MILNET Project History

The MILNET project was begun in early 1985 with the intention of providing a comprehensive authorial database, with its use mainly to aid the author in compiling, learning, and evenutally writing fictional accounts which deal with the U.S. military industrial complex. Since the project was begun and still remains a part time effort, the databse of information may suffer from lapses of inactivity.

The MILNET project goal was to compile open source information on the world's military and intelligence apparatus. Consequently, the information, while in places mostly complete and accurate, is never-the-less comprised only of  information made public, and therefore subject to possible dis-information tactics.

During the period of 1989 thru 1990, the author was engaged in work for a U.S. Defense Contractor, at which time major portions of the database were left idle. For two years subsequent to that employment, the author enforced a discipline such that all sources of information which might be sensitive were referenced by a footnote to ensure material was publicly sourced.

The MILNET project's main form of output began with simple ASCII text files organized in a heirachical directory structure, then was transferred into a graphical "toolbook" using the Asymetric TOOLBOOK toolset. In the Spring of 1995 work began on transferring the database into a series of html documents for publication on the World Wide Web.  Some of that work still continues as other priorities for the web site have emerged.

Below we list the chronology of events leading to the current "published forms" of the database:

1985:

Work began on a buzzword database in plain ASCII textfile format. Other relevant information is compiled and organized in several DOS directories for eventual BBS publication.

1986:

The author begins research in earnest in the Spring of 1986, accumlating better than 10 hrsper week gleaning information from non-fiction works and magazines. The compilation 20mb of information on Terrorism alone nearly kills the project.

1987:

Buzzword Database converted to HP Electronic Cardfile Manager (ECM) format. Other database formats are created as well, but do not last the extremely dynamic computing environment of the author. Acronyms create another 20mb of data and the project nearly comes to a standstill again. Author elects to create multiple sections for acronyms to better organize both the lookup for the end user as well as the organization and tasking of input workload for the author.  Some of the key data is available on an area on Compuserve.

1988:

Terrorism data is growing so fast, author elects to go to quarterly updates. Author builds first Toolbook version of database, as well as briefly formats ASCII files onto the Connect Business Information Network and Compuserve. Files are never made public however. The toolbook version will require the full year to transfer data from ASCII files to Toolbook pages. During an intense period of research in the fall of 1988, the author compiles better than 500 pages of notes on the U.S. intelligence agencies, terrorism, and military weapons, as well has amassed a fine collection of reference works on the topic of weapons. Data on anti-terror groups threatens to become obsolete as the U.S. creates a blackout on all information related to SOCOM, the Special Operations Command. Tom Clancey's "Red October" will become a movie! Author is inspired to write 100 pages of a military action story. Database gets its strongest test and is found to be more than the author hoped for.

1989:

Short hiatus on project. The break up of the former Soviet Union obsoletes at least 50% of the database information.

1990:

The Gulf War era changes how the world views its alliances, and thus the database undergoes a major new obsolescence. During the Gulf War, the author updates the database by gleaning news reports in various magazines and wire services. Acronym updates begin imediately upon leaving the Defense Contractor using public sources discoverd while working for the Defense Contractor. Documentation of C3I and SDI components begins in earnest, again using public sources used by Defense Contracters.

1991:

Work begins on completing the Toolbook version of the database and by the end of the summer of 1991, 25% of the obsolete data replaced. The author goes back and researches the Gulf War background to fill in personal knowlege. Work begins to update the database to reflect the changes to military structures around the world due to change in "world order" realized during this period. The author begins work on updating the Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union portions of the database. Obsolescence rate still climbing faster than the author can research. Author makes concious decision to continue despite obsolescence hoping to provide a historical database with pockets of current information. The dearth of information on U.S. anti-terrorist organizations continues but ironically it is the area of most interest.

1992:

Terrorism section remains the largest single entity in the database and continues to be updated regulary making it the only section with little obsolete data. The ramp down in U.S. military forces and procurement spells relieve for the data collection, but is not welcomed.

