The insurgents keep firing rockets at our base. We’ve been having a tough time trying to stop them, because we can’t see where they’re firing from. I asked MAJ Simer if we could get a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) to try to find them, and he said yes, but we would have to do an “ONS.� “What’s an ONS?� I asked. MAJ Simer said, “an ONS is an Operational Needs Statement. You have to write up exactly what you need, why you need it, the support requirements for it, and a risk assessment. Next, you put this all into a special computer program we have for managing equipment. Then, the whole information packet goes up to the Corps, where a specially trained person ignores it until you go away.� That sounded like a lot of work with little chance of success. So, instead of getting a UAV, Reggie and Tony decided to work on their own version of aerial surveillance.

The first thing they decided they would need was a camera. This was easily acquired. They had a little trouble opening the package, though.

Once they got the camera out, there was another problem. Tony had trouble holding it in his talons!

They tried to think of ways to fix that. The first idea they thought of was very dangerous, so I jumped in to stop them before they could try it:

Their second idea was much better.

After all, there are few problems that can’t be solved with enough duct tape!

Now I hope we can start tracking down some of these insurgents!