PM: it's never invisible.HA HA! WITH THIS INVISO-SUIT THERE'S NO WAY THE ENEMY CAN SEE ME! ... AND THAT IS HOW WE ENVISION THE INVISIBLE SUIT IN COMBAT. SOLDIERS ... I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU HOW IMPORTANT THIS EXERCISE IS--YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT. YOU'VE WORKED HARD FOR WEEKS PREPARING FOR THIS EVENT. IF THINGS GO WELL TODAY, THE ARMY WILL ADD TO ITS ARSENAL THE GREATEST SPYING AND INFILTRATION infiltration /in·fil·tra·tion/ (in?fil-tra´shun) 1. the pathological diffusion or accumulation in a tissue or cells of substances not normal to it or in amounts in excess of the normal. 2. infiltrate (2). TEAM EVER CREATED ... YOU FIVE ... "THE INVISIBLES"! YOU HAVE BEEN HANDED THE HONOR OF BEING THE FIRST TEAM TRAINED IN THE USE OF THE ARMY'S NEWEST LIGHT-REFLECTING TECHNOLOGY ... THE INVISO-SUIT. A FAILURE IN TODAY'S EXERCISE WILL SET THE PROGRAM BACK AT LEAST A YEAR. BUT I KNOW THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! I'VE ASKED THE ARMY'S GREATEST LIVING RESOURCE ON PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE The routine checking of hardware that is performed by a field engineer on a regularly scheduled basis. See remedial maintenance. preventive maintenance - (PM) To bring down a machine for inspection or test purposes. See provocative maintenance, scratch monkey. TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY BEFORE THE EXERCISE BEGINS. MASTER SERGEANT, THEY'RE ALL YOURS. THANK YOU, CAPTAIN BROCK brock n. Chiefly British A badger. [Middle English brok, from Old English broc, of Celtic origin.] . I'LL BE BRIEF, AS I KNOW YOU ARE EAGER TO GET STARTED. YOU KNOW I'VE MADE A LONG CAREER OUT OF TELLING SOLDIERS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PM. IF YOU'VE DONE YOURS PROPERLY, THEN TODAY WILL GO SMOOTHLY. IF NOT, WELL ... WE'LL KNOW ABOUT IT SOON ENOUGH, YOU CAN'T FAKE PM! YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF EVERY DAY, "WOULD I STAKE MY LIFE RIGHT NOW ON THE CONDITION OF MY EQUIPMENT?" THANK YOU, MASTER SERGEANT, FOR THOSE CHALLENGING WORDS, SOLDIERS, ATTENTION! GO GET INTO YOUR INVISO-SUITS. WHEN YOU RETURN MY GUEST AND I WILL MAKE A FINAL REVIEW. OUR RESEARCH FOLKS DREAMED UP THIS CONCEPT FIVE YEARS AGO. IT'S TAKEN THAT LONG TO ARRIVE AT THIS PROTOTYPE TEAM. THE IDEA IS QUITE SIMPLE-- SOLDIERS WEARING THE INVISO-SUITS SLIP BEHIND ENEMY LINES, GATHER INFORMATION AND THEN RETURN. THE ENEMY NEVER EVEN KNOWS THAT THEY WERE THERE! JUST HOW DO THESE CRAZY THINGS WORK? HERE'S THE KEY. EACH SUIT IS MADE UP OF THOUSANDS OF PHASE-INVERTING DIODES. EACH DIODE diode (dī`ōd), two-terminal electronic device that permits current flow predominantly in only one direction. Most diodes are semiconductor devices; diode electron tubes are now used only for a few specialized applications. ABSORBS THE LIGHT STRIKING IT AND BASICALLY EMITS EMITS Electronic Mail Invitation to Tender System EMITS Environmental Monitoring of an Integrated Transport Strategy THE SAME WAVELENGTH BACK. BUT UNLIKE A MIRROR, THERE IS NO SHININESS shin·y adj. shin·i·er, shin·i·est 1. Radiating light; bright. 2. Bright from reflected light; glistening. 3. Having a sheen from being rubbed or worn smooth. TO GIVE AWAY THE SOLDIER'S LOCATION, NO REVEALING GLINTS OF LIGHT. THE DIODES HAVE A LIGHT-DAMPENING ALGORITHM TO KEEP THE REFLECTIONS MUTED mut·ed adj. 1. a. Muffled; indistinct: a muted voice. b. Mute or subdued; softened: muted colors. 2. . AMAZING a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. ! AND WHAT MAINTENANCE HAS TO BE DONE TO THEM? THREE THINGS. PRE-OPERATION DIAGNOSTIC TESTING Diagnostic testing Testing performed to determine if someone is affected with a particular disease. Mentioned in: Von Willebrand Disease ... ... BATTERY RECHARGING ... ... AND INSPECTING THE SUIT FOR RIPS RIPS Runway Incursion Prevention System (airport safety system developed by NASA) RIPS Regional Institute for Population Studies (University of Ghana) RIPS Raster Image Processing Systems Corporation OR TEARS ... IF ANY OP THESE THREE MAINTENANCE ELEMENTS ARE NEGLECTED, THE SUIT COULD FAIL! WHO DOES THIS MAINTENANCE? OUR CONCEPT IS FOR EACH SOLDIER TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PM ON HIS OR HER SUIT. THEY ARE MOLDED mold 1 n. 1. A hollow form or matrix for shaping a fluid or plastic substance. 