I'm rereading 'The Healer' by QM. The whole trilogy is great reading. Partway into the story the motto "First In, Last Out!" was referenced, with no one in this far-future story knowing where it originated.
I recalled hearing it before so did a little searching. AFAICT, the US Army Pathfinders seem to be recognized as the originators. This wasn't an in-depth search, so if any of you have more info, please share. Thanks
While the US Army Pathfinders may have popularised the saying since WW2 with that book about them, but it's been a logistics and accounting saying for over 100 years at this time, and I also remember seeing it being the motto for a number of engineering units in WW1 - I've also located it as the motto of the US Army 65th Brigade Engineering Battalion since 1927. It's also one of the mottos of the British Royal Engineers who have been around since 1716 - probably where the US 65th Brigade picked it up from. I also remember seeing the same motto being used by some old accounts of formal mounted scout units from the 18th and 19th century, but I can't find a definitive reference at the moment.
Well, I did say there was probably more out there. I can understand its popularity, since it is a particularly strong and motivating concept.
It brings to mind the 'last off the field' mindset many commanders have. One sees it in "We Were Soldiers" and it appears in several stories here as well.
It brings to mind the 'last off the field' mindset many commanders have.
That's been an aspect of good military commanders for thousands of years. It also reminds me of the very ancient Royal Navy tradition, the captain of the ship is the first to climb the gangway or the ladder when boarding his ship, and the last to leave the ship ship - the same applies to the most senior officer of the group, this is so they don't have to wait on junior officers.
Although the term wouldn't be used exactly as stated the usage is much older. Basically it's when people started stacking thing for storage: you have to lift of the last one put on top to get to the previous one, hence last one put on top is the first one to come off. That's a few thousand years ago.
Not that old, but it's also how the memory stack in computers work: last item added is the first to taken of the stack again.
Basically it's when people started stacking thing for storage: you have to lift of the last one put on top to get to the previous one, hence last one put on top is the first one to come off. That's a few thousand years ago.
Of course they would have very quickly learned that perishable items like foods need to be managed for first in/first out.
Of course they would have very quickly learned that perishable items like foods need to be managed for first in/first out.
Of course perishables are stored for FiFo, they aren't stacked where the oldest isn't reachable. I guess storage management is as old as thinking humans exist :)