Inside the Headquarters

It has been two decades since the Marine Corps crowned the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle as the replacement for the ‘70s era Amphibious Assault Vehicle. It has been a long, expensive and apparently fruitless road. Defense Secretary (and Occasional Superhero) Robert M. Gates who has stood by the vehicle may be wavering. The Corps has cut its “requirement” from more than 1,000 to 573, and discussions on the merits of the EFV are on the rise.

Do the Marines need the EFV, and what is the future of amphibious global stomp-and-romps?
The nature of warfare has changed somewhat (a recycled statement) as has the nature of amphibious warfare. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim “Not in My Corps” Conway agrees: beach landings a la World War II are doubtful, though the tactic will remain in the Corps’ bag o’ tricks. (During World War II, at least one famous Marine leader, whose name eludes me, was critical of the Corps’ deadly up-the-middle approach to amphibious warfare.)

Despite being America’s second land Army, a title the Marines deplore, the Corps is sticking to its “soldiers of the sea” mantra. Documents like the “Marine Corps Operating Concepts” and the “Vision and Strategy 2025” underscore the importance of the Corps’ amphibious mission. My guess is the Boys’ Gun Club actually believes its own rhetoric. They also may see their future tied to the Navy’s fan tail cruising the world’s waterways looking for the next hot spot. Regardless, given a decade of mostly ground warfare, it is natural to question why the U.S continues to fund a Marine Corps, let alone the EFV.

The Marines have a good response but have done a horrible job explaining to Americans the importance of maneuver from the sea. A bunch of Marines and a few ships can operate in disaster areas as well as hostile regions where traditional forces can’t. Today’s Navy will operate over-the-horizon and the Marines must make their way to their objective be it by air as with the V-22 Osprey or by sea in a waterborne MRAP like the EFV. (Whale boats would make a great visual as the Marines row ashore.)

Warfare will continue to change and the Corps deserves to reclaim its amphibious crown, but the behind-schedule and over-budget EFV may not be the way to go.

With Conway’s looming retirement so goes the EFV.

I have come to appreciate art for art’s sake.

I also go right to the obits in the Naval Academy alumni magazine, “Shipmate.” I have never read an article. Until now.

The Seattle Opera is performing “Amelia,” a work about a Naval Academy graduate lost at sea during the Vietnam War and the daughter he left behind. Judging from the reviews, this original work is a hit, though it seems like an odd theme for the operatic stage.

From the “Shipmate” article, it is difficult to discern the real-life story. From what I can gather, Navy pilot Cmdr. Albert Dodge McFall (Class of 1950), went missing in 1965 while training for a second deployment to Vietnam. He left a wife and two children. It is the daughter, poet Gardner McFall, who, from her description, was hit hardest by this death.

Years later she published a book of poems. “The Pilot’s Daughter” chronicled her journey from her father’s (Dodge’s) death to the birth of her daughter. (The child is not Amelia.)

Through Gardner’s poetic style, fortunate choice of artistic friends, years of work and luck came the completed opera.

The character Amelia, named after (yes) Amelia Earhart, is Gardner. The opera appears to play like an episode of “Lost” with flash forwards and flash backs through time. Conventions aside, major critics have not been shy with their praise.

A synopsis of the opera can be read online.

Reviews include the New York Times, The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the Seattle Times.

Will its Seattle success mean “Amelia” will open at an opera house near you?

Do you want it to?

Nicholas Coppolo (Icarus), Kate Lindsey (Amelia), and Nathan Gunn (Paul) in Seattle Opera’s “Amelia.” © Rozarii Lynch photo

I was intrigued by the growling in the vehicle at the next pump, but could not make out the culprit, though it seemed to be a dog in a police cruiser. A uniformed officer was Jake’s handler (the growl had a name), and the German Shepherd-Border Collie mix is a member of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency Police Canine Division, which stood up in 1998 to combat terrorism, three years prior to the September 11 attacks. His handler took great pride in Jake, and it was clear he cared deeply for this animal. “Well, he’s 8, but he’s got a lot of good years left,” he said. “Obviously. I can hear that,” I thought.

