“Rules of Combat” *

1. If the enemy is in range, so are you.
2. Incoming fire has the right-of-way.
3. Don’t look conspicuous—it draws fire.
4. The easy way is always mined.
5. Try to look unimportant—they may be low on ammo.
6. Teamwork is essential—it gives the enemy someone else to shoot at.
7. If your attack is going well—you have flown into an ambush.
8. Don’t draw fire—it irritates the people around you.
9. The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.
10. If it’s stupid but works—it isn’t stupid.
11. When in doubt, empty the magazine.
12. Never fly wing on someone braver than you.
13. Anything you do can get you shot—including doing nothing.
14. Make it tough for the enemy to set up where you can’t get out.
15. Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
16. A Purple Heart just proved that you are smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive it.
17. Don’t ever be the first, don’t ever be the last, and don’t ever volunteer for anything.
18. Five second fuses are designed for three seconds.
19. It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.
20. Things that must work together are never shipped together.

 

* Aviation Midshipmen Log, summer 2000; © 2000. [edited].

Class: 
Pensacola Preflight Class 18-47