The Wall Street Journal is starting the day with a provocative opinion editorial ($) by Benjamin Luxenberg, a Marine first lieutenant who says some troops should be willing to take a cut to pay and benefits in order to solve the nation’s fiscal crisis–and he’ll be the first to volunteer. Luxenberg argues that troop pay has become “sacrosanct” in the national dialogue, and crucial defense programs are facing deeper cuts because of that. “National security shouldn’t be sacrificed on the altar of military pay,” he writes. The statement comes with caveats: before wholescale cuts, Luxenberg says pay should be aligned across…
Author Hope Hodge Seck
Marine veterans from the first major battle of Operation Iraqi Freedom will meet up later this month to mark its tenth anniversary. Up to 1,000 of the original 7,100 Marines and sailors who fought in the battle of Nasiriyah are expected to meet up in Quantico, Va. March 23 to reminisce and remember fallen brothers-in-arms. Nasiriyah, fought from March 23-29, 2003, was a costly engagement between Ba’athist Iraqi forces and Marines as U.S. forces forged northward to depose the dictator Saddam Hussein in Baghdad. Casualties included 17 Marines and 11 U.S. soldiers, but American forces, led by the 2nd Marine…
Perhaps one of the most shocking developments of the extramarital affair scandal that brought down CIA director and former Army four-star David Petraeus last November was the revelation that Marine Gen. John Allen, commander of U.S. allied forces in Afghanistan, was also under investigation for allegedly sending inappropriate emails to Tampa socialite Jill Kelley. After an exhaustive review of Allen’s email correspondence, he was cleared of any wrongdoing in January. But the damage had already been done to the reputation of the clean-cut general. He turned down the post of supreme allied commander at NATO earlier this month in favor…
Update: Redskins senior vice president of communications Tony Wyllie said the team sends out letters similar to this one whenever they can as a gesture of support for American men and women in uniform. An area NFL team has proved that being a fan can go both ways. Capt. Jason A. Haag of Fredericksburg, Va., who marked his last day on active duty yesterday, opened his mailbox today to find a hearty salute from the Washington Redskins. On official team letterhead, the note thanks him for his service and wishes him well. “Commitment is a quality that transcends from your…
It may be one of the most gripping Marine images to emerge from Operation Iraqi Freedom: a 2004 photo snapped by freelance combat photographer Lucian Read depicting wounded Marine 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal, his uniform soaked in blood, being carried out of Fallujah’s famous “House of Hell” by two lance corporals. Here’s a chilling account of what took place in the Hell House, from Shootout! D-Day Fallujah, on the History Channel: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3zZmOR0jYc[/youtube] Kasal would receive the Navy Cross for bravery that day under fire and despite severe wounds to both legs. Now, the photo that captured Kasal’s heroism and the grit…
