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Fighting Kentuckians by W. Thomas Smith Jr. It was a textbook response to ambush. Soldiers bolting from their vehicles, hitting the earthen berm on the "bad side" of the highway, and blasting away at guerrillas who were attacking a convoy of some 30 civilian tractor-trailer trucks. The natural – and usually fatal – reaction would be to hit the deck or run in the opposite direction. The infantry-school drill would be to counterattack in the direction of the ambush and attempt to gain fire superiority. Sounds frightening, but the latter almost always saves lives among the ranks of those being...

Beyond the DropZone By W. Thomas Smith Jr. April is a month chocked-full of American military anniversaries: The Continental Navy captured its first enemy warship in April 1776. Marines captured Tripoli, 1805. The Civil War began, 1861. Lee surrendered to Grant, 1865. The Spanish-American war began, 1898. The U.S. declared war on Germany, 1917. Doolittle raided Japan, 1942. American troops landed on Okinawa, 1945. The Bay of Pigs invasion was launched, 1961. The last American Marine left Saigon, 1975. The Air Force raided Libya, 1986. And Baghdad fell to U.S. forces, 2003. All are but a few of this month's...

The birth-cry of America's armed forces by W. Thomas Smith Jr. April is a month chocked-full of American military anniversaries: The Continental Navy captured its first enemy warship in April 1776. Marines captured Tripoli, 1805. The Civil War began, 1861. Lee surrendered to Grant, 1865. The Spanish-American war began, 1898. The U.S. declared war on Germany, 1917. Doolittle raided Japan, 1942. American troops landed on Okinawa, 1945. The Bay of Pigs invasion was launched, 1961. The last American Marine left Saigon, 1975. The Air Force raided Libya, 1986. And Baghdad fell to U.S. forces, 2003. All are but a few...

Beyond the DropZone A biweekly column by W. Thomas Smith Jr. 07 April 05 The Pope's "few good men" Over the years - and particularly in the wake of Pope John Paul II's passing - I've been asked about the Pontiff's colorfully uniformed soldiers and whether or not they are only "stood up" for ceremonial purposes. Indeed not. They are members of the Swiss Guard – often referred to as Papal guards or Swiss mercenaries – an elite company-sized military force that has defended a succession of Popes for over five centuries, and not always without bloodshed. Recognizable by their...

Swiss watchers The papal guard may dress colourfully but you would be unwise to call them dandies, writes W Thomas Smith Jr W Thomas Smith Jr Tuesday April 5, 2005 Guardian Unlimited Are the Pope's colourfully uniformed guards just for show? The question has frequently been asked in the wake of John Paul II's death. The answer is that these soldiers are indeed not only "stood up" for ceremonial purposes. They are members of the Swiss Guard - often referred to as the papal guards or Swiss mercenaries - an elite, company-sized military force that has defended a succession of...

Iraqi combat capability on the upswing Written by W. Thomas Smith Jr. Friday April 1, 2005 "It's going to be tougher than anything you've ever experienced," a U.S. Marine recruiter warns a young leatherneck hopeful. "You'll face down your fears, overcome terrifying obstacles, and at times function on little food and no sleep." Sounds severe, but everything is relative. Recruits hoping to earn the title, "Marine," expect training to be demanding. They also take for granted the enormous efforts made to ensure their safety during dangerous training, and – despite accidents and the occasional "bad seed" drill-instructor – no one...

How my child saved me from ego-driven mania Janine di Giovanni After years of reporting from the front line in war zones this war correspondent could not imagine doing any other job. Then along came her first baby — and everything changed RECENTLY a female reporter with a job similar to mine wrote an article about how having a child made her a better war correspondent. Despite the fact that she spent long periods away from him, she was proud that her son could point out Afghanistan on a globe and was baffled as to why he didn’t want to...

Iraqi combat capability on the upswing by W. THOMAS SMITH JR. "It's going to be tougher than anything you've ever experienced," a U.S. Marine recruiter warns a young leatherneck hopeful. "You'll face down your fears, overcome terrifying obstacles, and at times function on little food and no sleep." Sounds severe, but everything is relative. Recruits hoping to earn the title, "Marine," expect training to be demanding. They also take for granted the enormous efforts made to ensure their safety during dangerous training, and – despite accidents and the occasional "bad seed" drill-instructor – no one has any malevolent designs on...

Born to be a soldier by W. Thomas Smith Jr. I was born to be a soldier: Not that I was particularly brave or even destined for a distinguished military career, but I think there is something inherent in most Southern boys that predisposes them to the profession of arms. And I simply got a bigger dose of it than most. As early as I can remember, I was surrounded by, and fascinated with, all manner of things military. Growing up in South Carolina - particularly along the once scorched-earth route that followed Union General William Tecumseh Sherman - it...

U.S. intelligence czar not a new idea Based on what I’m seeing in the newspapers, hearing on radio call-in shows, and even reading among the flood of email messages received over the past week; many Americans believe the naming of Ambassador John Negroponte to the post of Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and Air Force Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden as deputy DNI is a brand new idea. As we all know, the DNI is responsible for overseeing the 15-member U.S. Intelligence Community. It’s a responsibility formerly held by the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (Director of Central Intelligence or...

"throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete." Sixty years ago today, U.S. Navy landing craft loaded with thousands of U.S. Marines began churning toward a tiny, eight-square-mile chunk of volcanic rock jutting out the Pacific Ocean. The island, Iwo Jima, was about to become the scene of a month long battle between U.S. forces and Iwo's Japanese defenders. It was a battle that some historians have since described as “throwing human flesh against reinforced concrete.” It would define the modern Marine Corps. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would gasp in horror upon learning of the American casualties (7,000 Americans were killed, another...

Why Millions Say, Softly, God Bless America Paul Johnson, 02.28.05, 12:00 AM ET Democracy has many enemies, and the terrorist is only one of them. It also has many hypocritical and humbugging pseudosupporters, which is one of numerous lessons to be drawn from the situation in Iraq. When America--having smashed Iraq's 40-year-old Baathist tyranny and captured its blood-soaked leader, Saddam Hussein--promised to hold democratic elections with all deliberate speed so that Iraqis could decide their own future, the hope and expectation was that democratic nations and peoples the world over would come and help. But that did not happen. With...

Generations Their facial expressions were an odd mix of happiness, sadness, and envy. They were losing me, a squad leader who had taken care of them as an older brother watches over his kid siblings. But these really weren’t kids. They – and I – were U.S. Marine infantrymen. With only hours remaining in my four-year hitch, I was packed and saying last “goodbyes” in the barracks where we lived. Soon I would shoulder my seabag and cross one of many Camp Pendleton, California parade-decks toward a waiting taxi that would take me to the airport. There, I would board...

Watersheds We live in a time of democratic revolution. Has there ever been a more dramatic moment than this one? The Middle East is boiling, as the failed tyrants scramble to come to terms with the political tsunami unleashed on Afghanistan and Iraq. The power of democratic revolution can be seen in every country in the region. Even the Saudi royal family has had to stage a farcical "election." But this first halting step has fooled no one. Only males could vote, no political parties were permitted, and only the Wahhabi establishment was permitted to organize. The results will not...

The World’s Deadliest Highways Standing up a new Iraqi highway patrol By W. Thomas Smith Jr. In a recent telephone conversation with former U.S. Navy Commander Richard Marcinko, founder of SEAL Team Six and best-selling author of Rogue Warrior, I asked him about the dangers facing civilian contractors in Iraq. Almost without hesitation, Marcinko began talking about roads and highways, and the military and civilian truckers who have to drive up and down them several times each week. "He [the driver] is not going to make that run every day," Marcinko says. "But when he does, somebody is going to...

This just in - published unedited, exactly as it was received - from 1st Marine Division (my old division) HQ near Fallujah, less than two minutes ago: U.S. soldiers foil insurgent’s attempt to force child into taking hand grenade CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq - U.S. soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, foiled an attempt by an insurgent to coerce a child into accepting a hand grenade at approximately 1 p.m. in Ramadi today. The soldiers, currently assigned to the 1st Marine Division of the I Marine Expeditionary Force, were conducting a patrol in the northeastern sector...

Building the New Iraq Army Changing “what it means to be a man with a gun.” By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Senator Edward M. "Ted" Kennedy (D., Mass.) is at it again. This time — one week after proclaiming, "The U.S. military presence has become part of the problem [in Iraq]" — he rhetorically asks an audience at the University of Massachusetts, "If America can train the best military in the world in 13 weeks, why can't we train the Iraqis in eight or 12 or 15 months to fight and die for their country?" Kennedy, who posed the question...

The Quagmire on Slothnor The Left and Vietnam. The year is 2456. The human colonies on Mars have been invaded by giant, laser-visioned tree sloths bent on crushing humanity and forcing the survivors to work as slaves in the massive dung mines of the planet Slothnor. In a last-ditch effort to save our species from extinction, the brave humans launch a counterattack on the Sloths' home world. Le New York Times (headquartered in Paris since 2018) blares in a bold holo-headline "Disturbing Echoes of Vietnam Conjured by Earth Aggression." O.K., I'm kidding. It would probably take a few weeks before...

Yes, we've gone purple As an expression of our solidarity with the Iraqi people, whose purple-ink-stained index fingers after voting in national elections became a badge of honor and a symbol of defiance, WTSjrTHISWEEK will be published in purple for the next 30 days.

GIVING TED KENNEDY THE FINGER. INK UP FOR DEMOCRACY! I started my day today by taking an ink pad and inking up my index finger to celebrate yesterday's successful elections in Iraq. I wanted to show my appreciation to the Iraqis who braved bombs and bullets to cast their ballots. I also wanted something to remind my co-workers and others who DIDN'T support Bush's Iraq policy that I am part of a group from which they are excluded. The Iraqi elections were a great victory for the Iraqis, a big victory for Bush's war on terror strategy, and a small...