Why The Military Is TERRIFIED Of A 'Broken Arrow'
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- Опубликовано: 3 апр 2024
- The American military commonly uses acronyms, abbreviations, code words and phrases in order to convey concepts and ideas in a more efficient way. One of these codes is “Broken Arrow.” Over the years, it has had several different meanings, all of which generally mean that someone is having a very bad day.
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Show Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)
Script: Robert De Graff
Narrator: Rex Randanvo
As they said in the film
“”I don’t know which is scarier, the fact that we have a missing nuke or that it happens so often that we have a term for it””
Or that the US had had the most dropped on it by the US.
Loved that movie. :)
It doesn't even have to happen once though. It just has to be a possibility so terrible that we talk about it enough to require shorthand
@@battlesheep2552 True dat!
Good movie
The “We were soldiers” film was the first time I ever looked into this order. Can’t imagine the dread any soldier/officer feels giving that command out.
One of my favourite films I remember watching it as a youngster with my old man
Definitely. How many times was it used during Vietnam?
My first time getting to know about it was in Modern Warfare 2. I pray it never happens again that the US sees a war on their country.
I first heard of it in the movie Broken Arrow with John Travolta. But they said you use the word broken arrow for a lost nuke. That I see We Were Soldiers
I remember watching the 90's movie called Broken Arrow with Travolta and Christian Slater. About a downed B-2 with a nuke
I remember the term 'broken arrow' from the movie 'We Were Soldiers'. It was an emotional and brutal movie to watch.
That scene where the burnt guys leg flesh ripped off in Barry Pepper's hands like he was pulling off socks sticks with me
Thats correct
And every soldier named in the movie and shown to die is exactly how that soldier died . In the screening of the movie for the families the daughter and wife of Lt. Jack Geoghegan were present and even though they knew he died that didn't know how . And seeing how your father died on screen had to be heartbreaking and at the same time pride in his death to save another soldier .
@@cleverusername9369 That would be Pfc. Jimmy Nakayama and that is how he died and those were his exact words to his wife and baby , he died 2 days later in the hospital . When remembering the scene also remember his name , Jimmy Nakayama , for as long as people remember him and say his name , he is truly not gone .
That scene was incredible. The fear, the terror, the amazing air support. The images of all aircraft diverting to support a ground unit.
The battle of Ia Drang is just a tactical engagement. But it convinced the US to believe heli airlift tactic worked. And it convinced the VN to believe they can fight the US by "hugging them closely" to prevent airstrikes and arty.
Don’t forget “BROKEN ARROW BROKEN ARROW THE DC EVAC SITE IS BEING OVERRUN”
Call of rubbish duty Modern suckco Warfare two.
@@Mechanized85 even the og?
@@Mechanized85 RAMIREZ! X that Y with your Z!
@@Mechanized85it sucks so much that you know the quote lol
Oh no. Not DC.
That's not the only time "Broken Arrow" was used since Vietnam. There was at least one other, in Iraq in 2007, when PB Dog was destroyed by a VBIED and insurgent forces tried to assault the compound. (Source: I was there.)
"Call that sunnuva beech off"
"ABORTTTTTTT"
We were soldiers and The outpost we're pretty solid movies
That napalming own troops scene is dreadful
@@speakerroach4015 fr getting killed hurts. But getting friendly fire hurts to the grave and beyond.
@@kakashihatake1869literal friendly fire
In the uk armed forces were just say:
“The situation is less than ideal”
🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Yeah that's something we'd say
britain sucks, lol. It is the most narcissistic country in the planet (tied with USA).
"We're having a bit of a problem."
"We seem to be in quite the pickle"
"We're in a spot of bother"
On the flip side, if you are the attacker, “Broken Arrow” means the entire US Air Force is rapidly approaching your location and there is no escape
Or in other terms, it means "Good job, you now have the undivided attention of the entire enemy staff."
@@Alblaka “congratulations, you are now a priority target.”
My grandfather served in Vietnam. While I do know about quite a bit of his time there, such as what he did for a silver star and two bronze stars. I have also been told he fought at la Drang but that was the one part of his service he never talked about. He apparently did see "We Were Soldiers" once and he didn't cry, but his eyes were watery and he was really quiet for the rest of the day.
