and the 4315th Combat Crew Training Squadron. My training partner, Ray W. had an issue with our instructor Bill.
This incident occurred in the Missile Procedures Trainer (MPT) which was a computer driven simulator with complete mock-up of a Launch Control Center. All of the equipment drawers and consoles were functional and wired into a computer system which an instructor loaded in a "scenario" driven program. A simulator "ride" could last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on the scenario.
Back then we referred to the MPT as the "Box."
________________________________________________________________________
This incident occurred in the Missile Procedures Trainer (MPT) which was a computer driven simulator with complete mock-up of a Launch Control Center. All of the equipment drawers and consoles were functional and wired into a computer system which an instructor loaded in a "scenario" driven program. A simulator "ride" could last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on the scenario.
Back then we referred to the MPT as the "Box."
________________________________________________________________________
Ray Williams....The Quiet Man
How it came about, I can't remember. I was crewed with Ray Williams for the MPT sessions. Ray was from Detroit, recent grad from Howard University. Ray was the quiet type. Never said much unless he had to. Conversation seem to be a chore for him, but that was fine with me. I didn't have a hell of a lot to say myself. Ray was to be assigned to the 10th SMS at Malmstrom.
Capt Bill G. was our MPT instructor. Like Ray, Bill was an African-American, from where? I can't recall. You would think that both being black that a "Brother" helping out another "Brother" would be in the offing. This was not to be the case. From the start Bill had "something" against Ray. Bill simply decided to make Ray his personal project. Unfortunately, I would be forced to endure this ethnic duel of minds. Suffice to say our MPT sessions would be grueling and confrontational as compared to our other classmates.
After a few initial MPT sessions, it was decided that for the rest of the training course, I would ride the commander's position, while Ray sat at the deputy's seat. It would not be until my first alert at Malmstrom that I would actually occupy the back seat.
Ray and I would spend our "off" time either dining at the Officer's Club or do local site seeing around the area. I remember we drove and walked Pismo Beach. Ray would sometimes borrow my car to run errands since he had no transportation of his own. The contrast was striking, Ray being a somewhat more refined Northerner, as compared to my Southern, barely above "white trash" pedigree. What ever the ethnic and culture differences, we would need each other to get through crew training. Overall, Ray and I got along quite well. I wish I could say the same between Ray and ......Bill.
Capt Bill G. was our MPT instructor. Like Ray, Bill was an African-American, from where? I can't recall. You would think that both being black that a "Brother" helping out another "Brother" would be in the offing. This was not to be the case. From the start Bill had "something" against Ray. Bill simply decided to make Ray his personal project. Unfortunately, I would be forced to endure this ethnic duel of minds. Suffice to say our MPT sessions would be grueling and confrontational as compared to our other classmates.
After a few initial MPT sessions, it was decided that for the rest of the training course, I would ride the commander's position, while Ray sat at the deputy's seat. It would not be until my first alert at Malmstrom that I would actually occupy the back seat.
Ray and I would spend our "off" time either dining at the Officer's Club or do local site seeing around the area. I remember we drove and walked Pismo Beach. Ray would sometimes borrow my car to run errands since he had no transportation of his own. The contrast was striking, Ray being a somewhat more refined Northerner, as compared to my Southern, barely above "white trash" pedigree. What ever the ethnic and culture differences, we would need each other to get through crew training. Overall, Ray and I got along quite well. I wish I could say the same between Ray and ......Bill.
________________________________________________________
High Noon, Gunfight at the MPT Corral
Ray was having difficulty in our MPT sessions. Bill was riding Ray's ass unmercifully and since guilt by association was a time honored SAC tradition, I was fed into the fray. We were given extra sessions, especially on the weekends. I could tell that Ray was at wits end and who could blame him.
The laws of thermal dynamics and pressure simply state that pressure in a closed system can only increase to a certain point. At that arbitrary point, something has to give; Ray had reached that point.
I can't recall the exact circumstances, but Ray and I were head long into a weapons system scenario in the MPT. Bill was acting as both MPT operator and instructor. Bill was situated up in the box's control room providing instruction and criticism via audio speaker. Bill said something sarcastic to Ray. What ever was said, it was enough!. Ray slammed both fists down on to the deputy's console desk, almost shattering the plexi glass. "God damn it, I've had enough from you!" Ray shouted into the one way MPT observational mirror. "I'm going to whip your ass!" Ray started walking towards the back entrance of the MPT. I remember trying to get between Ray and the exit. Bill came rushing in with a worried look on his face. Bill's facial expression said it all. He had pushed Ray too far and he knew it. I remember Bill profusely apologizing to Ray. It took Ray some time to calm down, but eventually he did. And we quietly finished the ride.
The incident in the MPT was a turning point. After that Bill lessened his leaning on Ray. Oh, to be sure, we still had extra sessions scheduled, but the tone was dramatically different.
