Educating “Sillyvillians:” The Dog-A** P-3

A good friend of mine from my Navy days, Sue Miller, is in the habit of describing anyone who hasn’t served in the Armed Forces as a “sillyvillian.” I can totally relate because, whereas in my father’s generation, just about everyone had worn the uniform at some time in their life, in the circles I move in, when I make a mention of any aspect of military life, I frequently feel as though I’m speaking in a foreign language. One comment I hear all the time is that the military always gets new equipment every year.

In the autumn of 1981, I was stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas. One day, we got a visit from the Navy Intelligence Community’s Command Master Chief. He gave us a short talk and told us that he hoped we would soon get a replacement for what he called the “dog-a** P-3.” Since I was not assigned to the aviation community, I was not directly concerned, but it struck me that he didn’t think much of the aircraft our flying cryptographic technicians used. The Master Chief’s comment stayed with me quite a while because guess what airborne Navy CTs are flying in today, 28 years later: the dog-a** P-3.