Thoughts on a Marine Life

September 30th, 2007. Fallujah, Iraq. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~ From a Marine Captain ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow I am due to be promoted to the rank of Major in the United States Marine Corps.  Since December 21st of last year, I have been uncertain that I would accept the promotion, and was at one point virtually convinced that I would leave this career and pursue life as a civilian. 

More on that later, but suffice to say that I have decided to accept the promotion, and with it an obligation to continue service as a Marine.  As has been my custom when crossing any significant milestone in the past, I have set aside and dedicated a short period of reflection on the reasons for this decision, and on the implications of responsibility that come with it. 

This time is no different.  We lost electricity today, and it is fitting that I find myself in the pitch black darkness of a command post in Iraq, with only a pen, paper, and my headlamp by which to write.  In creating an occasion to remember, nothing cooperates like the uncertainty of war.

Commentary: An Open Letter to Code Pink
By Richard Lund
The Berkeley Daily Planet

While the protest that you staged in front of my office on Wednesday, Sept. 26th, was an exercise of your constitutional rights, the messages that you left behind were insulting, untrue, and ultimately misdirected. Additionally, from the comments quoted in the Berkeley Daily Planet article, it is clear that you have no idea what it is that I do here. Given that I was unaware of your planned protest, I was unable to contest your claims in person, so I will therefore address them here.

First, a little bit about who I am: I am a Marine captain with over eight years of service as a commissioned officer. I flew transport helicopters for most of my time in the Marine Corps before requesting orders to come here. Currently, I am the officer selection officer for the northern Bay Area.

My job is to recruit, interview, screen, and evaluate college students and college graduates that show an interest in becoming officers in the Marine Corps. Once they’ve committed to pursuing this program, I help them apply, and if selected, I help them prepare for the rigors of Officer Candidate School and for the challenges of life as a Marine officer. To be eligible for my programs, you have to be either a full-time college student or a college graduate.

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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
By Col. David Hunt
(Emphasis added)

Our generals are betraying our soldiers … again

Sorry, but I have to get your attention on this one.

In both Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States Army — not the much maligned “LIBERAL PRESS” or BILL CLINTON or the LIBERALS IN CONGRESS — NO, the UNITED STATES MILITARY is prosecuting its soldiers for doing their jobs.

I have tried, I have yelled, I have used nasty words. I have even tried to use humor, but none of this is sticking.

You either do not believe me … or much worse, you do not care.

We did one of these stories on O’Reilly last week. Two great Special Forces soldiers, along with their team, tracked down a terrorist who was on the 10 Most Wanted list in Afghanistan. The Special Forces soldiers were operating under the much- hated rules of engagement, which said to capture and kill the bad guy, who was a bomb maker and terrorist leader. The soldiers followed this killer to his house/compound, used guile and trickery and lured the waste of life out of his lair and put a bullet in his head.

From Major Chris Steiny USMC, Iraq

Thanks for the humor Bill.  Nothing too unusual to report for Ramadan here in Al Anbar Province. 

The climate here has changed considerable due to the full-court press the the Marines, sailors (and a few Soldiers) have made here in the past few years.  

I have been on a few vehicle patrols and a foot patrol and the biggest threat still appears to be snipers and IEDs.  We know there are still some”bad actors” out there, be they AQI or just criminal thugs.  It seems as though the majority are pleased to have the Marines here. 

They know that we bring security and are quick to “wack-a-mole” when the insurgents are dumb enough to pop their heads up.  Not sure how it will be in the long term, but we are heavily engaged training and operating with the Iraqi Police and Military, who run the spectrum from very good to very bad. 

It is a bit too early to tell in Haditha, as the Police Force is in its infancy.  They seem to do well when conducting combined operations, but we need to teach them to fish for themselves. 

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Here is an encouraging message from 1st. Lt. James Colvin, USMC, Chaminade Class of 2000 and College of the Holy Cross 2004.

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