Oh, I had to experience many a Broken Arrow over at the Creek.
for sweet liberty, brother
@@sickbozo8152FOR DEMOCRACY!
Never forget the divers we've lost.
Never forget brother
In the end we were able to take it back. And now the damn bots are almost extinct.
Broken Arrow?
Calls for all available aircraft for immediate CAS. It's an God Damn it moment. "My God, there is no hiding it now..."
It means every air asset to assist an unit completely surrounded and in immediate danger of being overrun.
an god damn moment
In reality they weren't trying to hide it, that was the whole point and goal of the air mobile doctrine. You send in patrols and if they encounter the enemy you just keep piling more men and resources in until you win. They found a major regular NVA element which was very rare and exactly what was desired. Better a big battle against a large and targetable force than taking one magazine worth of bullets from the jungle and never seeing the enemy. The Viet Cong were masters of hit and run. Most casualties they caused were with booby traps or short skirmishes/ ambushes.
US air superiority no. 1
We were soldiers is so underrated
We were soldiers showed the horrors of that battle. Couldn't imagine fighting an enemy you couldn't see, to the men who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice , thank you, from one vet to another 💙
Sacrifice for what? So you could tell another country what government it could have? They were used by demons to cause harm to innocents for literally no good reason.
Got anything to say for the heroes holding the line against the American invaders? Got anything to say for the absolute legends who bested the largest military on the planet who was destroying their country?
In the Navy, "Broken Arrow" is used for something else. I can neither confirm nor deny it's purpose in the Navy.
Bent spear sounds like something a sailor goes to sick bay for
@@christophergherke446 That would be bent flipper.
@@robertkarp2070 lol
@@christophergherke446 We used to have an Ensign, that was a college grad and got his commission just prior to the age cut off for officers. He wasn't very swift. He was our assistant Division Officer and he would give orders just to try and and sound like he's in control. We'd just work around him and we nicknamed him Ens. Bend Flipper.
It's unclassified. You can say it.
But I came here to say the same. Never knew it to mean something else
Nothing but respect for all those brave souls who fought valiantly and gave up their lives for something greater than themselves.
1:41 I learned in We were Soldiers movie mention about that Broken Arrow requested all available aircrafts supports, when they overran by the enemy only.
I remember this code from the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 from 2010. Having known what that code meant made hearing it during the game all the more haunting with the events going on in the game at the time.
“You should be ashamed of your military honor!” Theodore Roosevelt
Everyone knows you're back home like "thank God for Pearl harbor" 💀💀💀
@@EpicGhostShadowIt’s fine, the US will give you a pass
@@salt_factory7566 Theodore won that erb
At least you do not have to serve in a post communist regime or an islamic one. Imagine things that are not talked about in those brigades
@@cylandar real
I'm in the air force, and a broken arrow is a mishap with a nuclear weapon that doesn't involve a risk of nuclear war. Hearing broken arrow in this context just seems weird to me.
I’ve never known the term Broken Arrow to mean anything other than a missing nuke.
I was taught it meant a nuke accident.
Not a missing nuke, that's empty quiver iirc. But same. Didn't know Broken Arrow had other meanings
I just love the fact that the default rifle firing sound is the sound of the Sniper's stock primary in TF2.
"Babe wake up, Simple History just uploaded a new video"
last time I was this early, we used bows and arrows
The only time I’ve heard the words “Broken Arrow” was from Black Ops 2. I didn’t know that the word was this important.
Simple History never fails to give us more knowledge
give the most too simply and the most tasteless ever I’ve seen. (nothing do with anyone thought except my own.)
Fantastic video! I love this channel!
In regard to nuclear weapons/reactors:
Dull Sword: An accident that does only minor damage to the weapon.
Bent Spear: An incident that results in radioactive contamination.
Broken Arrow: The detonation or burning of a nuclear weapon. (This doesn't necessarily mean a nuclear explosion, just the explosives in the warhead detonated, usually spreading radioactive material over a wide area)
Faded Giant: An event involving a military nuclear reactor or other radiological accident not involving nuclear weapons
Empty Quiver: The seizure, theft, or loss of a functioning nuclear weapon
A teacher of mine has a son who once served as helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.