This Pentagon unit with 21-40 dogs is an explosives K-9 division protecting the thousands working at the Defense Department as well as the Pentagon’s many visiting dignitaries. They also help other police forces around the national capital region. Aside from explosives detection, dogs and handlers respond to bomb threats, and check out suspicious vehicles and packages.

The officer confided Jake had faced some challenges, including a brush with death row. He had bitten his previous handler numerous times and was thought to be untrainable. Enter our police hero who said “Give me a shot,” and he and Jake have been working and living together for two years. Unlike military working dogs, these K-9s go home each night with their handlers. It has been found this lifestyle arrangement maintains a crucial rapport between dog and handler. (I wonder how an officer would react if his or her dog was in danger. I have done some crazy things for even crazier dogs.)

The public relations people have taken the sports hero approach with the dogs. Be it during school visits or with overly curious gas station patrons, the officers are happy to share the dog’s trading card. K-9 Jake has his own card with his photograph (complete with American flag) on the front. Biographical information and a synopsis about the K-9 program are on the back. It is difficult to imagine the dog I heard in the cruiser looks like the calm, bundle of joy pictured.

The officer shared when Jake retires he’d like to take him home permanently.

I’d settle for more trading cards.

I went to a reenactment/living history in Nokesville, Va. This hamlet past Manassas qualifies as nowhere. I was joined by several thousand others. (Maybe they were lost.) It was a surprise to see this remote piece of land as a home to countless military vehicles spanning the past 60 years. Joining the hardware were a few hundred reenactors from many eras.

The field is called Tank Farm (literally) of the Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles. The event’s goal was to promote the museum and its vehicle collection. The period players rounded out the event.

The hit of the weekend was a band of Vietnam reenactors, who made the Vietnam War hip, possibly for the first time.

The reenactors represented many periods, though modern conflicts seem to be popular. There were those reenacting Russians (some real Ruskies) in Afghanistan, and Americans in Desert Storm. There were World War II Germans complete with German Shepherd. I believe Eva was her name.

The Vietnam unit was courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps Living History Unit. They are independent of the Corps. (It’s probably better that way.) These are mostly former and retired Marines that portray the Marine Corps from – get this—the early 19th century to the present. They verified this habit can be time-consuming and expensive.

Compared to classic Vietnam photos, these guys seemed to have it down. Some looked every bit the hungry jungle fighter. Think Jim “Women Can’t Fight” Webb in his youthful, shirtless splendor. Some members are actual veterans of Vietnam, making the mix all the more interesting.

I’m told evenings were spent hanging with the Vietnam boys. Brethren from all eras and nations were popping PBRs (Pabst Blue Ribbons) and dragging on water pipes, all courtesy of our Vietnam heroes. These guys even had beads and peace signs.

As I have written before, I do not understand the allure of reenacting. Some say they do it for camaraderie. Others say living history. My guess is it is a low-tech and satisfying way to connect to people. (It is certainly not the sleeping accommodations.)

Our Marine reenactors appeared passionate, if not obsessed. Get this: Their fire base even had a working sandbag-encircled mortar pit complete with black “pajama-wearin’” Vietnamese workers. A few open Hawaiian shirts and shared hookah pipes went a long way in making this much-vilified period in our history hip, even if just for a weekend.

Photos courtesy of Rudy Schulz

Really, who wouldn’t want to gun tote with Blackwater/Xe or other private security firms-for-hire? While Blackwater/Xe and the many companies like it offer similar services now the stuff of myth and lore, the they command their weight in gold and provide a crucial service to those who cannot protect themselves.

As the final U.S. combat unit has departed Iraq, the State Department has said it is doubling its private security force to 7,000. (Larger than a the old U.S. Army regiment.) While guns for hire are nothing new, it is heart-stopping that the U.S. Department of State must hire thousands of private gunslingers for its protection. It seems a sad commentary on this powerful nation’s capabilities.

The U.S. departure leaves those who remain vulnerable in a nation not yet secure. Blackwater/Xe has been out of the State’s Iraq picture since the 2007 incident when two of its employees were accused of killing 14 Iraqis in a shoot-out/security incident.

Iraqis apparently have long memories and are angered at the prospect of more guns-for-hire in their country. We also may have reason for concern: This next Iraq chapter is reportedly the largest mission the State department has led without DoD backing.

