Can troops find hidden bombs with sixth sense?

By Steve Hammons

(This article also appears on the American Chronicle and Transcendent TV & Media sites.)

Recent research has determined that some U.S. military personnel are better than others in the ability to detect hidden improvised explosive devices (IEDs). But why?

According to a U.S. Army research project, troops raised in rural and forested areas seemed to be better at it. Troops who grew up in tough urban areas also seem to excel in this kind of perception.

The common denominator is “situational awareness (SA)” that is key to hunting and being aware in the natural environment as well as in dangerous neighborhoods where people can become a victim of violence or other crime.

But what other important factors might be in play? And how might the understanding of human perception and consciousness benefit all of us?

In the first issue of the fascinating new magazine EdgeScience (October 2009 edition), editor Patrick Huyghe’s article “Straight from the Gut” explored the two-year Army study on perception led by researcher and psychologist Steven Burnett. Huyghe also took a look at some of the media coverage on the study.

In addition, he notes the work of other well-known researchers on human consciousness who propose that other interesting elements may affect troops’ abilities to perceive IEDs.

These theories, backed up by significant research, note that hunches, intuition and gut feelings might be linked to the acquisition of information through human consciousness in ways we do not fully understand.

The conscious perception that something is going on that we need to be aware of might be related to factors other than clues in the physical environment that troops and all of us process consciously and unconsciously.

In some cases, another kind of perception may kick in. These may be split-second premonitions or what has been called “presentiment.” Troops and all humans (and maybe many animals) can use perceptual abilities and resources that have sometimes been called “anomalous cognition” of various types.

The recognition of danger, linked directly to personal and group survival, is a fundamental priority of human consciousness. As part of this perceptual priority, do we have a “sixth sense” that supplements and assists our other five senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste?

MEDIA COVERAGE

In Huyghe’s EdgeScience magazine piece, he examined the New York Times article on the Army study by Benedict Carey who Huyghe described as "an experienced science writer hired by the Times in 2004 to cover human behavior and psychology.” The headline of Carey’s July 27, 2009, article was “In Battle, Hunches Prove to be Valuable.”

In Carey’s article, he notes, “The United States military has spent billions on hardware, like signal jamming technology, to detect and destroy” IEDs. He also explains that IEDs “have proved to be the greatest threat in Iraq and now in Afghanistan.”

“Still, high-tech gear, while helping to reduce casualties, remains a mere supplement to the most sensitive detection system of all – the human brain. Troops on the ground, using only their senses and experience, are responsible for foiling many IED attacks,” Carey wrote.

Carey also pointed out, “Everyone has hunches – about friends’ motives, about the stock market, about when to fold a hand of poker and when to hold it. But United States troops are now at the center of a large effort to understand how it is that in a life-or-death situation, some people’s brains can sense danger and act on it well before others do.”

Another article, this one in the Los Angeles Times, also examined the Army study. “Some troops have a sixth sense for bombs” was written by Tony Perry and published Oct. 28, 2009.

Reporting from the U.S. Marine Corps base at Twentynine Palms, Calif., Perry wrote, “Military researchers have found that two groups of personnel are particularly good at spotting anomalies: those with hunting backgrounds, who traipsed through the woods as youths looking to bag a deer or turkey; and those who grew up in tough urban neighborhoods, where it is often important to know what gang controls which block.”

Perry added, “Of the bombs spotted before they could kill or maim, an estimated 90% were detected by someone, for instance, sensing something amiss along a dusty roadside in the southern Afghan province of Helmand or a crowded street in the western Iraqi city of Fallouja.”

Both articles by Carey and Perry examined the Army research project in some depth, interviewed researchers and troops, and explored theories of training to perceive threats and possible psychological aspects of this perception.

But, did either article (or the Army researchers) “take the next step” as EdgeScience magazine editor Huyghe called it?

