Mike Yon's - The Ghosts of Anbar (Part 2)

Posted By Blackfive

Michael Yon's second part of his series of dispatches on his month-long embed in Anbar Province with US Marines is now posted - The Ghosts of Anbar Part 2.

Mike quotes from the new Counter-insurgency Manual (COIN) and demonstrates that the success being made on the ground is not due to a surge in numbers of soldiers, but to a complete change in strategy and tactics.

The Marines have really taken the lead on adapting to the new strategy (and shown in Anbar):

...Arrowhead Ripper was merely the latest experience that underlines the Army’s rapidly growing expertise. Yet the Marines have adapted faster and seem poised to win the war in their battle space. In fact, it’s been Army officers who have told me repeatedly over the past several years that nobody is successfully morphing to meet this war faster than the Marines. Of course, Army officers who compliment Marines always say, 'But that didn’t come from me.'...

Mike embeds with the Marines and Iraqi Police:

...The entrances to the culvert were easy for the enemy to reach unobserved, and mines, bombs or other boobytraps could have been easily planted. SSG Lee could have ordered one of the Iraqis to clear the culvert, and I’m sure that an Iraqi would have done so. Many are very courageous. But SSG Lee was mentoring these men, and without hesitation, he entered the culvert himself to check it out. This was my introduction to MiTT 8.

People at home want to know what our Soldiers and Marines are doing in Iraq, and the only way to tell their story is to follow them.  So deep inside the culvert, crawling on all fours, using my camera as a walking chalk (it’s pretty tough), I crawled behind SSG Lee who was using his rifle as a walking chalk.  The day was hot.  The body armor made it hotter.

I said, “I only met you for the first time like 20 minutes ago.  What’s your name Staff Sergeant?”

“Staff Sergeant Lee, Sir,” he answered while crawling forward.

“United States Marine Corps,” I said.

“Semper Fi,” he answered, and kept clearing the tunnel.

Check it out and please don't forget to support Mike's dispatches by making a donation.

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Mike Yon's - The Ghosts of Anbar (Part 2)

Michael Yon's second part of his series of dispatches on his month-long embed in Anbar Province with US Marines is now posted - The Ghosts of Anbar Part 2.

Mike quotes from the new Counter-insurgency Manual (COIN) and demonstrates that the success being made on the ground is not due to a surge in numbers of soldiers, but to a complete change in strategy and tactics.

The Marines have really taken the lead on adapting to the new strategy (and shown in Anbar):

...Arrowhead Ripper was merely the latest experience that underlines the Army’s rapidly growing expertise. Yet the Marines have adapted faster and seem poised to win the war in their battle space. In fact, it’s been Army officers who have told me repeatedly over the past several years that nobody is successfully morphing to meet this war faster than the Marines. Of course, Army officers who compliment Marines always say, 'But that didn’t come from me.'...

Mike embeds with the Marines and Iraqi Police:

...The entrances to the culvert were easy for the enemy to reach unobserved, and mines, bombs or other boobytraps could have been easily planted. SSG Lee could have ordered one of the Iraqis to clear the culvert, and I’m sure that an Iraqi would have done so. Many are very courageous. But SSG Lee was mentoring these men, and without hesitation, he entered the culvert himself to check it out. This was my introduction to MiTT 8.

People at home want to know what our Soldiers and Marines are doing in Iraq, and the only way to tell their story is to follow them.  So deep inside the culvert, crawling on all fours, using my camera as a walking chalk (it’s pretty tough), I crawled behind SSG Lee who was using his rifle as a walking chalk.  The day was hot.  The body armor made it hotter.

I said, “I only met you for the first time like 20 minutes ago.  What’s your name Staff Sergeant?”

“Staff Sergeant Lee, Sir,” he answered while crawling forward.

“United States Marine Corps,” I said.

“Semper Fi,” he answered, and kept clearing the tunnel.

Check it out and please don't forget to support Mike's dispatches by making a donation.

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