Created by The Sniper, from a Reuters photo. (Hat tip: Greyhawk).
“Marineistan“?!
The Marines are pushing into previously ignored Taliban enclaves. They have set up a first-of-its-kind school to train police officers. They have brought in a Muslim chaplain to pray with local mullahs and deployed teams of female Marines to reach out to Afghan women.
The Marine approach — creative, aggressive and, at times, unorthodox — has won many admirers within the military. The Marine emphasis on patrolling by foot and interacting with the population, which has helped to turn former insurgent strongholds along the Helmand River valley into reasonably stable communities with thriving bazaars and functioning schools, is hailed as a model of how U.S. forces should implement counterinsurgency strategy.
But the Marines’ methods, and their insistence that they be given a degree of autonomy not afforded to U.S. Army units, also have riled many up the chain of command in Kabul and Washington, prompting some to refer to their area of operations in the south as “Marineistan.” They regard the expansion in Delaram and beyond as contrary to the population-centric approach embraced by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, and they are seeking to impose more control over the Marines.
The U.S. ambassador in Kabul, Karl W. Eikenberry, recently noted that the international security force in Afghanistan feels as if it comprises 42 nations instead of 41 because the Marines act so independently from other U.S. forces.
“We have better operational coherence with virtually all of our NATO allies than we have with the U.S. Marine Corps,” said a senior Obama administration official involved in Afghanistan policy.
Read the rest.
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
What is killing our miltary soldiers/sailors is not the enemy in Iraq or Afghanistan, but the enemy in the WH.
OOOOOOO-AAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is one photo you won’t see in the New York Crimes or the Washington Compost. I’m also willing to bet that our Dear Leader and his subjects would say our troops were holding them against their will.
Then there are times when the protected give the protectors strength…
Embed please?
Done, patvan… albeit a bit late. Mata
MG! From the above posts it’s plain to see we are, indeed, one here!
This photo defines everyone. Godspeed to all in the photo, and Obama can go and make love to himself.
Don’t forget to boycott General Electric.
@disenchanted:
For the record, I disagree with the phrasing; but will leave it at that.
What do you want? We pioneered this care for the people all the way back to 1965 in Vietnam and without the defeatist efforts of Pres. Johnson, Vietnam would now be a shining light of freedom. In 2005 I watched as we did this in Anbar Provence, Iraq along the Euphrates river. The Army attempted to mimic the effort. Marineistan, absolutely it works.
Instead of trying to bend us, the other 41 nations should find out how to emulate the Marines. I guarantee that our Marines are suffering far fewer IED casualties than the Army. We much prefer to march to combat than take the only goat cart road (IED alley).
Vietnam, 1965:
“The Combined Action program involves special units made up of both US Marines and Popular Force personnel. The Combined Action concept was conceived to provide a sufficient force to occupy and control areas uncovered by the forward movement of the US and ARVN units and to assist in Revolutionary Development efforts within these areas. The primary mission of Combined Action organization is local defense. In this connection, the Popular Force members of the Combined Action unit contribute to the combined effort by their knowledge of the local area, people, customs, government and Viet Cong activities. Marines contribute to the combined effort by training the PF and increasing the PF’s combat effectiveness; in artillery, air strikes, or reinforcements if required. Marine personnel are assigned to these units on a semi-permanent basis to permit sustained operations in the a certain area and continued association with a particular group of people. The program is coordinated at all levels by Marine commanders and local Vietnamese officials.
Semper Fidelis
@Marine1972:
I think it goes back even further than that….all the way to the turn of the last century.
And Marines have always taken the initiative and been innovative on the field. I think one of the strengths of our military is in how often those in the lower chain of command are given unprecedented levels of autonomy and opportunities to make decisions, themselves.
photoshopped! definitely photoshopped.
Great photo!
G-d Bless the Marine Corps!
While they kill the Taliban in the Middle East, we need to develop a strategy to rid DC of corruption and cockroaches in November. That is the least we can do for our young Patriots. They put it all on the line, we just need to get off our arses!
Our Young patriots say, Down with Obama Akbar,
give him the bum’s rush out the back door.
They stand tall and aren’t asking for much,
and care less for Obama’s free lunch
They just want to hear, Freedom’s bell
And for us not to forget, whose blood pays
so that we indulge those bound for Hell
For Victory and a safe return, we do pray
for those who protect us, oh so well!
i like the MARINE COMMANDER he knows what to do he has HEROs under his command so dont any other commander stand in their ways,all our respect and prayers to you all,GO MARINES.
@Rich Beach, If you don’t have documentation, then STFU! You sound like a teen age snot nose anarchist.
Hey art…I think he was kidding ….
W
No Better Friend And No Worse Enemy.
Gentle When Stroked. Dangerous When Provoked.
God Bless the USMC.
Murtha, “But they are killing the innocent over there.”
USMC, “You are dead to us from this point on, Mr. Murtha”.
johngalt,
murtha has been dead to me since he first opened his mouth about Marines in Iraq or anywhere in the War on Terror. And now the Lord has spoken, murtha is no more. I am glad I didn’t go through his hot final death march. I know one fantastic Marine, Sgt. Brock B, KIA September, 2006 who is a very selective gate keeper at Heaven’s door. I know where murtha went and it was not through Brock’s gate.
R.
Marine1972 —
I am now reading “The Gamble” by Thomas Ricks. It has a part about Haditha, what happened and why. Read it then see if you still think the shooters were defamed when anyone called it “murder” when you have the slaughter of entire families (including an old man in a wheelchair and little kids shot it the head).
@Blob
Thanks for putting the:
“I MUST BE A DICK AT ALL COSTS AND IN ALL SITUATIONS, NO MATTER WHAT THE TOPIC IS” mindset you are addled with away for one posting.
Then again, I know you can’t really control it, can you?
BRob
Be careful what you say about the Marines. They take care of their own and Murtha was lucky that they only disowned him.
Well this is not surprising to me. Doesn’t make it any less sad, though…
http://www.theneweditor.com/index.php?/archives/11061-Recognize-this-Photo-Well,-Some-Professional-Journalists-Dont.html
Here is a video of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines just before they went into Marjah in Afghanistan.
My son John will be with 1st Batt, 11th Marines providing artillery support for them next month.
From the “Info” window:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4JieM0zYMI&feature=player_embedded
(Puppies!)
56,000 died in nam
560,000 living dead
they prayed for me
I pray for you
Thanks guys`