Huyghe pointed out in his article that extensive studies “show that the brain actually anticipates emotionally charged situations, not only before the person is aware of them, but before any hint of them is available in any way, shape, or form.”

In other words, there are significant experimental and experiential indications that we have the capability to perceive things before they happen in linear time.

This view is consistent with research from the U.S. joint military and intelligence project of the 1970s, ‘80s and early ‘90s generally referred to as Project STAR GATE. This project documented and used aspects of human perception and human consciousness that did “take the next step.”

A subsequent 2001 research paper by a Navy SEAL officer, prepared as part of his studies at the Marine Corps War College, proposed that implications from Project STAR GATE seem to demonstrate the advantages of learning more about human perceptual abilities.

In addition, he suggested that incorporating this kind of emerging understanding can be a key part of what he called “transcendent warfare.”

Project STAR GATE research and operational activities involved what some might call extrasensory perception (ESP). The project involved strict protocols trying to make use of this kind of perception. These formal procedures and methods were key parts of what was eventually called “remote viewing.”

Science journalists could focus more on these developments. In fact, journalists covering many kinds of beats may find important elements related to their work.

SITUATION AWARENESS

Interestingly, in the second edition of EdgeScience magazine (January-March 2010), a letter to the editor was published that provided more useful information on these subjects.

EdgeScience reader John MacLean explained that as a college instructor in Utah, he teaches a class in “Technology Management Program” called “Reliability Engineering and Safety.” MacLean noted, “One of the chapters in this course is situational awareness.”

MacLean provided a short definition of situation awareness (SA): knowing what is going on around you.

In addition to MacLean’s succinct definition, SA has also been described as the perception of environmental factors within time and space, understanding the meaning of the factors and anticipating possible outcomes in the near future.

SA has become an important area in military activities, aviation safety, emergency services, critical engineering operations and similar fields.

“In this class we discuss how to have situational awareness and how to recognize when you have lost it. There are 11 clues that can be observed in one’s operating vocations that tell you that you are losing your situational awareness,” Maclean explained.

He points out in his letter to the editor that the 11 clues to the loss of situational awareness are primarily involved with conventional awareness of instrumentation, communication, adherence to standard procedures and similar aspects.

However, he notes that one of the clues involves “confusion, apprehensive feeling or gut feeling that something is wrong."

MacLean wrote, “Many dismiss various explanations as the subconscious observing a bad developing situation or seeing several of the clues by the subconscious. Personally, although some of these other explanations may be valid, I am wondering if precognition may be operable in these situations that are generally life threatening.”

MacLean goes on to explain how this “gut feeling” clue appears to have been demonstrated. He wrote, “An incident several years ago occurred with a Flying Tigers Airlines 747 on approach to Kuala Lumpur in Indonesia in the middle of a very dark night. From the direction they were on approach, the Instrument Landing System was out of service and they would have had to go another hundred miles to come in from the other direction where it was in service.”

“While several of the clues to losing awareness were eventually present, the first officer tried to get the captain to do the fly around, saying on three occasions, ‘Captain, I really don’t feel good about this, let’s go around and use the instrument system.’ These protestations occurred before any of the other clues were observable,” MacLean said.

“Because of the ultimate presence of several of the clues, unrecognized, they flew into a mountain. The other four clues were observable only just prior to the crash. From the data I observed in this incident, it appears the first officer’s comments were begun at least 15-20 minutes prior to the other four clues being observable.”

MacLean concludes his letter with a thank you to EdgeScience editor Huyghe. “The info you supplied in your article ('Straight From the Gut,' EdgeScience No.1) will be valuable in my class when we discuss situational awareness. I can’t put my finger on it precisely, but I have a feeling the ideas on precognition may be interacting somehow in the other 10 clues. Something to continue to ponder. Great article.”

NEUROBIOLOGY AND QUANTUM PHYSICS

From SA training to premonitions, ESP and remote viewing, we see a growing body of research and knowledge about human perception and human consciousness.

