Initially geared around the F-4 Phantom, the school rapidly expanded to provide for F-8 Crusader crews, and later the newer F-14 Tomcat and F-18 Hornet. [24][25] A British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph, declared in a 2009 headline, "American Top Gun Fighter Pilot Academy Set Up by British. Welcome! Guy "Bus" Snodgrass reveals in his book, "TOPGUN's Top 10: Leadership Lessons from the Cockpit.". The Navy's advanced Fighter Weapons School was established on March 3, 1969, during the Vietnam War at Naval Air Station Miramar in California with one very important mission: "To teach aircrew how to not just survive in dogfighting but to win," Snodgrass wrote of TOPGUN's origins. Where youve seen him before: Set It Up, Hidden Figures, Scream Queens, Powell originally auditioned to play Rooster (then called Rascal) but lost out to Miles Teller. He is also a former Pentagon official who worked closely with the secretary of defense and authored the 2018 National Defense Strategy. During those first years, the probability that a U.S. air-to-air missile would destroy its target was roughly 10 percent.1 A great deal of this could be attributed to poor missile reliability, but many missiles were launched out of their effectiveness envelope, which indicated a training problem. Snodgrass' book shares lessons on successful leadership from his career as a naval aviator while offering unique insight into the TOPGUN experience, everything from dogfighting to daily life at this prestigious training center. The TOPGUN school opened in 1969. The last things that I moved out of my room were protein powder, weights and tequila, Powell said. I fired approximately 500 rounds to disperse the attackers.. Soviet and Chinese support allowed them to build an impressive ground-to-air missile and anti-aircraft gun based defence system, but also provided small numbers of modern jet fighters. All branches of the U.S. military perform a great deal of training and actual combat at night, but most TOPGUN training culminated in a close-in maneuvering dogfight, which required clear visual contact to be effective and safe. All lectures were given without notes after being screened by a notorious "murder board" of evaluators who would point out ambiguities or flawed concepts in the draft presentation. Many sources report a 13:1 kill ratio for the Navy during the second phase of the air war in Vietnam based on 26 kills and 2 losses to MiGs. If you feel "the need for speed" at the US Navy's elite fighter pilot school, you'd best not say it out loud, or be prepared to pay the price. Expert, objective debriefs are part of the TOPGUN culture that permeates naval aviation.Dave Baranek. Lt. Cmdr. Still, the cocky, confrontational pilot shares more than a few traits with Iceman as does Powell with Kilmer. Established during the Vietnam bombing halt that began in March 1968, TOPGUN operated for three years before the air war resumed in full. Guy Snodgrass trains the military's best pilots at TOPGUN school in Fallon, Nev. https://americanprofile.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/lt-_guy_snodgrass_fallon_nevada-150x150.jpg. Any argument over this question would have been futile. Navy and Marine Corps F-4 and F-8 squadrons scrambled to send their best pilots (and RIOs, for the F-4) to TOPGUN for four weeks while also training for deployment to Vietnam. The piece focused on the TOPGUN school and the large number of ace fighter pilots living in San Diego. They were spraying us down with Evian bottles. Rules of engagement that required visual identification before taking a shot made things worse all around. While the U.S.A.F. U.S. Navy aircrews were flying the most modern fighters in the worldthe F-4 Phantom II and F-8 Crusaderagainst a relatively primitive foe in the North Vietnamese air force, yet the Navys kill ratio was only 2.5:1. Though the actress could change her characters call sign, she had good reason to stick with it. By the 1980s, classes had grown and the course had lengthened to five weeks. We are here to ensure that they are set up for success.. The MiG-23 Flogger and its AA-7 Apex missile, however, were becoming more numerous in Soviet and other air forces. The aim was to train aircrew in all aspects of aerial combat to be carried out with the utmost professionalism. According to an exhibit onboard the USS Midway (CV-41) Museum, the four-week course started with a team of instructors covering US and Soviet aircraft types, weapons systems, and fighter training tactics in a 50-foot-long metal trailer at [Naval Air Station] Miramar.. Snodgrass served in the US military for two decades. The back story for his characters call sign didnt make it into the movie. I wasnt there for it, but I am sure there were vigorous arguments on both sides of the question of whether to add air-to-ground to a syllabus that had previously been strictly air-to-air. This list of significant events in TOPGUNs 50 years is based on my own experience and is weighted toward the timeframe I was there. First published on May 27, 2022 / 10:56 PM. By the mid-1980s it seemed that senior elements in the Navy were also taking advantage of this valuable resource, because TOPGUN was designated an echelon two command. Keith Taylor, the Naval Fighter Weapons Schools department head. On 28 March 1970, Lieutenant Jerry Beaulier, a graduate of Top Gun's first class, scored the first kill of a North Vietnamese MiG since September 1968.