He never got an official "broken arrow" code but was always prepared for it if need be.
Charlie Hastings was not Forward Observer (FO). He was an Air Force Air Liaison Officer (ALO). A First Lieutenant at the time he retired as a full Colonel.
This was a very interesting video as always, well done Simple History. The codeword Broken Arrow has become synonimous of the term FUBAR and those Close Air Support attacks in Vietnam is a noteworthy example along with the recent example of missing atomic warheads. By the way i really liked the NVA charge from the first person mode of the North Vietnamese soldier.
One of my top favorite 90s movies
So underrated
The Best Hans Zimmer soundtrack
Would you mind not shooting the thermonuclear weapons..
5:13 And nobody know how many nuclear weapons that the Soviets had lost during the Cold War.
So sleep well tonight.
Whut?
@@DavidReyes-ot1rceveryone talks about the missing US nukee, but no one points the ones lost or sold by corruption by USSR
Mostly because last one never admits when fails or loose something
Fellow over simplified viewer I see
Save your time, broken arrow is when a unit is requesting bombardment of their own area because they’ve been overrun.
That B36 that Crashed in BC had one of its Turrets Recovered from the Wreckage & Put in a Museum in my Town
Nice education content :D keep it up!!🎉🎉🎉❤❤
7:59 nah, "Nucflash" is the most significant one, having the highest precedence
7:50 That's odd, when I was a Nuclear Machinist Mate in the Navy, I never heard that code phrase come up. We would always call it a Reactor Incident if there was a situation or casualty that resulted in the release of fission products or core material from the reactor vessel.
There was TWO Medals of Honor awarded to soldiers that fought that battle at OP Keating. Many other awards also.
As someone who wants to be in the military, I’m always interested in the terminology and phrases of things.
While I disagree with your goals of wanting to be in the military I wish you luck 🍀
@@xQcBiggestFanit is a necessary evil
Served 8 years as a recon scout sniper in the USMC honestly best decision I ever made it teaches so many skills
Dude go do something else hey dead set don't
@@adrianfleming3437 what are you talking about?
We Were Soldiers(2002)
I just wish this video would express, up front, that "broken arrow" literally means "an accidental event that involves nuclear weapons, warheads or components that does not create a risk of nuclear war". Or, more explicitly, an event that involves the launching, fire, detonation, or theft of a nuclear armament.
Even if the above isn't the relevant command, it usually means bring all available air force in the area in for support.
Broken Arrow is still used. We are trained to use the code in only the most extreme cases. It will delete all grids around you.
Helldivers Need it owns Broken Arrow moment
I remember hearing the Code word “Broken Arrow” on the movie We Were Soldiers it’s still of of my favorite Movies. Btw Did anyone else see NVA Soldiers with M14s on 0:46?
This is interesting stuff!
I only remembered the old movie in the early 2000 called "Broken Arrow". The soundtrack from Hans Zimmer from that movie was quite good too!
With John Travolta & Christian Slater
I'm only scared of a Broken Arrow situation if John Travolta is involved
If Anyone Wants To Know More About The Attack At Outpost Keating, The Movie 'Outpost' Is Based On This Engagement And I Heavily Recommend It.
There were 2 Medals of Honor awarded for that battle. Not just one.
They mispronounced Clinton last name.
Modoc😎
Broken arrow, the shift key has been overrun!!
Loved that part in we were soldiers, when Mel Gibson has a look over being overwhelmed and he goes to say the order but hesitates even speaking the words. Then without any further delay says those words. Broken arrow. Radio operator repeated the order and higher command hear those words over a crackling radio, the men faces drop. Someone says what does that mean? It means that Americans are about to be over run and they want every available air support to bomb their area. My body got chills in the cinema.
The truck turning over, I was in Minot when this happened. Oh my was that a nightmare
6:41 The safeties you referred to are called a "permissive action link."
Okay I just want to point out the camouflage we're looking at in 2009 at the Battle of camp Keating. The desert camouflage by then was phased out and replaced with the god-awful camouflage ACU heavily criticized.
