Air Force Buys 1,760 Sony PlayStation3s: Linked By Lab Under Wright-Patterson, Cluster Is Among World's 10 Most Powerful Supercomputers

Sony PS3 Cluster Creates Supercomputer

[UPDATED 11/30/10 8:27 a.m. -- The Plain Dealer's Steve Koff files a report from the Washington Bureau about the PS3 supercomputer.]
CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Toy story, not.  Star Wars, maybe.  The U.S. Air Force plans to dedicate its newest supercomputer -- which has been named Condor -- Wednesday at a facility in Rome, N.Y.  It has clustered 1,760 PlayStation3 consoles to create a 500 teraFLOP device -- it can do 500 trillion operations per second.   That is blazing speed, faster than almost anything on Earth.  Said Mark Barnell, director of Air Force Research Laboratory high power computing:  "Such capability exceeds any other interactive supercomputer currently used by the Department of Defense."

The Air Force spent about $2 million for the PS3s and figures it may have saved up to $40 million by using game consoles rather than buying a typical commercial supercomputer.  The PlayStation3 came on the market just before Christmas in 2006 for playing computer games.  It is quieter than an Xbox360 and louder than a Wii, and probably not quite as popular as either rival.  It costs about $400 and nobody this side of Santa Claus ever expected that the 11-pound PS3 consoles would be enlisted for military service outside a round of Call of Duty. The whole USAF mashup sounds like something out of a James Bond movie.  But the Air Force said the gamers opened the door:

"The gaming marketplace has eagerly funded research and development for their products, resulting in very affordable yet powerful mass-marketed game systems.  The military has discovered that his commercial technology is a quickly reachable low-hanging fruit for its own applications.  The Condor system will be freely available to all DoD users on a shared basis . . . The system will be able to accomplish a wide variety of supercomputing tasks for a fraction of the typical investment."

Here's lots of links about PlayStation3s, which remain on lists as Christmas gifts. And here's the Air Force news release about the project.  One planned use is research into neuromorphic artificial intelligence.  That's a mouthful of a phrase that means a robotic device that mimics natural biological functions for a sense of touch, or sight, or balance and movement.  The eventual goal would be some kind of synthetic consciousness -- for now, far beyond a PS3.

Pentagon Says 100% of 2010 Army and Marine Recruits Were H.S. Grads: Air Force and Navy Not So Educated

H.S. Grads Are Flocking to Military

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Defense Department is crowing:  All 74,577 soldiers recruited into the U.S. Army in fiscal year 2010 have a high school diploma, which is a quality record.  The Marines had 28,041 recruits and they, too, were all grads -- another first.  Those are the two branches of  the military that do most of the fighting -- they have infantry and field artillery.  In the old days, brawn was more important than brains.   Of the Air Force's 28,493 newest members, 99% finished high school.  98% of the Navy's 34,180 sailors held diplomas -- last place.  Clifford Stanley, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said the down economy helped create a banner year for recruiting -- high unemployment spurred young Americans to sign up and all four services met their quotas.  Stanley said 7 of 10 Americans in the prime age groups for enlistment -- ages 17 to 24 --are ineligible due to medical, educational or conduct (i.e. law enforcement, drug use) issues.  Still, Stanley said patriotism and love of country motivate people to enlist:

"As we look at where we are right now in terms of the challenges facing us, it's more to it than the economy.  To a person -- serving their nation, doing it with honor, being patriots -- seems to be the recurring theme that come up every time we look at and talk to those who are wearing a uniform today.  And we're still proud to have that in our active and our reserve components, and our Guard."

U.S. Air Force Launches Its New Official Motto: 'Aim High . . . Fly, Fight, Win'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Some Air Force people are at a loss for words today.  They seem to think the money spoent on the new motto was a waste of precious tax dollars.  Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz sees things differently.  He says the new motto is a statement of pride in service.  Others think it falls far short of the Marine Corps' revered motto, Semper Fi.  Schwartz said:  "Airmen indicated 'Aim High' and the response 'Fly-Fight-Win' as indicative of their enduring commitment to do just that in defense of our nation."

