The afternoon was Southern-heat still but many attended the almost two-hour Episcopal ceremony standing in tents under the church's massive shade trees... as attendants offered bottled ice water. These men and women were in addition to the full church and congregation hall. I know I speak for the Cowherd's and the Cerri's all when I say the support at the ceremony was truly infectious.

This was tragedy and celebration writ large for those who knew Leonard - child to man, West Point Cadet to Armor Platoon Leader, single to married.

The minister and speakers distinguished themselves with moving acknowledgment of Leonard the man, the officer, the brother, and... the husband.

Military senior was General (Ret) McCaffrey and his remarks would have made Leonard happy. However, perhaps most significant were two 82nd Airborne PFC's in attendance. No one knew them and they left before we could talk to them - they just attended. There were dozens of Lieutenant's in attendance; from Korea, and Colorado, and Italy, and New Mexico, and Alabama, and North Carolina, and Georgia, and Kansas, and Texas, and Florida, and other points around the US and the world. The West Point and Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership Corps' alumni were present en masse.

And it was a righteous salve. Acceptance, pride, and promise filled us all as we departed the church.

And afterward? Well, the Lieutenants, and the Cowherd's, and the Cerri's
and et al went to a pub in downtown Culpeper. Amidst the open beams, the cigarette smell, and the dim lighting two guys with electrified acoustic guitars played songs like Tennessee Waltz, and Take Me Home to West Virginia and Whiskey for My Men and Beer for My Horses. We drank, and talked, and laughed, and yes - even danced a little. If you don't understand, what can I say.... We were there to tell Leonard-stories and family-stories and military-stories. And we cried and held each other when the need arose. And I looked those family members and Lieutenants in the eye and saw our nation's future - selfless, capable, proud, and determined.

And how is Sarah?

It is difficult to believe this is my daughter. 'Grace under fire' is a tired old cliché but I now certainly know its meaning. One of her VWIL buds paid her a compliment today that I hope you'll understand even a little as it says so much. She said, "Sarah, you are certainly a Mary Baldwin girl." Sarah has uncertain times ahead but this young woman, this warriors-wife has acted with a dignity and purpose that is surely based on love. She leaned back on my chest today during the viewing and whispered through her tears,

"Dad, I'm so proud of Leonard."

And one can't talk of Sarah without talking of Leonard's twin - Charles.

He is Sarah's strength and I think vice versa as well. The two of them have
brought us to a point where laughter is OK again. His memorial service remark about missing 'twin time' was telling but well balanced by not having to worry about Leonard. He, like the rest of us, is moving on.

And the Cerri's and the Cowherd's?

Frankly - beat. Thank God for sleep; the great elixir of life. Each day gets a little better. We have miles to go in this run but we know we're not alone and we're getting the hang of it. We are OK. Everyone has their own moments but mine happened when one of Leonard's friends slipped a CD in the funeral home's sound system today. Had two songs - The West Point Alma Mater and The Corps. Suddenly, there were thousands and thousands of the Long Grey Line filling that room. Generations of soldiers and leaders were striving to encourage and support. Those songs were written for and about Leonard.

A final observation and I'll be done. 5 hours ago it had been a week since that notification team walked down our path. Today was the most emotional since it was the day chosen for close family to actually visit with Leonard. As Beth and I were headed to the funeral home I stopped in a 7-11 for some water. Standing at the check out line I saw a picture that froze me in my tracks; three helmet-topped M16s with a soldier saluting. In this week, in this time - that picture could only come from one place on earth and for one thing only; it was the military memorial held by Leonard's unit. So many emotions ran through me. Those services are unlike anything else. Even now I'm getting a little empty space as I imagine what the Roll Call sounded like... If you've participated, you understand. If you haven't, imagine the simplest and most dignified ceremony specifically designed for soldiers to honor their fallen. It can be done anywhere but where ever it's done takes on the feel of Saint Patrick's Cathedral.

