One reason the Armed Services have trouble operating jointly is that they
have very different meanings for the same terms.
The Joint Chiefs once told the Navy to "secure a building," to which they
responded by turning off the lights and locking the doors.
The Joint Chiefs then instructed Army personnel to "secure the building,"
and they occupied the building so no one could enter.
Upon receiving the exact same order, the Marines assaulted the building,
captured it, and set up defenses with suppressive fire & amphibious assault
vehicles, established reconnaissance and communications channels, and
prepared for close hand-to-hand combat if the situation arose.
But the Air Force, on the other hand, acted most swiftly on the command,
and took out a three-year lease with an option to buy.
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