On the comments section of AF.mil, the service's official online portal, there was this observation:

"0/8/2010 9:55:37 AM ET
Seriously Billy Mitchell just threw up . I can think of 100 other things these 250 people could have done with their time. Well done USAF. Here is a another motto INITIATIVE AGGRESSION AIR DISCIPLINE."


You can read the official announcement about the adoption of the new U.S. Air Force motto along with all the comments here on the Air Force website. Most of the comments seem to be critical.

Cleveland Browns All-Pro Joe Thomas Shows Up In Afghanistan: Lineman Goes From NFL Trenches To The Real Thing

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Bengals fans might want to stuff their chant that goes "If it's Brown, flush it down." Offensive tackle Joe Thomas of the Browns has popped up in Afghanistan signing autographs and posing for pictures with troops in the combat zone. No Bengals were in sight or on the trip. The photo was taken five days ago by Air Force Staff Sgt. Richard Williams at Bagram Airfield. Thomas visited service members along the flightline, then went to a USO center at the base named for Pat Tilman, the NFL player who quit football to join the military. Tilman was killed by friendly fire in the early days of the war; the Army tried to cover up the mistake.

Thomas, at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, has been with the Browns since 2007, when he was a first round draft pick out of the University of Wisconsin. His wife, Annie, is a former Wisconsin basketball playwer. Thomas is from Brookfield, Wisc., and went to Brookfield Central H.S. where he captained the football and basketball teams and made the academic Honor Roll. He's traveling with three other NFL players through the war zone -- San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis, House Texans defensive end Mario Williams, and Cowboys tight end Jason Whitten. Thomas is blogging, though he hasn't disclosed exactly where he's been. The Air Force released the photo from the Bagram flightline. Here's Thomas about a night in the field: "Our group has really been in awe of just about everything. We watched troops fire off mortar rounds so loud they literally shook the ground. We spent one night at a "black out base" -- meaning that the base isn't lit up at night for security reasons. The players bunked up, two to a room, in small wood cabin rooms that had nothing more than one bunk bed with two mattresses. We brought sleeping bags to put on top of the mattresses."

Adultery Scandal Rocks Ohio Air Force Base: The Case Of The Randy Chief Master Sergeant Who Shagged Married Subordinates

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- It is still against the law to have sex with a married colleague in the military. And a lot of service members have been scoping out a
brief Air Force news release about hanky panky at Wright Patterson in Ohio. The item -- which offers scant details -- has been among the "most viewed" on the service's official Web site for more than a week. Apparently, the married male sergeant boffed several of his married female subordinates, and there are allegations of sexual harassment. In From the Cold is a blog that follows intelligence matters, and noted that the accused philanderer had served in units with spy missions. It did not suggest he was James Bond. While the randy sergeant faces punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, none of the women have been charged. That news that was dug up by an enterprising reporter, John Nolan of the Dayton Daily News, formerly of the Associated Press in Cincinnati. Compare what Nolan learned versus the Air Force's minimalist press release:

This is the military version: "WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) -- A former command chief master sergeant for the Air Force Materiel Command here, has been formally charged by Air Force officials with several counts of violating specific articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Chief Master Sergeant William Gurney was charged with seven specifications of violation of Article 92, failure to obey an order or regulation and dereliction of duty; two specifications of violation of Article 93, maltreatment; two specifications of violation of Article 120, indecent conduct and wrongful sexual contact; and seven specifications of violation of Article 134, adultery and misuse of official position.These charges are the result of an investigation by Air Force Office of Special Investigation agents that began in November 2009 after a junior enlisted female member came forth with allegations of sexual harassment.Gen. Donald Hoffman, the commander of AFMC, has elected to request transfer of this case to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest since Chief Gurney reported directly to him in his previous position. As a result, the case has been transferred from AFMC to Air Mobility Command officials for the administration of military justice."

