On Call Life on the front lines of tech support can be tough, which is why every Friday The Register brings you a new installment of On Call, our reader contribution column where you tell your peers what you've endured in the name of work.

This week we meet a reader we'll regomize as "Lyle" who recounted the phase of his career in the mid-1990s during which he installed business management software at Air Force bases, then stayed on to train personnel in its use.

Arriving at one such gig, Lyle learned that the base was participating in war games during the week, and that judges from this event may be present at various times. As a civilian, he was sure that none of this would affect his work.

As he settled in, Lyle noticed a member of the unit's engineering staff come in to work on the air conditioning and then he left.