1993:

An analysis of the current data shows only about 25% of the original obsolete data remains, but the world has changed so quickly that perhaps much of the newer  data is already becoming obsolete, yet it will not be apparent until a historical perspective can be had. Draw down of U.S. forces continues to make data obsolescence for U.S. military force and structure difficult to track. Also, the continuing black out on anti-terror organizations in the U.S. poses a yet another new obsolescence threat. Reductions on major systems procurement and a shift of military projects into intelligence arenas has dried up most of the publicly available information on military spending.

1994:

The author updates to version 1.5 of Toolbook, and moves to higher resolutions requiring subtle changes to "hand built" pushbuttons on screen. Indecisive U.S. government military actions relieve the author from "conflict" updates, but the continuing crippling of the U.S. military forces obsoletes most of the U.S. military organizational data and force strengths. Large portions of the U.S. military sections of the database have now become mostly of historical use only. Terrorism data, however, is still accurate. The data input volume has grown so much (due to better research methods, not a rise in Terrorism fortunately), the author elects to move from quarterly to semi-annual updates.

1995:

The author moves to multimedia toolbook, but elects not to add multimedia clips at present due to possible copyright issues. In Spring of 1995, Terrorism data gets gleaned via Newshound (copyright Mercury News) (on America Online) in addition to the previously used AP Wire and summarized. Time formerly used in finding terrorism data is now used to compile and format, so the author returns to quarterly updates. Changes in the British/IRA conflict promises to produce the first real obsolete data in the Terrorism section. The author opens champagne! HTML version of database begins in the Spring of 1995, with goal to go online with first five layers of database hierarchy by Summer of 1995.  Never-the-less, the first internet version of the database goes online. Tom Clancey still enjoying a huge popularity, so author continues to write and edit fiction, thus continuing the need for the database despite a known 25% per year obsolesence rate (offset by a 30% turnover of data in the database?). In early Summer of 1995, author decides to add imagemap technology utilizing "button panels" to allow users to navigate the database. This delays completion til sometime in the fall of 1995.

1996:

Various offers of help from the Open Source Intelligence Community and other interested students of the topic matter flood in. At present, major rewrites of sections dealing with individual countries and organziations are in progress. Several new features are added, including links and mirror copies to high energy weapons technology (unclassified), declassified imagery from the Corona Program, links to the U.S. Intelligence Community official web page (Yep, ain't it fun to live in the U.S.!), terrorist profiles, U.S. State Department Travel Warnings, and various images on and off site for impressive or memorable aircraft. These and other external links are categorized and freshened up with imagemap technology.

1997:

MILNET focuses on the spread of International terrorism and predicts increases in International Terrorism in U.S. The site exceeds 12,000 hits per day, some 2000 unique visitors per month.

2001:

Armed Forces  Intelligence (AFI)  Research and MILNET begin a cooperative exchange and hosting of  up-to-the-minute and extremely inciteful analysis of world events on military, intelligence and terrorism  topics. 

9/11/2001:

MILNET removes removes military database information for two weeks following 9/11 attacks on U.S.  With approval, data returned on  9/30/2001.   MILNET is attacked no less than four times by denial of service and complete site downloads from routers via European to Middle East linkages.  AFI and MILNET critical of slow pace in developing military response to 9/11 attacks as well as critical of United Nations total ineffectiveness.

9/2002:

Due to shortage of operating funds, AFI ceases to distribute the AFI Research reports

12/2002:

Due to shortage of operating funds, MILNET site is no longer on the Internet.

6/2004:

MILNET returns to the Internet with a new look.

7/2004:

MILNET exceeds 200,000 hits per month.  Alan Simpson agrees to offering his writing to the Political Intelligence section

8/2004: 

Dr.Mohamed Ibn Guadi agrees to contribute his writing and compilation of events in the Middle East.

11/2004:

Ryan Mauro agrees to be interviewed for MILNET's new section, Those In The Know.  Later he agrees to host his own section on MILNET, Ryan Mauro's Geo-Political Analysis

12/2004:

MILNET exceeds 500,000 hits per month  Dr.Louis Rene Beres allows MILNET to post his occassional writing on Israel and the Middle East.

3/2005:

MILNET exceeds 750,000 hits per month

4/2005:

MILNET adds first adverstising banners and becomes fully financially self sufficient yet still a non-profit organization.