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My Mom was a FORTRAN programmer for a defense contractor from the late 50s to the mid 90s. She spent her career doing things like that F16 simulator. The las
by drewg123 1y ago
My Mom was a FORTRAN programmer for a defense contractor from the late 50s to the mid 90s. She spent her career doing things like that F16 simulator. The last thing I remember her talking about was one of the B1 or B2 bombers.
When I was elementary school age in the late 70s, I'd go into her office with her sometimes on school holidays that were not work holidays. She'd let me play Colossal Cave Adventure on a terminal in her office. I remember looking at printouts of code she was working on, and seeing a wireframe diagram of some futuristic plane. I think it must have been one of the first Stealth fighters. I wonder how many security protocols she broke by having me there... :)
She passed a way many years ago, but I think she would have been excited to see work like this.
- AndrewKemendo 1y agoFWIW she probably wasn’t breaking any security protocols - basically as long as the kids can’t read well they are fine to be escorted without the red light. I used to take my daughter into the SCIF when she was about 2 when needed, and there was a week where I was took my son into work at the Pentagon. I working for Snake Clark at the time and people kept bringing him candies and treats. I think he was watching cartoons on Nick in the deputy’s office most of the day. He gets a kick out of that story now.
- the__alchemist 1y agoI do a double-take if I see a dog! I've seen babies, but I'm pretty sure anyone that can walk or talk would be a no-go. My assumption is OP wasn't in a facility like that.
- AndrewKemendo 1y agoUltimately it’s up to the SSO/SSM/facility manager to make the risk call, and that’s largely based on commander guidance and DSCID inspections from the HQ SSO. Plenty of shenanigans in JSOC scifs that wouldn’t fly on NSA campus.
- drewg123 1y agoCorrect.... It was an office in a suburban office park.. I remember there were some areas that I was not allowed in. But I don't know if that was for security reasons, or just due to general non-kid safe areas. I don't remember guards, but it was almost 50 years ago and I really can't recall. I interviewed at LANL early in my career, and I was struck by how much security there was. My mom's office was nowhere close to that level of security.
- matrix12 1y agoUntil your kid reads off some classified terms off a burn bag...
- denpa 1y agoGreat story, thank you for sharing! Your mom was awesome :)
- bumseltagbaerbi 1y ago[flagged]