Rear Admiral Caleb Barrett Laning (born 27 March 1906, Kansas City, Missouri; died 31 May 1991, Falls Church, Virginia) was a highly decorated naval officer, writer, and technical adviser. Laning is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.ANC Explorer
He was the nephew of four star Admiral Harris Laning.
Combat Information Center role Laning was involved in the development of the U.S. naval Combat Information Center (CIC) during World War II. The idea was taken "specifically, consciously, and directly" from the spaceship Directrix in the Lensman novels of E. E. Smith, Ph.D.,Unpublished letter from John W. Campbell to E. E. Smith, pages 1–2, Dated 11 June 1947 in the collection of Verna Smith Trestrail and influenced by the works of his friend, collaborator, and Naval Academy classmate, fellow Missourian Robert Heinlein.Robert A. Heinlein by William H. Patterson, Jr., volume 1, chapter 24.Wysocki Jr., Edward M, “A Flight of Speculation” , The Heinlein Journal 1998, Retrieved July 2011 However, for bureaucratic reasons, the source of the idea was not disclosed.
See also Worldwide Military Command and Control System
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