Is This Enigmatic Message From My Airman Relative Unusual?

[Syrinx]

I have a relative that is an Airman in the US Air Force. He is in what was described to me as an "intelligence unit." He said that he will soon be sent on a mission that he cannot describe. He can't say where he is going, or what he will do. He can't even say when he will leave for the mission... though we have reason to believe it will be very soon... before Christmas.

Do any of you have similar experiences? Or does anyone care to offer constructive speculation?

Thanks.

[KitchenWitch]

1. Not entirely out of the ordinary I am afraid

I know someone whose dad worked for a military contractor back in the 1970s and 1980s. He worked on a project that he still cannot talk about.

[Syrinx]

4. thanks for the comment

And to driver8 too.

What's got me concerned I guess is that he is only an airman, a very low-level guy in terms of rank. I'm speculating that either it's got something to do with Iraq (but I don't think so, since I don't really see why the US would need Air Force surveillance of that country) or some other country in the region.

I'm really pretty ignorant when it comes to military things. But it sounds like some big secret mission. I hope it's not some precursor of another evil misstep these morons in Washington are planning.

[schrodingers_cat]

18. My coworker's son is in the AF and is deploying from Japan to Iraq in

about a week. Don't know if this provides anything relevant.

[Syrinx]

19. it's interesting

And your DU handle is VERY interesting. I've been grappling with that riddle for many years and have yet to really understand it. Guess that's the point. :)

[driver8]

2. My father worked in Naval Intelligence/ Cryptography for 20 years--

Our family never had any idea what he did, and he never talked about it.

[HereSince1628]

5. Exactly.

[w13rd0]

3. Standard Operating Procedure...

...nothing out of the ordinary. And I think it's worth noting, the "terrorist communication tactics" we hear about on the news...standard military training.

[izzie]

6. He is feeding his ego.

I was married to a service man for years and lived in that society and a good percent all do special stuff they can not talk about. Every one thought it was a big joke. You all know people like this so do not be taken in by our knights of old. Sort of fun to be so important.

[driver8]

15. I disagree. My father had a top secret clearance and could

never talk about what he did. When he got out of the service, he was not allowed to leave the United States for ten years. There are a lot of guys with access to very sensitive information, regardless of their rank.

I had a lot of friends on submarines. They could not even tell you when they were going out to sea or where they were going. This was true from the Commanding Officer on down to the lowest of seaman recruits.

"Need to Know" is taken very seriously in the military.

[Neil Lisst]

7. That sounds fairly standard.

I held top secret and cryto clearances. The military has a secrecy fetish, and they're right.

WHAT YOU SEE AND WHAT YOU HEAR
WHEN YOU LEAVE, LEAVE IT HERE.

Was posted on a sign by the door of the vault we worked inside. At every duty station in the world, they all had that sign by the sole exit from this facility.

[mandyky]

8. A friend of mine in the Air Force

flew as part of the mission to rescue the Iran hostages, and he still won't / can't talk about details.

[Journeyman]

9. This is a scene right out of "Catch-22". . .

After he had made up his mind to spend the rest of the war in the hospital, Yossarian wrote letters to everyone he knew saying that he was in the hospital but never mentioning why. One day he had a better idea. To everyone he knew he wrote that he was going on a very dangerous mission. "They asked for volunteers. It's very dangerous, but someone has to do it. I'll write you the instant I get back." And he had not written anyone since.

Catch-22, by Joseph Heller (Chapter One)

[lonestarnot]

10. Not unusual.

[leftofthedial]

11. common occurence

[theboss]

12. Pretty common

A fair number of the people around DC apparently don't know what their spouses do for a living.

[No Exit]

13. I think you've just articulated a defense for Tom DeLay's wife.

Who, as we know, was in on it.

[dogday]

14. My Son's Deployment to Iraq

Started in January 05 when he received his first set of orders, well those got canceled. Then in March 05 he received some new orders to go to Afghanistan in June, they were canceled. Then in May, he received new orders to go to Tikrit, those orders sent him to Ft. Hood where he received orders to deploy sometime during the week of November 13th. He left on the 14th.

Vague orders, canceled orders and our emotions just keep going round and round and round....

[driver8]

16. That is standard military operating procedure. My family lived on

Guam for four years and my father had one more duty station before he retired. They told him, "Don't worry. We will station you in the states so that when you retire, you will not have to move your family very far."

They stationed him in the states alright -- Adak, Alaska in the middle of the Aleutian Islands.

[Neil Lisst]

17. Can I give you a big old bear hug?

Ow. As a daddy of adult sons, I'm hurting for you.

[Syrinx]

20. thanks everyone

I thought it seemed unusual, but I guess it isn't really. Thanks for the information!

[Fleshdancer]

21. unfortunately, yes. and it sucks.

my close relative is in the Army and also deals with intelligence in some way that I don't completely understand. His last deployement was a complete mystery.