The laws of thermal dynamics and pressure simply state that pressure in a closed system can only increase to a certain point. At that arbitrary point, something has to give; Ray had reached that point.
I can't recall the exact circumstances, but Ray and I were head long into a weapons system scenario in the MPT. Bill was acting as both MPT operator and instructor. Bill was situated up in the box's control room providing instruction and criticism via audio speaker. Bill said something sarcastic to Ray. What ever was said, it was enough!. Ray slammed both fists down on to the deputy's console desk, almost shattering the plexi glass. "God damn it, I've had enough from you!" Ray shouted into the one way MPT observational mirror. "I'm going to whip your ass!" Ray started walking towards the back entrance of the MPT. I remember trying to get between Ray and the exit. Bill came rushing in with a worried look on his face. Bill's facial expression said it all. He had pushed Ray too far and he knew it. I remember Bill profusely apologizing to Ray. It took Ray some time to calm down, but eventually he did. And we quietly finished the ride.
The incident in the MPT was a turning point. After that Bill lessened his leaning on Ray. Oh, to be sure, we still had extra sessions scheduled, but the tone was dramatically different.
__________________________________________________________________
Ray and I would eventually take and pass our qualification check ride given by the 3901st Strategic Missile Evaluation Squadron and both of us would soon make the trek to Montana to join our new squadrons (Ray was assigned to the 10th SMS.)
Such was life as a brand spanking new 2nd Lt...
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Relevant comment from a former missile crew member.
I like to post comments that clarify issues raised in past posts. This comment was posted by a crew member that pulled alerts in the 1990s and was a reply to my post,
http://timhebert.blogspot.com/2014/12/ufo-attempts-to-launch-malmstrom.html
I was at Tango-0 in the early 90s when one of my sorties had similar indications (except no missile away/MV400). It ended up being a bad DCU/MGS. After a series of Radio out and Cable out indications, and target change indications (erroneous because TVR/TOTR did not validate) it finally dropped LFDN, then came back and then went ASG. It was a dying Digital Control Unit in the MGS. By the way, it's called a Ground System Test (GST), not SCN test in Deuce.
The above comment shows that malfunctions did occur out in the field. Sometimes these malfunctions elicited strange indications. I appreciate that the commentator provided a clarification for GST vs SCN. This being one of the many differences between MM II and MM III.
Notice that one does not need the presence of a "UFO" to cause these strange indications...a dying/malfunctioning missile guidance system will do the job quite nicely.
http://timhebert.blogspot.com/2014/12/ufo-attempts-to-launch-malmstrom.html
I was at Tango-0 in the early 90s when one of my sorties had similar indications (except no missile away/MV400). It ended up being a bad DCU/MGS. After a series of Radio out and Cable out indications, and target change indications (erroneous because TVR/TOTR did not validate) it finally dropped LFDN, then came back and then went ASG. It was a dying Digital Control Unit in the MGS. By the way, it's called a Ground System Test (GST), not SCN test in Deuce.
The above comment shows that malfunctions did occur out in the field. Sometimes these malfunctions elicited strange indications. I appreciate that the commentator provided a clarification for GST vs SCN. This being one of the many differences between MM II and MM III.
Notice that one does not need the presence of a "UFO" to cause these strange indications...a dying/malfunctioning missile guidance system will do the job quite nicely.
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Happy Independence Day and for that someone special!
For those of us that are citizens of the United States, I want to take this opportunity to wish all of us a Happy 4th of July...celebrating the birth of our nation. I have to drift off into my memory banks concerning my time as a SAC crew dog. I recall that I was out on alert for one 4th of July, the year is totally uncertain, and Ronald Reagan addressed us [the entire SAC alert crew force] on the Primary Alerting System (PAS). Normally we would have been receiving the normal traffic flow from Looking Glass, SAC and 15th Air Force's command posts, but Ronnie broke into the traffic stream breaking up the monotony of the calls to "Sky Bird" and the requests to "acknowledge now."
As I recall, I was out on alert for most of the holidays...so much for government personnel taking the holidays off!
This is also my wife's birthday. Happy Birthday Jean. We seem to be bucking the trend as we have been married for almost 33 years..anniversary is next month.
It has been said that it is rude to mention a woman's age...so much for equality and enlightenment...but I can say that Jean now equals my age...for now.
Last week, Jean had been reading this blog and asked if I really believed in UFOs. Geez girl, read my posts!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
The continuing analytical approach to UFOs: Is there a point?
Most who read this blog know that I'm skeptical of the UFO phenomena. I've come to see very little intrinsic value in the subject matter. True, the phenomena still offers a gold mine for those, such as I, who are drawn to the psychological mini-dramas that ensue. This is still what draws my attention otherwise I would have chucked the subject matter and this blog along time ago.
To answer the question posed in the post's title, yes there is a point to analytical approaches, but in my case, only for the studying of the psychological issues that surface with certain cases.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)