With Blackwater/Xe founder Erik Prince’s boys gone, we wonder how many top-shelf companies remain to which State is willing to entrust its diplomats.

Prince is reported to have mused about putting together a combat battalion, something he has denied. As upsetting as that may be to some (and exhilarating to others), Prince, often the visionary, had an idea whose time has come. Such a force could be ideal for the U.S. predicament in Iraq.

While State’s situation is one of national import, it is Prince’s plight that’s piqued my interest. If you have followed this roller coaster ride, Prince stepped down as Blackwater CEO when controversy was killing his bottom line. Two employees now face murder charges while five former top company executives stand indicted on federal weapons, conspiracy and obstruction charges. While there remains a Blackwater USA, much of the company became Xe – yes, it sounds like a Cirque du Soleil show. It has been reported some part of the company is for sale.

Currently, Prince is paying a $42 million fine for export violations, which include illegal weapons exports to Afghanistan and providing the Taiwanese police with sniper training. (Bet the Chinese were miffed.) The fine should allow Prince to continue to do business in the U.S.

But that business will be long distance. It is now reported Prince has moved to Abu Dhabi. His PR people say he needs a break from the U.S. Our guess is he’s looking for lucrative Middle East contracts and a place with few extradition worries. The princes of the United Arab Emirates and others in the region may appreciate Prince Erik’s talents more than the U.S. Justice Department. Or Code Pink.

Several days ago, Prince was confronted in his U.S. home by a Code Pink cofounder, who was later arrested.

Stay tuned. I say Erik Prince has something planned.

So who will State hire?

Remembering the fallen is a relatively new idea. War memorials used to commemorate victories, like the Arc de Triumph in Paris, where the fallen are not named. This began to change around the turn-of-the last century. Memorials listing war dead can be seen in town centers in the U.S. as well as Europe. They are uncatalogued; it is exciting to discover them by chance.

I was in my birth town, Baltimore, with a friend recently and we found an unusual war memorial. A number of elegant plaques had grown into a small collection in a little nook at the front corner of St. Leo’s Catholic Church (227 South Exeter St.) in Little Italy. The plaques started at World War One and worked their way to the present. They list all from the parish who have fought. A star was placed by the names of those killed. It is a sweet tribute to an almost exclusively Italian group of boys.

If you check it out, Little Italy is a ghost town. Though we heard an older couple speaking Italian as they walked, a restaurant dating back more than 70 years was closed. Its building was for sale. You can watch residents play bocce ball at the neighborhood bocce court, but that and a handful of restaurants (no markets!) comprise what had been a bustling Italian enclave at one time.

Will the war memorial tradition at small venues like neighborhood parishes go the way of once-thriving city neighborhoods?

Wanna steal valor? Claim you are a Medal of Honor recipient having never served a day in the military? Don a general officer uniform and go on the speaking circuit?

California’s 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a man convicted under the Stolen Valor Act, finding the law unconstitutional. The court ruled the three-year-old edict violated the free speech rights of Xavier Alvarez, who falsely claimed to be a Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient.

The court in its 2-1 decision found Alvarez’s lie harmed no one, and there is no reason the government should legislate on lies of this nature.

The court has a point.

While people may find Alvarez’s actions abhorrent, are they criminal? He lied. He misrepresented himself. Is this a crime?

Is the person who misrepresents himself or herself on a resume guilty of a similar crime? Let’s say they claim to be a Nobel Prize recipient. Or a Pulitzer winner. Crime? Probably not. Against societal conventions? Maybe.

People lie about who they are. Men and women misrepresent marital status. Sure there may be legal repercussions in divorce court, but is the misrepresentation a crime? A man passes himself off as a women. Has he committed a crime or is he just a transvestite? Some guy poses as a war hero or multi-star big guy. Crime? I am not an attorney, but as the court ruled, if the lie hurts no one, it is simply a lie and within an individual’s constitutionally protected rights.

The counter argument may be the lie hurts veterans and society as a whole, but it seems this “damage” cannot be quantified to the court’s satisfaction. It is just a lie. A misrepresentation. Not a crime.

The guy down the street falsely prancing as a two star – a rank this person never achieved. Why not expose him publicly and make sure as many as people as possible know that this guy is a valor monger? Call the media. Churn out a press release. Strip this person of his or her dignity.