©NYT

I'd told the Cowherd family that this tradition would be upheld and now I had graphic proof. Point in passing, courtesy of a phone call from BG Hertling, the 1st AD ADC, tonight I know that this memorial in Iraq was on going within hours of the Culpeper service and that it had been attended by near a thousand. A young Specialist had spoken about 'his' Lieutenant. Imagine that Specialist's moxie and caring to address those hundreds of soldiers and you understand the honor this was for Sarah and Leonard's parents.

I looked closer and saw the picture was on the front page of the NY Times. This wasn't the Culpeper daily or the Richmond times. This was one of the most respected, global newspapers on earth. Hmm... I picked up a copy and read it. I found quotes by Leonard's Battalion Commander describing the action wherein Leonard had been killed and the completion of that action in a satisfying manner. I tucked a copy under my arm and checked out.

Viewings can be rough and this one was against my better judgment but Sarah can be hard headed... and was right. My daughter's final moments with the husband she hadn't seen in 5 months and with whom she'd only lived for 5 months ended sweet. She and Leonard's mother and Leonard's twin brother and all the rest of the extended families stayed long enough to get through all the emotions. Sarah, the Cowherd's and Beth and I were all truly the better for this final visit. But what about the NY Times?

About half-way through the viewing I went out to the car and brought the paper in. There, in that room, with Leonard with us, we made a connection with not only his unit and their actions but with the entire world. We were one. There was closure. Information from the war zone to a funeral home in rural VA and shared around the world. The story about the fight was just as important, if not more so, than the picture itself. I could physically see the Cowherd's relax just a little bit.

And as this first week was drawing to a close, one of Leonard's closest West Point friends came up to Mr. Cowherd and said, "Leonard will always be a hero." And so he will...

T
Tony Cerri

Leonard will be buried on Wednesday at 1100 at Arlington National
Cemetery.........

They shall not grow old, As we that are left grow old, Age shall not weary them . . Nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, And in the morning, We will remember them! -- Lawrence Binyon

Now to let the Army, then Tony pick up the tale:

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The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

2nd Lt. Leonard M. Cowherd, 22, of Culpeper, Va., died May 16 in Karbala, Iraq, when he received sniper and rocket propelled grenade fire while securing a building near the Mukhayam Mosque. Cowherd was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.

1st Platoon, C 1/37 Armor. 2LT Cowherd stands in front of the tank on the right.

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My son-in-law, 2LT Cowherd, was killed this morning in Iraq. He is the armor soldier currently being referred to in the news. Platoon Leader. USMA class of '03.

My daughter has been staying with us since Leonard deployed. I was with her when the car pulled in the driveway and she was notified by the team from Ft Eustis tonight. Surreal is not the word.

You can imagine that this is a numbing time for us.

We expect an onslaught of details and issues tomorrow. I will be at home until such time as we are settled.

I know you'll ask, "Is there anything I can do?" I appreciate and I will not hesitate to call should something arise.
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Sorry it has been so long since I've sent an update. Things have been busy. I also apologize that what will follow has the shape and sound of an FAQ and that's not the intent. However, I want to tell you what's going on and where we are and answer your questions; that just leads me to a particular kind of format. It's late and it's been a long day I apologize for grammar errors.

First - how are we?
We are as fine as can be expected. I realize that sounds trite and rote. However, it is heartfelt and rings true while living it. I have come to understand that we are on a journey of stages and phases and, all things considered, we are doing fine. We have gone through the initial moments of absolute shock, horror, disbelief, rage, and soul emptying sorrow. I classify the next large chunk of time as numbness.

Finally, and currently, we are in emotional, and sometimes physical, exhaustion. And all are exactly right. The initial notification and emotions are something I wish on no one. The numbness and exhaustion are welcome.

They allow us to get on with things and deal with the realities.

We are making decisions. There has been some degree of normalness return. There has even been some laughter and lightness in the house. We are fine.

