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(729) 
Methods, techniques, and equipments which are designed for a non-military 
peacetime type of operation, are usually successful in that job. Is there complete 
carryover to a job done under combat conditions? I think not. What is needed 
is a careful examination of the words I listed above and the determination of 
their real meaning for the particular problems at hand. This, of course, pre- 
supposes careful sorting out and defining of the problems. 
Under a truly logical system of generating requirements for maps to be 
made under combat conditions there could arise no quarrel with requirements, 
thus generated, even should it prove militarily impracticable to fly nice neat 
flight-lines back and forth over heavily defended territory. It is also clear that 
we are not quite ready to let combat mapping out on contract. 
Moreover there is more than just a slight basis to the suspicions felt by 
many military people when they are confronted with requirements of this type. 
They suspect, and I tend to agree with them, that someone wrote a specification 
without thinking of the real military problem. 
If the specification is operationally absurd — the entire job may be can- 
celled — and “nobody will get nothin’.” I can, therefore, think of no higher 
priority joint activity on the part of mapping agencies, military reconnaissance 
groups, and the consumers of the end product, than to be engaged in a continu- 
ous winnowing and sifting of problems. Out of this will come genuine require- 
ments, stated dynamically — that is, so that the operating agencies can see on 
the one hand, absolute minimum acceptable requirements, and on the other hand, 
requirements which start immediately above the minimum acceptable require- 
ments, and range upward. This would permit the operating groups to do the 
best they can, in full knowledge of what is the least acceptable. To the extent 
that this joint thinking is now going on, I offer congratulations to those so en- 
gaged, and, considering the extent to which this joint thinking should go on, I 
urge all concerned to get going. 
Were one to write an equation for the cast of a map — as I suggested in 
the panel discussion on statistical method last January — it is quite clear that 
this same equation, at least not with the same coefficient, could not be used for 
both peacetime mapping and mapping in a combat environment. A ground com- 
pilation system whose costs might be prohibitive when considered for a peace- 
time job might be relatively inexpensive when compared to the costs of the air- 
borne part of a combat area job. This is a simple example of what must be 
analysed in great detail. 
Further, it is of paramount importance to find out not only how accurate 
and precise a map can be made but also to find out how fast one can make a 
map of minimum acceptable accuracy. 
I do not propose to here discuss in detail civilian and military meanings, 
usages, and differences among the list of words I gave earlier. I feel that this i5 
a job for each of us to do with respect to his own particular activities. I suggest 
this as an interesting exercise for those of us who work in this twin area of ci- 
vilian and military activity. List in one column the series of word — modified 
as you like — and then in adjoining columns write out, if you can — definitions 
or descriptions applicable to the different fields of activity. I do not say that T 
have answers to give today and now, for on occasion I am satisfied to just state 
4 relevant and interesting problem. I know that in this case, the problem is 
subject to analysis and the reaching of useful conclusions.