Now sample a portion of the Dayton Daily News report today:

"Among the accusations:
Gurney, who is married, had sex with two of the technical sergeants, also married, and two of the master sergeants, also married. Adultery violates the Uniform Code of Military Justice, placed in a category of conduct that could be detrimental to the order and discipline of the armed forces, could damage morale or respect for authority, and could bring discredit to the armed forces.
Gurney had sex in the presence of a master sergeant, and repeatedly and deliberately made sexual remarks to the victims."

You Can Do Anything But Stay Off My Green Suede Combat Boots

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Forget wild blue yonder. Researchers at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio have recommended new footwear for troops -- sage-green leather combat boots. The new design would replace suede green boots that have been standard issue for a while. Apparently, the suede can become stained. The Air Force disclosed results of its final combat boot test results two days ago. Sage green it is:

"In 2008, the Air Force Uniform Office here began investigating various options for increasing the stain-resistant properties of the current issue suede ABU combat boots. The first test of a stain-resistant boot was unsuccessful in meeting the needs of Airmen. As a result, AFUO officials conducted a follow-on test with different materials. This follow-on wear and lab testing provided the research and development project team with data to make the best selection for acceptable stain-resistant ABU combat boots. 'The latest test boots have smooth leather, like the old black boots,' said Richard Keefer, AFUO chief. 'The intent was to try a boot that is easy to clean, will not stain and hides scuffs and wear from industrial use.'

The Air Force has gotten six comments about the new combat boots on its AF.mil portal, and three wonder why the footwear is green. One says the color is awful:

1/30/2010 12:58:54 AM ET I think that the fact that the Air Force has invested and continues to invest considerable resources towards the design/development of a distinctive uniform is a clear example of mis-prioritization of funds. In my opinion the expenditure of our taxpayers' money on frivolous activities especially during our current economic downturn borders on being criminal. The Air Force should have let the Army foot the bill for developing the ACU and used it. I'm not pointing blame at just the Air Force-all three services have jumped on the distinctive uniform bandwagon. Distinctive uniforms are great when funds are plentiful but when my troops have issues getting the cold/wet weather gear that they need because of money... well at least I can take comfort in the fact that those sage green boots match my distinctive ABUs.
David, Nellis AFB

1/29/2010 11:25:29 PM ET Let me be the first to say it the green boots look awful. It doesn't matter what style the boots come in - the green boots look strange. What is wrong with the tan or black boots that everyone already has
Capt G, Texas

1/29/2010 5:45:19 PM ET Why must the boot be green We look ridiculous in these sage green boots. I continue to wear my BDU's and highly polished black boots. I hope someone comes along and changes our boots back to black or tan.
Ben Dover, LA

U.S. Air Force Shifting 3 GPS Satellites: Will Lake Erie Walleye Be Easier To Map?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The answer is yes. Adjusting a few of the global positioning satellites in orbit is intended to improve the accuracy and reliability of GPS devices around the world by April 2010. The shift will help travellers and make it easier to track 911 cellphone calls. But its real purpose is meant to aid troops in the field, especially those now fighting in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. The Air Force controls 30 GPS satellites, a system that maps the globe. There are blank spots, particularly in remote areas and sometimes in cities with tall buildings.

Matt Hansen at the Omaha World Herald reported over the weekend that civilian users will benefit "because the project will make it less likely they'll lose a signal and scream helplessly at their Garmin while driving in downtown Chicago or through the Rocky Mountains." The satellites are being moved by the Air Force Strategic Command (Stratcom), which expects the task to take no longer than four months. More information can be found here. When the satellites are moved, there will be better connections and even more accuracy. Commercial users are expected to benefit -- surveyors will have precise property lines for real estate. Firemen and police will have improved locations for 911 calls on cell phones.

David Guckman, an Air Force colonel at the Space Command, said the military's
GPS program has been a navigational marvel: "This is a free service to the world . . . to billions of civilians around the world."