New studies in neurobiology are looking more closely at how the human mind and body might be processing information from our environment that we have no consciousness knowledge of. And when we say “our environment,” we can no longer limit the meaning of this term to the immediate environment that we can see, hear, touch, smell or taste.

Our perception can apparently reach out beyond these five senses. The hypothesized sixth sense may work both independently of, and in cooperation with our other five senses. And, we may have other sensory abilities we do not understand. These might have neurological, chemical and biological aspects.

We may even have some kind of perceptual abilities like the radar and sonar that some other mammals seem to use.

Emerging understanding from quantum physics implies that consciousness itself can be in more than one place at a time. Beyond the physical level of reality there may be more exotic energies and forces that work in mysterious ways.

Consciousness may not be bound by limitations of only the five senses and other possible neurobiological perceptions, nor bound by time and space.

The recent Army study into troops’ ability to perceive IEDs seems to be another valuable step in the analysis of human perception, especially in the maintenance of safety and survival. However, as EdgeScience editor Huyghe noted, maybe we must be willing to go beyond some of the more conventional and limited perspectives.

The safety and survival of our troops, and all of us, are of the utmost importance. In addition, the larger field of human development may be an issue. Should current training and education in diverse and widespread settings include more robust examination of the emerging understanding about human perception?

Let’s catch up to the leading edge of the research and knowledge in these areas and provide training for our troops, students, professionals and people in all walks of life. Let’s cover these developments in science journalism and in the broader media.

Our safety, survival and success may depend on it.

(Editions of EdgeScience magazine are available free in PDF on the website of the Society for Scientific Exploration.)

Phoenix lights UFO: Experiment, acclimation?

By Steve Hammons

What was flying over Arizona and Phoenix the evening of March 13, 1997?

Was it a formation of several aircraft with odd bright lights? If so, there seem to be several unusual aspects to the flight.

Was it one huge triangle, boomerang or V-shaped craft? If so, was it a U.S. advanced aircraft or spacecraft of some kind? Was it an extraterrestrial craft? Was it some combination of both?

The so-called “Phoenix lights” case is widely recognized as one of the more interesting incidents involving unidentified flying objects.

The upcoming 13th anniversary of the incident on Saturday, March 13, 2010, offers an opportunity to review and consider a range of information that has surfaced.

PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS

For example, a recent article on the Phoenix lights UFO incident by long-time researcher, writer and editor Randall Fitzgerald brings forward more information on this interesting case.

Fitzgerald is a former editor for Reader’s Digest and is the author of several nonfiction books related to government, health and science. His articles have appeared in major mainstream media publications.

Part One of his recent article on Examiner.com “Were the 1997 Arizona Lights a psychological warfare experiment?” was posted on Feb. 24, 2010. Part Two was posted on Feb. 28.

In the article, Fitzgerald presents more details from his 1997 two-month fulltime investigation on the case that was funded by Reader’s Digest where he served at the time as “roving editor.” He reports that he interviewed more than 50 witnesses.

Some key points emerge in Fitzgerald’s investigation. He says that although many credible witnesses saw what they were sure was one massive flying object or craft, witnesses who used binoculars saw individual lights and apparent individual aircraft of some kind.

In addition, some witnesses reported that they could see the stars and the moon through the craft, though these seemed visually altered. In other words, what they were seeing, at times, appeared to be translucent or somewhat transparent.

According to Fitzgerald, civilian radar operators at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport did not pick up the craft on radar, although commercial pilots were asking them what the lights were.

He cites an anonymous source who said that F-16C Air Force jets from nearby Luke Air Force base scrambled that night to respond to the incident picked up “radar clutter” jamming. Details of the incident were reportedly kept secret, including a “deception operation” involving the dropping of flares later that night, the source said.

