I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed By

"Science," the Greek word for knowledge, when appended to the word "political," creates what seems like an oxymoron. For who could claim to know politics? More complicated than any game, most people who play it become addicts and die without understanding what they were addicted to. The rest of us suffer under their malpractice as our "leaders." A truer case of the blind leading the blind could not be found. Plumb the depths of confusion here.

Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:56 am

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4477th TEST & EVALUATION SQUADRON —"RED EAGLES"

From its inception in 1975, the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron conducted tactical evaluations of a highly classified squadron of Soviet fighters in U.S. possession.

The unit was based at Groom Lake until the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the 4477th provided $24 million towards the initial construction of another classified operating location in Central Nevada: the Tonopah Test Range, also known as Area 52.

The 4477th seems to have been disbanded sometime in the early 1990s and its mission taken over by Detachment 2 of the 57th Fighter Wing. Eventually, this became Detachment 3 of the 53rd Test and Evaluation Group.
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:56 am

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57th FIGHTER WING, DETACHMENT 2

Although all activities associated with Detachment 2 of the 57th Fighter Wing remain classified, it is known that the unit operates under the Advanced Programs office of the 57th Wing. According to official documents from the 57th Wing, which is based at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Detachment 2 "operates off-location to support tactical development for the combat air forces."

DET 2, 57 FW (now DET 3, 53 TEG) has probably taken over much of the 4477th "Red Eagles" mission to provide tactical evaluation of foreign aircraft. Its "off-location" operating base is most likely Groom Lake (Area 51) or the Tonopah Test Range (Area 52).
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:56 am

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SEMPER EN OBSCURUS SPECIAL PROJECTS

This patch comes from the Special Projects Office, which operated out of the Air Force's Sacramento Air Logistics Center and oversaw maintenance and support of the F-117A stealth fighter program. The phrase "Semper en Obscurus" translates as "Always in the Dark." The mushroom—which grows in darkness— symbolizes the secret nature of the Office's work. This same patch is now used by the 412th Test Wing's Special Projects Office at Edwards Air Force Base.
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:57 am

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RAPID CAPABILITIES OFFICE, OPUS DEI CUM PECUNIA ALIENUM EFFICEMUS

Among other things, the Rapid Capabilities Office at Air Force headquarters in Washington is responsible for technical integration of Department of Defense classified activities, and for reporting these activities to the Air Force leadership, the office of the secretary of defense, Congress, and the White House. The symbol in the background of this patch is a black and gray image of the earth, representing the "black world" of classified activities. The Latin at the bottom of the patch translates as "Doing God's work with other people's money."
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:57 am

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SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE ACQUISITION, SPECIAL PROGRAMS

DIRECTORATE OF SPECIAL PROJECTS


The Directorate of Special Projects works with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Congress to direct financial oversight, programmatic evaluation, budget formulation and acquisition management of a $2.2 billion annual Air Force special access program portfolio. The image on the patch recalls a classified aircraft flying above a "black world."
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:58 am

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PETE'S DRAGON II, DRAGON TEST TEAM

When (in July of 1982) pilot Pete Barnes was scheduled for his first flight in the still-secret stealth fighter, he found that the plane had a green dragon painted on the side. The inspiration for the design came from the Disney film Pete's Dragon, which was about a green dragon named Elliot who was invisible to everyone except a boy named Pete.

A few years later, Pete Barnes took control of an upgraded stealth fighter, commemorated by the patch shown here. Pete's Dragon eventually morphed into the "Dragon Test Team."
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:58 am

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DON'T ASK —NOYFB

This patch is from the 22nd Military Airlift Squadron, who flew C-5 cargo aircraft out of Travis Air Force Base in Northern California. Part of the 22nd MAS' mission was to conduct late night operations picking up classified aircraft from aerospace plants in Southern California and delivering them to classified locations for testing and evaluation.

When the 22nd MAS undertook these missions, its crews would take off their everyday heraldry and Velcro this patch to their uniforms.

The black background and crescent moon on the patch probably represent the unit's night operations. The silver lining represents star light. The question mark signifies classified operations. The letters "NOYFB" stand for "None of Your Fucking Business."
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:59 am

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GOAT SUCKERS

Goat Suckers designates the Q-Unit of the 4452nd Test Squadron, charged in the early 1980s with testing and evaluating a growing squadron of top-secret stealth fighters at the Tonopah Test Range.

In addition to the stealth fighters, the Goat Suckers flew a collection of A-7 Corsair fighters, which were used as chase planes and proficiency trainers. The A-7 also became a cover story for the stealth fighter when its existence was still classified. When stealth pilots were asked about the 4452nd Test Squadron, they would claim that they flew A-7s.

The name Goatsuckers refers to a family of nocturnal birds that, folklore held, fed on goat's milk at night. Included in the Goatsucker family of birds is chordeiles minor: the Nighthawk.

Nighthawk is the nickname of the F-117A stealth fighter; the existence of the F-117A was classified until November 8, 1988.
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:59 am

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F3XP M.A.R.S.

During the years when the F-117A stealth fighter was a black project operating out of the Tonopah Test Range, a secret program known only by the code name F3XP was designed to repair and maintain the aircraft's radar absorbent coatings. Composed of Air Force corrosion control specialists and sheet metal technicians, members of this project, called the Materials Application Repair Section (M.A.R.S.), were known as "Martians."
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Re: I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have to Be Destroyed

Postby admin » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:59 am

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GRIM REAPERS

Grim Reapers was the nickname of the 4451st Test Squadron, which operated under the 4450th Tactical Group at the Tonopah Test Range during the 1980s. The unit's mission was to fly a squadron of classified stealth fighters.

When the Pentagon announced the existence of the stealth fighter program in the late 1980s, the Grim Reapers were redesignated as the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron. After the Grim Reapers' existence became public, the Air Force forced the unit to change their name, as it did not pass the Air Force's requirements for good taste. The Grim Reapers thus became the Ghost Riders.
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