What is the significance of military patches for classified branches?

[mbrmbrg]

Yesterday's Science section of the New York Times ran an article called http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/01/science/01patc.html?scp=1&sq=inside+black+budget&st=nyt". The article discusses patches worn by classified brances of the U.S. military. I guess this is what happens when you put a group of geeks together and tell them to play cool secret games... hehehe.

 

[mgb_phys]

This could actually be a safe and cost effective alternative.
Create an imaginary weapon/unit/project - leak details about it's capabilities and a few badges.
It makes the enemy afraid to attack and makes the voters feel that they are being defended - the basic two roles of any military funding.

In WWII the SAS-Special Air Service actually used jeeps to attack across the desert but were named so that any rumours / documents would make the enemy assume they were paratroops.

 

[edward]

$32 Billion per year that doesn't show on the books !

Those billions have expanded a secret world of advanced science and technology in which military units and federal contractors push back the frontiers of warfare. In the past, such handiwork has produced some of the most advanced jets, weapons and spy satellites, as well as notorious boondoggles.

I wonder what the success to boondoggle ratio is

 

[mgb_phys]

The problem with secret projects is that you don't get to brag about the successes - like the 1968 USAF moon landing!

 

[Poop-Loops]

This could actually be a safe and cost effective alternative.
Create an imaginary weapon/unit/project - leak details about it's capabilities and a few badges.
It makes the enemy afraid to attack and makes the voters feel that they are being defended - the basic two roles of any military funding.

In WWII the SAS-Special Air Service actually used jeeps to attack across the desert but were named so that any rumours / documents would make the enemy assume they were paratroops.

Doesn't the Spetznaz have a group dedicated solely to doing cool tricks like jumping over trucks while doing backflips and throwing knives at targets just to impress the politicians?

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Why have patches for a secret service, doesn't that sort of defeat the object. I remember once seeing a sergeant chew out a "civillian" for walking across the parade ground, only to find out that he was a sergeant in the SAS and technically he outranked him. That was dead funny. Especially when the security officer had to take him aside and explain why he should shut up before he embarrassed himself further. I liked that job. shame it was a temp job.