Another new proverb (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Jonathan Lighter]

Bill, as I recall "redundancy" wasn't the problem. What did the mission in
was the haboob.

JL

On Wed, May 4, 2011 at 4:57 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC <
Bill.Mullins at us.army.mil> wrote:

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> Poster:       "Mullins, Bill AMRDEC" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
> Subject:      Re: Another new proverb (UNCLASSIFIED)
>
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> Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
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>
> The truth of this saying was driven home by the failure to send
> redundant assets during Operation Eagle Claw, the failed attempt to
> rescue the hostages in Iran in 1980.  I'd imagine that event was
> important in the origins of this saying.
>
> > >
> > > Former SEAL on CNN: "In the SEAL teams we say, 'Two is one; one is
> none.'"
> > >
> > > In other words, if you have only one, expect it to fail. That's why
> two
> > > helicopters went after Bin Laden. One failed.
> > >
> > > GB takes this back (probably) to 1994-95, almost unanimously in
> military
> > > contexts, and, indeed, especially among SEALs.  I've encountered it
> before,
> > > but only within the past four or five years.
> > >
> > > GB suggests that the phrase was originally part of a children's
> counting
> > > rhyme. I guess they lived in a high-crime area.
> > >
> > > JL
>  >
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