Expanding on the first Broken Arrow incident of 1950: The crew of Convair B-36 TN 44-92075 did not all bail out; the Weaponeer, Ted Schrier, was not observed to have left the aircraft, and it was, at the time of the order to bail out, set on autopilot to ditch into the Pacific. The crew observed 44-92075 to turn 180 degrees and head towards land, and it is thought that Schrier had disabled the autopilot, and attempted to save the stricken plane, now that the weight of the bomb and crew had been thrown out. In any event, the radio was tied down and continued to transmit for upwards of three hours before falling silent, and the bomber was found to have passed between two mountains, coming to rest at a bearing of 075.
It was not discovered for several years, and the first US attempt to illegally access the wreck was thwarted by the team getting lost in 1953. In 1954 they came back and, with a farmer who knew where it was a guide, were able to access the wreck, removing several items, and detonating explosives to destroy the remainder. What is left is still there to this day.
Also, the fucking USAF neglected to tell us they dropped a nuke in the waters they had us looking for their crew in- while the bomb did not go critical, it is still an abhorrent white lie that, in conjunction with the illegal border crossing and deployment of explosives, an act that has forever marred the US' image. (The jettisoning of the bomb is also disputed- locals reported a bright light, but not related sound of an explosion, and due to the illegal access of the wreck by unathorized US troops and continued refusal to divulge if one of the items they removed was the bomb or not, we still do not know for certain to this day.)
People who live in Savannah, Georgia: *Haha. Im in danger*
Don't forget about that movie "Broken Arrow" with Christian Slater and John Travolta. That's that is one when Travolta tries to steal a couple nukes.
There was a movie in the 1996 with John Travolta and Christian Slater named Broken Arrow where a mile was stolen. In it a character saints he wasn’t sure what was more terrifying, that a nuke was missing or that it happened so often that there is a code specifically for the situation.
3:19
I believe a movie named "outpost" on Netflix is based on this battle right here
6:49 is that the SL-1 reactor I see kinda looks like it from the pictures of the compound
Please make a video on the Castilian War
FOB Baylough, COP Margah. Both places i know that had situations close to a broken arrow. More so with FOB Baylough as the LP/OP called an airstrike on their location as they ran out of ammunition holding back 500- 1000 Afghans. COP Margah, well a ton of awards were given out there and the firefight lasted 14 or 15 hours. I can concur on the Bent Spear term as I was personally in the location it happened.
in the book Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor Book by Clinton Romesha that talks about the insane thing that happend in Command Post Keating: it's is aid that they didn't know about "Broken arrow" but they talked about the alamo position. the movie does not compere to the book must read or listen to nailbiter
MACV-SOG Recon or Spike teams were always basically under broken arrow conditions
The B-58 incident at Grissom AFB.
6 official missing warheads is wild
Man, this sucks when the CSM and base CO arrive to the company party.
Lmao at Gilbert Gottfried voicing the soldiers in the beginning.
🙌 Simple History 🙌 please can you make a video covering about Portugal's participation and envolment into World War 1 please? And maybe possibly make a extra WW1 Armys video mentioning Portuguese expeditionary troops? If possible i thank you alot. 🇵🇹
Well it is because it's close air support you got to remember there were not very very accurate especially there's a chance of Friendly Fire and yes a lot of casualties can happen because of that friendly fired up dropping bombs accidentally too close to the friendlies
A video about the German paratroopers or Fallschirmjäger in WW2 would be good.
How many times was the broken arrow used in the context of needing air support?
I found out about this term thanks to the Ace Combat Wikipedia. For context, Ace Combat 4 has a mission called “Breaking Arrows”. It’s a mission where you have to shoot down enemy cruise missiles. I was looking that mission up because I wanted to find out what happens if you get too close to the final missile. Turns out the thing explodes, killing you instantly, if you get too close.
Imagine seeing those planes stacked at different altitudes all waiting to drop ordinance the view from the sky must’ve been amazing yet horrifying
They are concerned about all John Travolta movies...
As a person who plays cod the old ones broken arrow is just a refrence to me
da nang valley battle a regiment vs a whole divisions nva regulars
broken arrow means a whole battalion is over run or the combat units are over runed need all available air support to that passions
TLDW: Broken Arrow isn't a literal Arrow with a broken shaft but rather a code for a lost nuclear warhead (or capable device), not to be confused with an Empty Quiver which is the intentional theft of a warhead (or capable device).
