Craig Fields, who had been at the agency since 1974 and helped create SIMNET, was tapped to be the head of DARPA. The new director had a way of evoking strong reactions—both positive and negative. “Brilliant” was the word most often used to describe Fields, who would often dazzle military and intelligence officials with his command of science and encyclopedic knowledge of DARPA’s programs. “Abrasive” was typically the second most common word used to describe him. Fields did not suffer fools gladly, and he saw fools all around him: in the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill, and in the White House.
