Com-Central.net

I think this is sufficiently related to our interests to merit posting here:

www.toledoblade.com/Po...-Lima.html

There are so many things about this that are hilarious and/or annoying. For starters, it reminds me that once again, MP's and military security in general never seem to have heard of a little thing called..."Google Earth/Maps." Which has high resolution satellite imagery, and several tools which allow anyone with a Google account to make reasonably accurate measurements of stuff. And, as I've just now found out to my immense amusement, there is also (reasonably)-high-resolution 45 degree aerial photography and (old, lower-resolution) Street View imagery of the plant as well.

I'm especially struck by the mention of the "unmanned guard shack" which makes me wonder, if security is such a fanatical concern here, why isn't there someone manning the bloody gate?

Moreover, since when did any authority have the legal ability to tamper with photographic memory without the photographer's permission?

I'm reminded of at least one instance at a local site which shall remain nameless, where a polite request for a photo ops was denied because of similarly asinine "security concerns."

So much for ever getting photos of the early M1A1 (derp, thanks recon4ww2) at the plant (which, on the aforementioned imagery, is no longer located at the plant entrance).

Planespotters have been arrested before, but only in "3rd World" countries, like India - & Greece

Listen, jackass, when you have an almost war situation going on and those aircraft are the first line of defense, you take security seriously, because google earth or not, there's still a host of other details that should remain hidden. Besides, there have been ZERO problems with planespotters who chose to keep their head out of their anuses, learn somethings about the place they were visiting, abide by the law and apply - and receive - the necessary permits.
So save your ignorance and smartass remarks about my country, capisce?

There was no "XM1 Abrams pilot" outside the plant. There is however from time to time an early M1A1 sitting out front as a gate guard. Several years ago, we stopped at the, then manned; guard shack and asked permission to take photos of the tank. After the guard made a phone call we were permitted permission to take photos as long as we made sure not to photograph any portion of the facility.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...trance.JPG

So I guess it's back on display now, given this was taken this past January. Only reason I said XM1 was because the 2011 edition of the register lists it as such.

FWIW, TACOM HQs is like that too (and I used to work there). I'm sure Lima has signs posted everywhere saying Don't Take Photos Here, so, yeah, it's nothing that you can't see from Google, but if photography is forbidden, then it's forbidden. It's their place, they make the rules.

- Geoff_walden

FWIW, TACOM HQs is like that too (and I used to work there). I'm sure Lima has signs posted everywhere saying Don't Take Photos Here, so, yeah, it's nothing that you can't see from Google, but if photography is forbidden, then it's forbidden. It's their place, they make the rules.

Yep, their house, their rules (and it's always safer for a junior officer or EM to say "No" than "Yes"...had this experience overseas quite a few times until the "right" person was contacted.)

I'd have a lot more interesting stuff from the old Armor Board when it was active, but they were pretty darn serious about photos of test projects and anywhere inside Heard Motor Park back in the day. I only have four personal pics, all of the M60A1 "Hot Pants" skirt project.