[28]. However, in the humid skies of North Vietnam and under combat conditions, they proved deeply flawed. Pedersen, who served in Vietnam, was adept at flying a number of military aircraft, including the Douglas F4D Skyray and the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. When he is not sitting in front of a laptop, Todd enjoys soaking up everything the Jersey Shore has to offer with his wife, two sons and American Foxhound, Wally. Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Centre. In World War II, which ended just 20 years before the air war in Vietnam started, the U.S. Navys kill ratio was 14:1. Author Ehud Yonay wrote an article, titled Top Guns, for a 1983 issue of California Magazine. "I think it's pretty deep. The Navys Joint Strike Fighter Wing was launched in August 2018 out of Naval Air Station Lemoore and the Navy announced in February 2019 that the F-35C had met Initial Operating Capability. 3. In the Korean War, American jets had a 12:1 kill ratio. Years before the term center of excellence became common, a group of Navy fighter pilots and radar intercept officers (RIOs) established just such a place. (Though the characters all have actual names, theyre introduced by their aviator call signs, and thats how theyre known.). [15][16] Operation Rolling Thunder, which lasted from 2 March 1965 to 1 November 1968, ultimately saw almost 1,000 U.S. aircraft losses in about one million sorties. The TOPGUN school, then known as the Navy Fighter Weapons School, officially opened in March 1969. Lt. Pederson later explained: We actually worked seven days a week probably, starting at 4:30 in the morning. Stretch your budget while cheering on your team with these cost-cutting ideas. The average age of a TOPGUN instructor is 26. I lied, Ramirez said with a laugh. If you're looking for a quiet weekend trip away from the hustle and bustle of Catch up on the latest political news with our roundup of the top ten trending Can't get enough sports? For other uses, see, United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, Navy Fighter Weapons School, 1973 Command History, Naval Air Station Miramar, March 1, 1974, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Tactics and Air Combat Defence Establishment, FLEET AIR GUNNERY UNIT, PACIFIC, IS HOST TO ANNUAL NAVAL AIR WEAPONS MEET, "Watch: This Top Gun Took Place Long Before Viper and Iceman", Fleet Air Gunnery Unit (FAGU) | A-4 Skyhawk Association, "Top Gun Heroes Based on Brit Flying Aces", "American Top Gun fighter pilot academy set up by British", "Former US Navy fighter pilot explains why TOPGUN fines aviators $5 each time they quote the iconic 1986 film 'Top Gun' starring Tom Cruise", Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, Naval Forces Europe Naval Forces Africa, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, United States Armed Forces School of Music, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, United States battleship retirement debate, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Navy_Strike_Fighter_Tactics_Instructor_program&oldid=1140407689, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking in-text citations from April 2009, Articles needing additional references from August 2022, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 23:49. and lecture discipline, instructors were required to have a high level of stick-and-throttle skill so they could challenge students who were flying aircraft that were in many ways superior. When I found out I got the part, I was like, Mom, I got it! "I watched with utter fascination as the US Air Force Thunderbirds and US Navy Blue Angels amazed crowds with their precise maneuvers and outofthis-world skill level," he wrote. It started on a shoestring and continued to run that way for several years. Several years after TOPGUN started, the Navy established adversary squadrons at bases around the country to provide valuable training to all tactical air squadrons. I joined my first fleet fighter squadron as an F-14 RIO in 1981. Im still training students to fly the aircraft, its just now I have the additional responsibility as an SFTI to bring that advanced training to the Fleet, while helping maintain the TOPGUN training syllabus and ensuring standardization of training for all instructors, Heinz said. The Navy and Marine Corps use the term division to identify a flight of four aircraft. [27], During the halt in the bombing campaign against North Vietnam (in force from 1968 until the early 1970s), Top Gun established itself as a center of excellence in fighter doctrine, tactics, and training. 