Registration Delayed
 

i don't know how many of you have seen this but FIRST has delayed registration and the release of the regional sites until 9/24 due to the happneings this week.

Wen will we know the date of nationals?

i believe the same day

well what if everything is true and we do go to war of some sort. do u think we will still have this year's competition??

i think not but really still want this year's competition.

I think we will have the FIRST competition regardless of what happens. Just like sporting events, schools, businesses, and life will go on, FIRST will as well.... There really isn't any reason to cancel the events. Shutting down things such as this would be doing exactly what the terrorists set out to accomplish.

life must go on
 

I also feel that FIRST should have to stop if we go to war or something. What are we going to do if we don't have it? Sit at home and watch the news the whole time?? I love this country but I also love FIRST. We must go on, we can't let them stop us.

FIRST lasted thorough the gulf war, a bunch of terrorists won't stop us now.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but no it didn't. The Gulf War was in 1991. FIRST started in 1992. So FIRST has never faced a war. Overall, the severity of the war should depend on whther or not FIRST should continue. If we're talking something on the level of WW2, then no as all the engineering skill should be devoted to fighting the war. If we're talking something more on teh level of the Gulf War (and I think we are), then there's no reason to as FIRST doens't detract from the ability of the country to fight the war.

Matt

Obviously, if you include any war anywhere, than FIRST has survived through many. However, given that war's that don't involve any of the countries FIRST is in (US, Canada, and Brazil), then it really isn't a factor to FIRST. As far as other war's go, the Gulf War was not a declared war. In fact, the US has not declared war since World War 2 and also has only declared war on 5 occassions (War of 1812, Mexican War, Spanish-American War, World War 1, World War 2). Now, the definition of war is the level of intensity of a conflict. There are military actions that aren't wars. The intervention in Kosovo wasn't a war as it wasn't intense. The same goes for Somalia or the intervention in the former Yugoslovia or ongoing operations against Iraq. The Gulf War was a war in that it involved a large body of troops and significant battles. There was a winner and a loser and there was a treaty signed. So in reality, FIRST has not really had to deal with a war as there have been none that have affected it while it's been in existance (I should correct that, FIRST was founded in 1989 but the first FIRST Robotics Competition was 1992 but you get the idea). Of course this makes us wonder whether or not we'll be facing a war now. We may or we may not. The level of intensity hasn't shown itself to be a war yet (mainly since nothing has happened). While reserves have been called up, none have been committed to battle. So basically it's wait and see.

Matt

It also lasted through Operation Desert Fox which happened in '93 or '94, I can't remember.

The US/Coalition involvement in the Gulf War took part in two operations: Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm.

I still can't believe the Saddam Hussein used NBCs on the Kurds.

If we do go to war, how many teams will no longer have sponsors? We are sponsored by BAE a government contracter who designs many of our defense mechanisims... I'm pretty sure they won't be able to spare workers for this. Would our country be able to spare the resources for FIRST if we go to war? Would we be able to travel freely in the US if this blows into a full-fledge war? There is probably many more problems that could be caused by a war then any of us could imagine... Wars cause recession, a big money-gobbling, resource using event like FIRST could not be tolorated in a time of such need... So I really hope it doesn't happen...

If there is a war, there is a good possibility of the draft.

Wars actually stimulate the economy in the short-term. Long-term, unless the war is over soon, its not as good for the economy.

Currently ANY airplane that goes over Washington D.C. or NYC within a 25 mile radius will be blown out the sky by combat patrols.

Then I feel really bad for all those people on commercial flights into those cities. ;) They've actually recinded that order (it only stood last Tuesday and while commercial flights were banned). All of NYC's airports are open and Dulles outside of DC is open (Regan National was still closed the last I heard).

As far as a draft goes, it all depends on what kind of war we're fighting. If we're fighting a war equivalent to what the British do in Northern Ireland, then there will be no draft. If we fight a war a la World War 2 (and I highly doubt this; just look at the possible combatants) then there would be a draft.

To the person who said FIRST lasted through Operation Desert Fox, if you remember correctly, that was just a build up and no attack. Sadam backed down so there was no attack. I don't think that counts as a war.

At the moment, I think we can only sit back and wait and see what happens. At the moment we're just randomly guessing and thinking the worst when that's not likely to happen.

Matt