Fitzgerald also notes that the flight seems to have originated near the Area 51 region in southern Nevada and ended near U.S. Army Fort Huachuca southeast of Tucson. Fort Huachuca is a major intelligence training facility.

In his detailed article, Fitzgerald proposes an interesting possibility to explain various aspects of this complex incident: It might have been a psychological operation of some kind using several special aircraft equipped to broadcast a visual hologram to test reactions of the public, media and local officials (including public safety and military).

UNCONVENTIONAL SCENARIOS

Large, black flying triangle-shaped objects have been reported in the U.S. and other countries. These have also been the subject of rigorous research and investigation by reputable scientists and others.

These objects are often said to be huge, silent and have various configurations of unusual lights. They reportedly sometimes cruise slowly at low altitudes.

Theories have been proposed exploring whether these could be some kind of advanced U.S. aircraft or space craft, possibly using innovative propulsion systems or even unique anti-gravity technologies.

Since it is generally accepted that the U.S. probably has highly-advanced and secret aircraft, these flying triangles could be related. Some researchers even claim that the U.S. might also have a secret space fleet, using far-advanced spacecraft technologies and conducting surprising and exotic space activities.

These more advanced craft might patrol Planet Earth at low-Earth orbit (LEO) or even conduct other missions further out into space, some researchers theorize. Could the Phoenix lights object or objects be related in some way?

As noted, although several witnesses with binoculars reported separate objects over Phoenix that night, in other cases around the U.S. and internationally, witnesses have reported large black triangles that were solid. Were they mistaken as were some of the Arizona witnesses?

When we consider the theories that highly-advanced craft might be either U.S. or coming from extraterrestrial and/or extra-dimensional locations, some “outside-the-box” thinking seems appropriate.

For example, Phoenix lights witnesses believed they saw individual lights, a translucent form and a solid object at various times. Randall Fitzgerald concluded that this sounds like a hologram.

However, might some kind of camouflage, stealth or cloaking technology have been involved? This might even explain changes in appearance of an advanced U.S. craft as well as something more exotic.

In addition, some theories in modern quantum physics include the possibility that objects, beings or craft might emerge into and exit our physical reality, our dimension, in unconventional ways.

That is, they could fade in and fade out of our dimension through wormholes, stargates and portals, similar to some kind of teleportation. They may change from forms of energy to more solid forms.

Again, it might even be possible that the U.S. has this technology. Or, maybe someday we will.

Could this also explain Phoenix witnesses varied accounts and perceptions?

The natural question in the Phoenix lights incident that seems central is why would such a craft, or the holographic illusion of a craft, fly low and slow over a huge U.S. city like Phoenix? And, why do similar craft apparently visit other parts of the U.S and the world?

Are extraterrestrial and/or extra-dimensional visitors here, want to look around and want us to know that they are here? If so, are they conducting some kind of missions or activities, and what are they?

Are advanced U.S. craft flying low and slow over populated areas for surveillance purposes or some other reason such as the psychological operations tests that Fitzgerald wonders about?

Could it be that both scenarios are happening? Visitors from elsewhere are here, the U.S. has advanced craft (possibly related to these visitors in some way) and unusual UFOs seen around the world could be from both sources?

Some speculation includes reports that several types of extraterrestrial and/or extra-dimensional visitors may be here. Some may be friendly, some may be hostile, some may be neutral observers or researchers themselves.

The U.S. could even have joint activities underway with friendly visitors.

When we ponder all these possibilities, it seems like the Phoenix lights case could very well have been a psychological operation of some kind. Maybe it was a U.S. test to see how people might respond, as Fitzgerald points out.

But, rather than a conventional test of a psychological warfare weapon against other countries, maybe it was something else.

Maybe it was an exercise to prepare, educate, orient and acclimate people to emerging, more unconventional situations.

‘Phoenix lights’ 13th anniversary is March 13

By Steve Hammons

The 13th anniversary of the so-called “Phoenix lights” UFO incident is next Saturday, March 13.