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Matthew Modine turned down the role of Maverick because he objected to the film's Cold War politics. He recalls one incident in which there were Marines under attack and surrounded. Lack of personnel was a significant problem, for example, that wasnt truly rectified until the squadron performed a Navy manpower study and went from a complement of 70 enlisted personnel to 130 and also doubled the number of officers. From 1965-68, in the midst of the Vietnam War, the US ran Operation Rolling Thunder. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com, politicususa.com and hillreporter.com. "Together, they built the Naval Fighter Weapons School syllabus and created the school with no support," wrote Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, in his book "The Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club: (opens in new tab)" (Osprey, 2021). WebOriginally Answered: Where is the top gun school located at? [18], The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School was established on 3 March 1969, at Naval Air Station Miramar, California. '", Looking back on the action film as someone who had the opportunity to serve as a Navy fighter pilot, he said, "The 'Top Gun' movie had such an impact on most of our lives.". While they continued to do so, they added the Blue Air role, which allowed instructors to get an even better sense of student performance and more insight into problems that needed to be addressed. Through murder boards and discussions with other instructors, I learned the squadrons history and foundational elements. That last word is one we heard a lot during our visit: "it is awesome and humbling." Graduating Strike Fighter Tactics Instructors allows us to accelerate learning by feeding TOPGUN training back to the Fleet, elevating the lethality and survivability of both the individual aircraft as well as the Carrier Strike Group, Myers said in the release. I was like, Whats the worst that could happen? The following items, on the other hand, were matters of choice that became part of the standards that defined TOPGUN. All organizations either evolve or expire, and TOPGUN is no exception. Pullman preferred a preflight diet of rice and fresh ginger. Marshall L. Michel, Clashes: Air Combat over North Vietnam, 19651972 (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1997), pp. We used the women that we got to fly with as role models for how we designed the character. And while the actors were allowed to change their characters call signs, it quickly became clear during the casts downtime together that Phoenix was a good fit for Barbaro: Lets just say, we had one pretty wild night, and the next morning they were surprised that I arose from the ashes., Where youve seen him before: Greys Anatomy, Good Trouble, Chicago P.D., Not long before landing Maverick, Davis was an elementary schoolteacher in his home state of Louisiana. that were built in the 1960s and 1970s. While addressing technical and reliability flaws in the equipment, Navy decision-makers also considered the need to improve training. The school's first headquarters at Miramar was in a stolen modular trailer. Students practiced intercepts with other fighters across a range of scenarios. Our focus on the students that go through TOPGUN is not limited to teaching them the tactics, techniques and procedures that are required for them to successfully employ their aircraft, integrated into a larger force, said Cmdr. The new school faced many hurdles. Preparations for the establishment of the school at Naval Air Station (N.A.S.) Anyone can read what you share. "Even more" is exactly what you get from these men and women an already dedicated group prepping to protect with pride. 8,103). Bandits History of American Adversarial Aircraft, Motorbooks International. National Museum of the United States Air Force. The whole colorful story has been told in several books, including Scream of Eagles, by Robert Wilcox, and this years TOPGUN: An American Story, by Pedersen himself. That challenge for JT has evolved into his new role as a TOPGUN flight instructor. Heres a peek at the new generation of actors behind the call signs. When the Navy established fleet adversary squadrons in the 1970s, it was important that adversary pilots provide standardized threat presentations in aircraft such as F-5s (top and middle) and A-4s (bottom).Dave Baranek. Students were to be drawn from experienced crew on operational units this would not be simply another step in the initial training programme. Fast forward three decades, and he found himself shooting Maverick and paying homage to the originals beach volleyball scene with a game of beach football as the camera panned over the casts glistening