2. A frame or model around or on which something is formed or shaped. 3. Something that is made in or shaped on a mold. TO THE FORM OF EACH INDIVIDUAL, SO NO ONE CAN WEAR ANYONE ELSE'S SUIT. WHY DON'T YOU SELECT ONE TEAM MEMBER FOR A SHORT DEMONSTRATION. HOW 'BOUT THE SPECIALIST? SPECIALIST MORENO, PLEASE POWER UP YOUR INVISO-SUIT. YES, SIR. I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED IT IF I HADN'T "SEEN" IT WITH MY OWN EYES! THAT'S ENOUGH, SPECIALIST. WE DON'T WANT TO DRAIN YOUR BATTERY BEFORE THE EXERCISE. THESE SUITS SUCK UP POWER LIKE A VACUUM CLEANER vacuum cleaner, mechanical device using a draft of air to remove dust, loose dirt, or other particulate matter from dry surfaces. It is especially useful on highly textured surfaces, such as carpets and upholstery, that are difficult to clean by wiping or brushing. ! A FULLY CHARGED BATTERY PACK WILL POWER THE SUIT FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. ALL RIGHT, INVISIBLES, MOVE ON OUT! I'LL SEE YOU IN 10 AT THE MOBILIZATION mobilization Organization of a nation's armed forces for active military service in time of war or other national emergency. It includes recruiting and training, building military bases and training camps, and procuring and distributing weapons, ammunition, uniforms, POINT. HOW WILL THIS EXERCISE UNFOLD unfold - inline ? THERE IS A TEAM OF DEFENDERS IN PLACE OVER THE HILL. THEIR GOAL IS TO PREVENT OUR GROUP FROM CARRYING OUT THEIR MISSION. AND THAT MISSION IS ...? THERE'S A TENT ABOUT TWO KLICKS AWAY ... AND THERE'S A DESK INSIDE THE TENT. ON THAT DESK IS A PIECE OF PAPER WITH A SHORT SENTENCE. THIS MISSION WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IF AND ONLY IF ALL FIVE OF THE "INVISIBLES" ARE ABLE TO MAKE IT THERE AND BACK UNDETECTED TO REPORT WHAT THAT SENTENCE SAYS. I DON'T MIND TELLING YOU THAT THE BRASS IS A LITTLE UNSURE OF THIS PROJECT. ANYTHING LESS THAN TOTAL SUCCESS WILL BADLY HURT OUR CHANCES OF DEPLOYMENT TO THE FIELD ON MY MARK ... GO! A SHORT TIME LATER ... 45 MINUTES LATER ... CAPTAIN! THE SENTENCE IS, "WE HAVE THE WORLD'S BEST EQUIPMENT ... TAKE CARE OF IT"! RIGHT ON THE MONEY, MORENO. YOU'RE THE FOURTH ONE BACK WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER. IF JONES MAKES IT BACK SUCCESSFULLY, I'M TAKING YOU "INVISIBLES" OUT FOR STEAKS TONIGHT! C'MON ... C'MON! JUST ANOTHER FEW MINUTES AND I'LL BE HOME FREE! ARRGGGH! NO! HEY! HEY, HOTSHOT! YOU DON'T LOOK SO INVISIBLE NOW! HA-HA! WELL, JONES ... THE DAMAGE IS DONE NOW, IN THE INTEREST OF "LESSONS LEARNED", TELL US JUST WHAT WENT WRONG. WHY DID YOUR EQUIPMENT FAIL? SIR, IT WAS MY OWN DANG FAULT. I FULLY INTENDED TO CHARGE UP MY BATTERY PACK LAST NIGHT BEFORE I HIT THE SACK. THAT WOULD HAVE PROVIDED THE EIGHT-HOUR CHARGE THAT THE PACK NEEDS. BUT .. I GOT TO PLAYING A VIDEO GAME ... AND, WELL ... AFTER I GOT TO THE FIFTH AND FINAL LEVEL I WAS HORRIFIED hor·ri·fy tr.v. hor·ri·fied, hor·ri·fy·ing, hor·ri·fies 1. To cause to feel horror. See Synonyms at dismay. 2. To cause unpleasant surprise to; shock. TO SEE THAT IT WAS TWO IN THE MORNING! I RAN TO PLUG IN MY PACK, BUT KNEW I WOULD ONLY HAVE TIME FOR A FIVE-HOUR CHARGE BEFORE MUSTERING FOR THE EXERCISE. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ENOUGH ... BUT I WAS WRONG. I'M SORRY I LET YOU GUYS DOWN. IT WAS JUST UNDERCHARGING THAT DID YOU IN ... BUT, PLAYING A VIDEO GAME!??? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING??? I'D SAY THAT SPECIALIST JONES LEARNED A GREAT LESSON HERE TODAY. WHEN IT COMES TO THESE SUITS, IF YOUR PM IS "INVISIBLE" ... YOU WON'T BE! IN REAL LIFE, IF YOUR PM IS INVISIBLE, YOU MAY NOT SURVIVE. DO YOUR PM! [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] |
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