Smokin'

U.S. Army Cpl. Jacob Bath enjoys a cigarette during a break on Forward Operating Base Farah, Farah province, Afghanistan on April 7, 2009. U.S. Air Force photo by Jonathan Lovelady.

I was stunned when I came across this photo on Military Photos dot net. It was the first time on that site that I had ever seen a member of the US military smoking.

System console for the AN/FSQ-7 computer system, circa 1960. It includes the OA-1008 Situation Display with a light gun (at end of cable), cigarette lighter, and ash tray (left of the light gun). 

The AN/FSQ-7 computer system was part of the Defense Department's early warning radar network. Photo by Joi Ito.

Today I'm looking at US radar systems and I come across this photo of a radar operator's console from 1960, where the cigarette lighter and ashtray are standard equipment. What a difference 50 years makes.

Now that you mention it, it's kind of funny that new cars still come equipped with ashtrays and lighters. The ashtray in my nemesis, the Chrysler Sebring, fits in a cup holder, and is removable, so maybe even the auto industry is changing.