Canadians
Redfaced over FAX Goof
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We join with those who mourn the loss of life, the injuries, and the disruption of lives caused by the attacks against Washington, DC, and New York, N.Y. All those effected -- the brave people who helped in rescue efforts, those involved in America's response to terror and in the war with Iraq-- are in our thoughts and prayers.
Aerospace Corporation
Vandenberg AFB, CA
Because they facilitate rapid and accurate communication, fax machines have sprung up in civilian and military offices everywhere. If we needed a reminder to be careful with them, a recent incident involving our NATO ally Canada surely fills the bill.
Maj Walter Chipcase of the Canadian military admitted to the Associated Press in Ottawa that “my fingers didn’t do the walking correctly.” He had intended to fax a 22-page draft of plans for Canadian involvement in an upcoming peacekeeping and humanitarian exercise at Fort Polk, LA, to a counterpart in Victoria, British Columbia. Instead, the major made a “major” mistake and sent it to the Victoria Times Colonist newspaper!
Press accounts described him as “humbled” by his goof. They did not explain whether he misdialed, read the number wrong, or used the fax machine’s redial button when he should not have. Whatever the cause, his misstep is an excellent reminder to all of us to be extra careful when faxing sensitive information.
[Webmaster's note: This article was written in June 1995 for VSAC News.]