As usual at this time each year, the case is revisited by many researchers, writers and interested people.

In addition, the National Geographic Channel is airing an episode of its new show "Mysterious Science" about the Phoenix lights incident.

Also, respected researcher, journalist and editor Randall Fitzgerald recently wrote an extensive article (available online) with the headline "Were the 1997 Arizona Lights a psychological warfare experiment?" Fitzgerald covers some interesting new information and theories.

As part of this discussion, I thought it might be interesting to include a chapter on the Phoenix lights case from my first novel, “Mission Into Light” (published in 2001).

I would add that on March 13, 1997, I was living in an area of metro Phoenix’s “Valley of the Sun” that was in the line of the flight path of this object or objects. However, I must not have been looking up at the evening sky at the right time and did not observe the anomalous sight reported by so many others in Phoenix and west-central Arizona.

CHAPTER 20: UFO OVER PHOENIX

That evening, things were going as usual, pretty much. At Kaneohe Bay, Amy got back from work and had dinner with Mike while they watched TV.

In San Diego, the Joint Recon Study Group members had closed up the office for the night and headed to their homes, families, and friends.

Some went for an evening jog around their neighborhood. Some worked out at home or at a gym. Major Valdez was at her daughter’s school play. Jim Etienne hit a few golf balls at a driving range near his apartment.

But in west central Arizona, something unusual was happening.

Driving south on a road near Prescott, retired police officer William “Buck” Baird saw something in the night sky. It was typical dry and clear night in Arizona’s central mountains. The evening was dark and quiet. Plenty of stars out tonight.

Buck spotted a large object slowly drifting straight over his pickup truck.

The shape seemed like a triangle, or maybe a boomerang. Large, bright, yellowish lights were spaced underneath the front angles of the object and were clearly visible.

Buck pulled his pickup truck off to the side of the road and turned off the motor. He wanted to listen for an engine sound from the object. But the night was quiet. All he heard were crickets and a hoot owl as the object continued to move south in the general direction of the road at what seemed like a leisurely pace.

Fifteen minutes later, in the Prescott area, fourteen citizens spotted the object and called local police and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Department.

Twenty-one people at a backyard party in Wickenburg also spotted the object a half-hour later. Two of the people there had video cameras with them and started rolling videotape with nervous narratives of the object. It was still moving gently and silently south-southeast.

Half a dozen people in smaller towns in a general line from west central Arizona to just north of Phoenix were calling police, UFO hot lines, neighbors and relatives. They had just seen something. Something big, with lights. Not a regular airplane, no sir-ee. Maybe a top secret Air Force stealth plane though.

And then it did an unusual thing, for a UFO. In mid-evening, it sailed slowly, gently, right over a major U.S. city: Phoenix and the metropolitan sprawl of the “Valley of the Sun.”

People sitting outdoors in the warm desert evening saw it. Both teams in a softball game saw it. Three little girls playing with a puppy in their backyard saw it and called for their mommy and daddy to look at it. A commercial pilot coming in for a landing saw it.

Phoenix police phone lines lit up, and five officers later admitted to their buddies that when they had responded to radio calls about the object, they had seen a huge boomerang or triangular object with large, evenly spaced lights underneath, or along its front edge.

A dozen people around Phoenix pulled out video cameras and started shooting. Several witnesses called local TV stations and Luke Air Force Base.

The object apparently continued its way slowly toward the southeast and drifted out of sight.

The next morning, the Phoenix newspaper had an article about the object. Local TV news carried the story. And before long, newspapers in other cities picked up the story. Even the TV networks covered it. “UFO over Phoenix.”

People from other parts of the country noticed that Arizona was down there by New Mexico. Roswell. And not so far from the so-called “Area 51” in Nevada, either.

People from all over had their theories. A formation of small planes, maybe. Could’ve been a secret stealth bomber on a night flight. Obviously an extraterrestrial craft. No, definitely flares from the nearby Air Force range used for practice bombing runs.