Expose him or her for the liar and thief they are. Is that not sufficient? The court deal would be a welcome respite from the community embarrassment. Dispense with the legal drama here. Too many seem to have jumped on this stolen valor train to nowhere. We now thank veterans for their service out of some sense of awkward societal obligation.

Show me the valor poser, and I will show you a sad, lost person.

For the living valor mongers, let the court of public opinion make its judgment.

Does anyone out there have an opinion on posers and the stolen valor decision?

Not a lot of information has been coming out of Pakistan with what is said to be the nation’s worst disaster ever. The extensive flooding has left millions homeless. During a Bloggers’ Roundtable with Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata, deputy commander, Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan, who is overseeing the U.S. portion of the international relief effort, emerging media moderator Navy Lt. Jennifer Cragg went around the virtual roundtable.

Not just for bloggers, broadcast and print outlets like CNN and Stars and Stripes called in to the gathering. The group spanned time zones, but everyone was equal at this OSD-sponsored interview.

Nagata did not tell us much that was new, though four to five Marine helicopters (photos show CH-46s, releases say CH-53Es) from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit floating off the coast were replacing the Army helos currently working the disaster. Despite reports that Pakistan wants more assistance, none of the MEU’s ground units will be involved in the relief we were told. When pressed, Nagata further shared the Pakistani government had not requested the Marines.

Nagata went on to explain the U.S. is concentrating on Swat (no surprise since it is Taliban territory), though he implied U.S. assets had been active in other areas. In the five flyable days they’ve had, Nagata said the U.S. has delivered hundreds of thousands of pounds in relief supplies and rescued thousands of people.

Nagata’s PAO, Air Force Lt Col Patrick Ryder, was able to clarify what seemed to be fat stats for such a small force. The U.S. had airlifted 436,944 meals into Pakistan at the beginning of the effort, which may be the source of Nagata’s reference. As of August 12, 73,473 pounds of supplies had been delivered and 1,019 people rescued. Though Nagata seemed a bit scripted he appeared eager, honest and gracious. (What are a few hundred thousand pounds among friends?)

When I asked about interaction with the Taliban in Swat, the general was adamant there had been none and engagement was not the U.S. mission. (Whoa. It was just a question.) He could not heap enough praise on the Pakistani army and its work keeping U.S. personnel safe. Again, the U.S. has only a small role there and a couple of hundred people on the ground. (Got it.)

This was a good encounter, even if no new information was revealed. One did gain a feel for the U.S. role in the Pakistan relief effort. What was not said was, “This is Taliban World Headquarters, damn it! There are lots of hearts and minds to be won.”

Read the transcript and listen to the interview.

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs brief video interview with Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata, deputy commander, Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan overseeing U.S. relief efforts in the aftermath of what is reported to be the worst disaster in Pakistan’s history. 

Story to follow tomorrow.

A jewel in the crown of the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs may be its Emerging Media Directorate. Put aside your images of Facebook and Twitter, though this office handles them and other social media for DoD. These guys may be one of the best sources of information in the Pentagon. Sure programs like the Bloggers’ Roundtable may be planned and the guests may not be of the multi-star ilk, but it showcases experts who can be difficult to access. (The Bloggers’ Roundtable is brilliant.)

DoD’s Emerging Media seems to be a genuine effort to fill communication gaps and reach out to the little guy (as well as the CNNs of the world). The staff seems to understand we will write and comment on our varied encounters and reach an audience that may be otherwise tough to crack.

After months of watching from afar, I finally participated in my first roundtable. A number of news outlets (not all blogs) including CNN and Stars and Stripes called in to talk to Army Brig. Gen. Michael Nagata, deputy commander, Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan who is overseeing U.S. relief efforts in Pakistan.

Pakistan is a hot topic and the widespread flooding makes it even more interesting. When the topic of piracy was heating up, the Navy’s commander of the combined Joint Task Force in the Gulf of Aden was a guest on the Bloggers’ Roundtable and shared information so detailed I was able to confirm it and use it in an article. Unfortunately I missed the recent roundtable featuring Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Gen. James R. Cartwright on reforming the way the Pentagon does business. You can go to the Web site to listen to the interviews live and read the transcript.

The Nagata interview will appear later this week.