Has a Empty Quiver ever happened?
When pelican 1 is far away and theres no reinforcements left
Started out with why I clicked. Nice job
try making a video of weapons made in Indonesia, namely Pindad SS1 similar to Belgium and Pindad SS2 and Komodo D5 weapons and AM 1 weapons similar to M4 and AR 15 weapons from the United States and search for them.
Vietnam video with an F16 dropping ordnance in a CAS context. Odd choice that. 2:16
The broken arrow called in vietnam was a call for all combat aircraft in theatre to support. Not in sector, not in thr vicinity. In the theatre. Meaning all combat aircraft avaliable to the US in vietnam were called. Thst includes aircraft carriers and even b52.
Disclaimer:
do not jokingly say 'Broken Arrow' around your active service friends. They will quickly enter their game face and respond seriously, making your joke fall flat
2:19 to 2:20 😮😢 reminds me of how the NLF guerillas in one scene of the film were screaming in agony from the Napalm bombs exploding right before and on them
Only broken arrow i know is from the aether storyline
Same. For a second I got scared and thought it was based on a real life organization in the military called broken arrow.😅
If I find out Element 115 is a real thing and it's not referring to moscovium (actual Element 115 on the periodic table), I think I'm done. I'm just done with existence. I'm not trying to worry about the real life timeline turning into a Time cycle and cycling into other time cycles. All because somebody wanted to go back in time.
@@HK47_115 honestly bro, at that point IDC, I'm finna pull a stuhlinger and try to hear Richthofen
I was looking for this comment
@@unknowncomrade5023 W
@@EpicGhostShadow bro, you want to hear a whole lot more than richtofen. With the full capabilities of element 115, and the fact that technically speaking the zombies are a part of a hive mind, you as a person with it in your system could be connected to it. If you even want to hear richtofen or whoever is in control.
But as I said, you'll hear a whole lot more than him. You'll hear all the dead no matter where you go. You will hear their suffering. You could be out in the middle of a remote island without a way for them to get to you without drowning or getting eaten by a shark. You'll still hear them. And that's just the dead.
"Roger that, solid copy on Broken Arrow. Major it's been an honor, out." - Wolverine 2-1 Bravo Actuals final transmission to Wolverine 1-2 as they were being overrun by a couple platoons of T-80s. 2009 Modern Warfare 2 is just something else man.
that’s We Were Soldiers reference
Can your next video be about the dictator or libya. Mummar gafaffi?
There have been a few lost nukes that fell directly onto American soil. Some were never fully recovered and thus the land had to be purchased and monitored by the federal government.
Also when describing nuclear spillage, toxic glowing green goo isn’t a good representation of that since nuclear warheads are made from solid materials compressed together with conventional explosives to reach critical density.
It was real heroism and beautiful movie, nevertheless of circumstances of that war. But it should be understandable, that such order in case of saving one particular unit can be ordered and exercuted only in case of overall superiority. If many units are in danger or/and you lost your air superiority - it becomes impossible.
Wasn't John Travolta in Broken Arrow? 🤔
Yes. In the Air Force it means that a plane Crashed with a nuke , most likely gone missing
Hence the movie.
The movie is some of Hans ZImmer's best work, highly recommend looking up the soundtrack to that movie.
Are you referring to We were Soldiers or Black Hawk Down?
I like how the thumbnail is an animated Mel Gibson
I was scared of it while in eastern afghanistan. I remember in 2009 being concerned when 1 platoon was out of the wire. We only had 3 undermanned platoons on base at any time. Help was 45 minutes out at best. Broken arrow was my most feared concern. COP michigan Kunar province.
I guess danger close is now the new broken arrow
I will go ahead and tell you what I know of it.Workin arrow is the code that they use.Basically saying you're gonna be over ran.
Or you have enemy in the wire
Lol type in john Travolta, and I was brought here... well, I did scroll down a bit, lol.
terrain warfare versus Jungle Warfare
Please cover the timurid empire Please😊
funfact: the Border Guards on the Mexico Border declared the Crisis a Broken Arrow years ago when Title 42 Expired and It's only gotten worse Since.