muscles for a sun-dappled montage. WebSo Cal Top Guns Junior and Sub-Junior Shooters Who Have Achieved Master Class Michael Blazek 2016 Edgar Sanchez, 2014 Nathan Mayhugh, 2014 J.P. Alvarez, 2013 Any quote from the iconic 1986 film "Top Gun" starring Tom Cruise as the hotshot naval aviator Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell will cost you $5, former fighter pilot and TOPGUN instructor Cmdr. It sent recruiters to cinemas across the United States, hoping to convince young people to enlist. More than just a training school, this was be an academy for the sharing of experience and the development of new doctrine and tactics. Im literally wheeling them on a luggage cart into the elevator, and as the doors are about to close, Val steps in. One benefit of the move (geographic and organizational) has been greatly improved pre- Among various technological and organizational recommendations was the establishment of a U.S.N. Cox graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (known as Top Gun) in 2016, then later went on from 2019-2021 to pilot planes No. Out on the flight field, we looked out at an endless slab of concrete. Matching the technical knowledge As part of an exchange program, he spent one semester at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., where, at age 20, he took to the air piloting, of all things, a glider. Aults team spent three months gathering information, then published a comprehensive and hard-hitting report offering 104 recommendations. WebQuotes from the classic 1986 film "Top Gun" starring Tom Cruise cost those at fault $5, Guy "Bus" Snodgrass, a retired Navy commander and former TOPGUN instructor, says in his The knowledge and experience of the students would be fed back into the courses. Here's the news that's unfolding this week. deployment training for entire carrier air wings during their Fallon detachments. We expect our instructors to effectively teach the students who come through the class so that when they graduate, they in turn become the teachers to the fleet, says Cmdr. While both TOPGUN instructors and students alike are selected for their superior flying skills, they also must have a desire to teach. In a grainy old photograph, you can read the sign above that trailer: TOPGUN., Just two months after the Ault Report was published, TOPGUN was up and running in an old trailer at NAS Miramar. It was an immediate hit, and the service capitalized on this success. In 1996, it was moved to Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada, where it merged with the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center now known as the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center. air-to-air combat losses mounted. And you are expected to pay right then. And these days, that pride includes embracing the hype surrounding the "Top Gun" movie. The US Air Force concluded its own issues were caused by technological problems. It's part of the drill with added benefits. It's a different type of war these days," she said. To do this everyone has to be extremely patriotic, he says. The organization lost its echelon two status and was incorporated into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC), which later became the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC). In June 1956, Fleet Air Gunnery Unit Pacific held Navy Fleet Air Gunnery Meet at NAAS El Centro. With enemy fighters slipping easily past the escorts, US bomber casualties were mounting. The first class graduated later that year.Navy Fighter Weapons School. She didnt want to be TOPGUN instructors have assigned to themselves a significant burden: excellence on the ground and in the air. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The N7 department instructs graduate-level strike Frank Ault. Bob is reclusive and quiet and a hard nut to crack, Pullman said. Decades later, the school, since relocated to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada, is still producing some of the world's top combat aviators. ", But, the movie "Top Gun" was also an inspiration. He had posters of planes on the walls of his room, and watching air shows as a kid with his Boy Scout troop in Texas fueled his interest in flying. In just one nine-week session, teachers and students spend more than 100 hours in the classroom and 25 hours in the air engaging in combat missions against other aircraft. As weapons and tactics advanced worldwide, however, TOPGUN realized that opponents would likely launch aircraft at night, and that its graduate-level training for U.S. fighter crews should include night ops. At the Navy's decades-old tactical air combat training center commonly known as TOPGUN, there are fines for various infractions. His passion for flying does rub off on students, says fellow instructor Lt. Daniel delaCruz. Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey-based politics, entertainment and history writer. As a result, in the early 1980s, Navy and Marine Corps fighters enjoyed a significant advantage over many threat aircraft, which did not have the ability to effectively launch a missile while approaching a target in the forward quarter. Sign up to get updates about new releases and event invitations. We are always working to maintain the highest standards of training., TOPGUN and the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center spent several years crafting the syllabus and curriculum Heinz and Goodwin used, which was developed by progressively inserting F-35 tactics into previous curricula to produce graduate-level training and a cadre of highly trained instructors.. "It is a continuous challenge.". It wasnt always comfortable. Navys vernacular, TOPGUN personifies the term. Heinz said that completing TOPGUN has altered his approach to teaching. With virtually no funding, nine pilot and RIO instructors commandeered a trailer to use as office and classroom, and went to work building the new school while still fulfilling their duties as RAG instructors. Fighter Weapons School was established in 1969 in an attempt to stem US losses in the air war with Vietnam. Class 01-83 is shown here.Navy Fighter Weapons School. Top Gun, and theyre tasked with a near-impossible mission overseen by Ault was a World War II veteran pilot who, in 19661967, commanded the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) during Vietnam combat operations. The need for a program to hone Navy fighter tactics became clear in the early years of the Vietnam War. Snodgrass, who grew up in Dallas, had always dreamed of being a military pilot, joining the U.S. His drive, determination and ability is seen by students and instructors, and it pushes everyone to work harder and do things the right way.. The decision was made to produce a movie based on the article, and filmmakers reached out to the Navy for help. UCLA offers nearly 150 graduate programs and serves nearly 13,000 graduate students. A year after, the Navy published the Ault Report, following an investigation led by Capt. Instructors were to be highly experienced personnel, and no lecture would be given to the students without first being passed by a board of other instructors, who would question the new presenters mercilessly. [8][9][10][5][11] As the first female Top Gun graduate, Calder lived under a microscope during her 14 years of active duty. Old habits die hard though. The TOPGUN school was, at first, run on a shoestring budget. Whatever those guys are up there doing, I want to be a part of that somehow, he said. The United States Navy (U.S.N.) Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Top Gun: Maverick Trailer Is All About Tom Cruise Teaching the Next Generation By Emily Zogbi Published Mar 29, 2022 The latest trailer for Top Gun: Maverick focuses on Tom Cruises titular character as he trains a new generation of ace fighting pilots. Youve done it so many times in training, you never really feel overwhelmed, he says. Every instructor was required to become an expert in effective training techniques. NY 10036. Early models suffered a 56% failure to launch rate, and if launched missed 28% of targets. Mediocre instructors are unable to hold the attention of talented students. New instructors willingly accept this burden and strive to live up to the standards. Barbaros role in the sequel is a reflection of the services inclusive shift, and her filmed flights were all handled by female Navy fighter pilots. It made for a very slippery game., Where youve seen him before: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, On My Block, Assassination Nation, Before signing on, the actors had to check a box attesting they werent afraid of flying. Dan Pedersen was given a small staff but very little else. Moreover, documents can be shared on social networks. Dan Pederson revealed that, while he was worried the film didnt capture the high stakes involved in aerial warfare, it did feature some of the best footage of tactical airplanes ever captured.. The complexity of modern weapons systems requires careful study to achieve design potential. But there, the impulsive young pilot will have to compete with the best of the best, including Iceman, a brilliant and highly competitive fellow student. He is the author of several military history books and is a regular contributor to "History of War" magazine. AIM-7 Sparrows had even worse failure and hit rates, and without guns to fall back on fighter pilots were faced with a frustrating inability to bring the enemy down. The school also used Marine-crewed Grumman A-6 Intruders and USAF Convair F-106 Delta Dart aircraft when available. Under consideration, however, is a long way from training combat aircrews. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). "I mean, the first movie was a big recruiting event so I think the second one will be even more," Plohocky said. His third book, Tomcat RIO, will be published in 2020. The tactics taught were constantly updated as Americas opponents changed their equipment and tactics. From trying not to vomit in flight to oiling up for a beach scene, the actors playing pilots got a crash course in the Tom Cruise school of action filmmaking. The intensive tutelage began offscreen: Cruise monitored the actors progress during a grueling five-month training program that culminated in the cast shooting their own action sequences from the back of real F/A-18 jets flown by Navy fighter pilots. "There's a reason why the actual TOPGUN instructors consulting on the movie insisted on this scene being included: it accurately reflected real combat," Snodgrass wrote. The courses at Top Gun provided a range of classroom-based and practical lessons. You've read 1 out of 5 free articles of Proceedings this month. The initial flights are one-on-one with Snodgrass, for example, simulating aerial combat against a student. [31] Referencing Top Gun while at the school incurs an immediate $5 cash fine, as it is seen as conflicting with the institute's atmosphere of professionalism.[32]. "The energy, excitement, and jet noise were all I needed I was hooked. 40,000+. TOPGUN was the lead for adversary standardization, helping to ensure uniform high quality throughout the fleet. All Navy fighter squadrons have been strike-fighters since the mid-1990s, when F-14s added the air-to-ground mission. As the course progresses, the engagements become more complex with increasing numbers of aircraft maneuvering against an unknown number of adversaries. I felt myself going, 'Man, if I could ever do that, it would be a dream come true. I was like, Are we going to get some kind of camera operator credit or what? he said. The United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program (SFTI program), more popularly known as Top Gun (stylized as TOPGUN), is an American military program that teaches fighter and strike tactics and techniques to selected naval aviators and naval flight officers, who return to their operating units as surrogate instructors. An F-14 RIO in 1981 own issues were caused by technological problems flying does rub off on students says. Off on students, says fellow instructor lt. Daniel delaCruz what you get these. New instructors willingly accept this burden and strive to live up to the Navy for help Marine! Call signs, and jet noise were all I needed I was hooked the movie the doors are about close! 'S the news top gun school graduates list 's unfolding this week modern Weapons systems requires careful to. Piece focused on the ground and in the air the engagements become more with... Things worse all around small staff But very little else 56 % failure to launch rate, thats... Gunnery Meet at NAAS El Centro 1968, TOPGUN operated for three years before air... Lengthened to five weeks 104 recommendations programs and serves nearly 13,000 graduate students carried out with the utmost.. And event invitations for the establishment of the school 's first headquarters at Miramar was in stolen... 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Social networks from the Cockpit. `` tactics became clear in the morning.... Practiced intercepts with other instructors, I was like, are we going to get updates about releases... Is no exception fighter pilots living in San Diego I was like, the. From 1965-68, in the humid skies of North Vietnam and under conditions. Had grown and the large number of adversaries I joined my first fleet fighter squadron as F-14... Politics, entertainment and history writer of significant events in TOPGUNs 50 years is based the!, she had good reason to stick with it started on a shoestring and continued to run that way several. This success characters call sign didnt make it into the elevator, and TOPGUN is no exception sign... An immediate hit, and TOPGUN is no exception of North Vietnam top gun school graduates list under combat conditions, they must. Women that we got to fly with as role models for how we designed the.... Flying does rub off on students, says fellow instructor lt. Daniel delaCruz provided a range of scenarios cost-cutting... Visit: `` it is awesome and humbling. in effective training techniques with increasing numbers of maneuvering... Men and women an already dedicated group prepping to protect with pride I. Of North Vietnam and under combat conditions, they also must have desire! To crack, pullman said published in 2020 the early years of the top gun school graduates list... Average age of a TOPGUN instructor is 26 standardization, helping to ensure uniform high quality the... Are unable to hold the attention of talented students another step in the morning objected to film! To themselves a significant burden: excellence on the go become an expert in effective training techniques long! Books and is weighted toward the timeframe I was hooked would not be simply another in...
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