At first, Luke Air Force Base reported that they got no calls about it. But local news reporters found sources from the base who said the phone lines at Luke were lit up like a Christmas tree. And maybe some fighter jets had been scrambled to intercept something that night.

* * *

The next morning, back in San Diego, JRSG folks had their own opinions.

Ed Thompson and Bill MacNeil were supposed to be researching UFO reports, among other things.

Colonel O’Brien thought this was a highly unusual case. He even called a special afternoon meeting. All of them were there except Amy and Mike. Dan Wells and Jim Etienne walked up the hill from the dolphin facilities. Gene Voss, Karen Valdez, and Jennifer Thorsen canceled a drive to Camp Pendleton.

O’Brien opened the meeting and passed around copies of newspaper articles on the incident. A few of them had heard about it on TV or the radio.

“I’ve called the meeting to discuss the situation in Phoenix. I’ve asked Team Two to give us a briefing on it. This seems like an odd UFO sighting to me. I’d like us to kick it around a little. Colonel Thompson, enlighten us please.”

“Well, sir, MacNeil and I called some TV stations over in Phoenix and read the newspaper articles. I called Luke Air Force Base and they can’t give us any more than is in the press. That’s about the extent of our inquiry at this time. MacNeil called some relatives who live over there and they just know what they saw on TV and in the papers. MacNeil has prepared a brief report. Mac, go ahead.”

Bill glanced at his legal pad and skimmed over the notes he had jotted down on the UFO.

“Well, basically about fifty or more people in central Arizona and Phoenix reported the thing. It started in small towns up in the mountain area north and northwest of Phoenix. The thing apparently stayed fairly steady on a course of southeast or south southeast right through the center of metro Phoenix.”

“Reliable witnesses. Pilots. Cops. Average citizens. Video and still shots clearly show a boomerang, or some say a triangular shape with bright, oversized lights. Air traffic controllers reportedly saw it visually but there was no signature on radar. Or so they say. Witnesses reported no engine sound and the thing was reportedly cruising at a relatively slow speed. Most of the reports and calls to the cops and TV stopped as the thing apparently cruised out of town on its course to the southeast.”

“It’s probably a safe bet that a few folks who saw it or took video didn’t necessarily call it in,” MacNeil said.

“Like Ed said, Luke Air Force Base isn’t saying anything. The Air Force just finished trying to handle to fiftieth anniversary of the Roswell incident not too long ago.”

Dan Wells was looking at and listening to MacNeil. Dan needed to tie up some loose ends in his mind about this. As Bill paused for questions or comments, Wells posed his question. Not really a question. A funny feeling.

“Bill, this somehow makes me think of your crop circles. An obvious, open thing that a lot of people see. An action with a purpose. What do you think?”

He directed the question to MacNeil, but really, Wells put it on the table for the group to discuss.

Bill was well aware of the possible connection here. So were Ed and Jim Etienne. Team Three had some knowledge of this but had not talked about it with Teams One and Two. They had been busy with their physical fitness and Camp Pendleton.

Several of them glanced at O’Brien. Over the months they had worked with him, he seemed to know a lot more than he was saying. Since they were all on a need-to-know basis, that was an accepted way of doing things. But maybe they did have a need to know at this point. O’Brien waited and listened.

MacNeil didn’t say anything.

Wells wanted to pursue the point of the public nature of the crop circles and this apparent public fly-over by something over Phoenix.

“You all know that one of my paths of research has been geological and other Earth changes,” Wells said. “I’ve passed on the intel on the pole shift theories and melting glaciers. But I have to admit I’ve held back a little.”

“There’s a line of thought that integrates some of the astronomy, archeology, and geology with the metaphysical … and maybe with the UFOs.”

He had their attention. His seven colleagues looked at him in the supportive manner they had all become accustomed to.

“It’s sometimes called names like ‘Planetary Ascension.’ The idea is that our planet is evolving on many levels: Earth’s position and trajectory in the solar system might be changing. Geological changes on a big scale could happen such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.”

“But there’s something else going on at a more subtle level. The sub-atomic and quantum physics, and the spiritual factors in our environment on Earth may evolve in a noticeable way.”

“I’ve looked at the crop circle photos and read all the different analyses and opinions. It seems to me that they are messages directly to the public about these kinds of Earth changes. Sort of a ‘one picture is worth a thousand words’ kind of thing. There clearly is mathematical and physics-oriented symbolism in them.”

“A friend of mine who works with Navy crypto looked at the photos and the intel. He agrees that they say something interesting. He’s preparing detailed interpretations of several of the crop formations for us.”

Dan felt better now. Like he had gotten something off his chest.

Karen Thorsen responded first.

“What’s a time frame on these alleged changes, Dan?”

“Unknown, Karen. My crypto buddy is looking at that.”

“The reason I ask is that we’re sitting here on the edge of the Pacific Plate and the Ring of Fire, aren’t we?”

Karen Valdez also wanted to know about Wells’ reference to spiritual factors.

“Dan, is this like the Bible prophesies about some kind of change, and breakthrough?”

“Could be, major. Unknown at this time. At least unknown to me.”

Wells and several of the others turned to O’Brien, expecting him to comment.

O’Brien had been involved in this kind of research for a lot longer than these folks. He and Jack Allen, and others. He did know more.

“You’re all on the right track,” he told them. “There’s a consensus by many groups in our special research area that we are evolving toward interesting changes that may be quite significant and visible.”

“As far as the Phoenix situation, I think it’s worth sending Team Two over there to nose around. See me after the meeting about arrangements. We’ll use a different safehouse at the foot of the mountains north of the Phoenix metro area.”

“I’ve also been in touch with our old friend Joe Bear. He’s invited all of us up to the Four Corners area for a visit. I think he’s got something of interest for us. Maybe one of his sweat lodge ceremonies and some sightseeing around the Four Corners. He’s always telling me about the mystical things going on up there. I think we’re ready to spread our wings a bit.”

“With the exception of Mella and Green, we’ve all stayed here close to base since the Sedona incident and the temporary stand down. Ed and MacNeil will head to Phoenix, the rest of us will be going to the Four Corners. We’ll all link up at some point afterwards.”

“Colonel Allen is already in the Flagstaff, Arizona area along with Doctor Carruthers. We’ll connect with them too, I’m sure.”

“Dan, you and Jim make arrangements to take a break from the Marine Mammal Program please. Gene, Karen and Jennifer, same for you and the Marine Pups program. We’ll need to make air transport arrangements for both groups.”

Thompson already had a contingency chopper transport plan for himself and MacNeil.

“Sir, Mac and I would like to use the local Special Forces reserve unit on this. We’ve been working with them on a few things including little unconventional scenarios like this.”

“Sounds like a great idea, Ed,” O’Brien said with a smile. “Dan, get a Navy chopper for the rest of us, will you?”

“Aye, aye, sir. And, if needed, Etienne is our liaison with Navy special ops support, colonel.”

“Very well. Before I adjourn this meeting, are there any questions or comments?” O’Brien looked around the room at the JRSG team. Dedicated. Smart. Gutsy.

Despite the fact that Tom O’Brien had been passed over many times for promotion to general, he loved the Air Force and his job. Incidents in Vietnam, and after, had resulted in a marked lack of promotions.

Green Berets Ed Thompson and Jack Allen had also been stuck as colonels when they could have been generals by now. All three of them had been politically incorrect during and after Vietnam too many times.

But somehow it had all worked out. O’Brien didn’t need stars on his uniform, and he suspected Ed and Jack didn’t give a rat’s ass about general’s stars either.

“All right then. Group dismissed.”