How is Sarah?
My daughter is strong and has proven to be a warrior's wife but I ache for her. No one should be a war-widow at 23. While Beth and I experience ups and downs, she is more so. If we are at a 7, she is at an 8. If we are at a 3, she is at a 2. She comforts others as she is being comforted.

Although she's a brat, she did her serious growing up years right here. She has a large circle of friends and family that have reached out to her. Further, and to digress a moment, she attended the Virginia Women's Institute for Leadership and Leonard attended the United States Military Academy. Both institutions forge strong relationships amongst their graduates. Both institution's graduates have a respect and place in their hearts for their owns spouse. Sarah has had her hand held by people literally around the world; generals, lieutenants, civilians, male, female, serving, retired, her friends, Leonard's friends, their friends. She obviously grieves. She is proud of what her husband was doing and believed in. She wishes he had done something else. She understands he wouldn't have been Leonard if he had. Further, she has a special friend - Leonard's identical twin brother Charles. You've read and heard about twins. If my experience is normal, everything you've ever heard about twins is right.

Sarah, Leonard, and Charles were always the three musketeers. We kidded Sarah that she was actually getting two husbands. And she reveled in it. Charles is not and has never been Leonard for Sarah - he is Leonard's other half as Sarah was Leonard's other half for Charles. They are both missing something significant...and together they form a whole of sorts.

Charles is spending time with us and I couldn't ask for anything better for the two of them. Sarah is fine.

How is Leonard's family?
About the same as we...but no one should ever have to bury a child. Do NOT take that wrong. They are incredibly proud of their son and everything he believed in and stood for. We spent last night together after they drove down from Culpepper.

We celebrated Leonard's life.

There were no second guessings, misgivings, or hesitation. They miss their son and grieve for him and are going through the same stages as the Cerri's but are strong in their faith and the certainty that Leonard was doing what was important to him. They are comforted by the principles of a small town and a close knit family. Their 3 other children and an extended family are around them and providing both solace and support. I suspect they'd have no problem reading that I say they are as fine as can be expected.

Is there anything you can do?

Sarah, Charles and I have discussed this. We need nothing. We appreciate everything. However, if you want to 'do' something we have two requests. First - somewhere in your 6-degree circle of friends and family find a deployed soldier, sailor, airman, or marine. Talk to them. Send them an e-mail, a letter, or package. Tell them you're there. Tell them you care.

It doesn't have to be Iraq or Afghanistan.

We have folks around the world that are doing our business. Just reach out to one of them. One of Leonard's biggest concerns was the soldiers in his platoon who received no mail or support from folks outside the company. Our warriors shouldn't have this problem. Second - stand a little stiller, stand a little straighter the next time you hear the National Anthem. There are generations of warriors that have made that possible.

What happened?

Leonard caught a sniper's round in the chest. He did not suffer. As far as we know at this time, his platoon and company had been engaged in relatively heavy combat all day long in Karbala. Leonard died at around 1720 Iraq time on Sunday. We do not know if he was off his tank or if it happened while he was mounted. During the same period two other soldiers were wounded although they do not appear to have been with Leonard's platoon. Again, as far as we've been able to determine, the unit returned fire and carried the field. Some reports indicate they killed the sniper.

When will his body be returned?
We were notified that his remains were due to arrive in Dover today. It will take some 24 to 36 hours for the Army to finishing positive identification and other details at which time the remains will be released.

What are the plans?
At this point we are planning on a civilian ceremony in Culpepper, VA on Saturday with eventual internment at Arlington. The Culpepper ceremony will be in Saint Stephens Episcopal Church at 1400. Please note - this is a small church in a Middle America with ~100 seats. This is where Leonard grew up and he is a hometown hero. PLEASE feel welcome if you would like to attend but be prepared to stand outside, or in an aisle, or in a tent. The Arlington ceremony is yet to be nailed down. I will notify all when details are known.

What about flowers and such?
Sarah and Charles are still discussing this and are narrowing the field. Flowers already fill our house (and our thanks). They are discussing everything from donations to the USO (if you've ever deployed - you understand. Leonard constantly talked about how well the USO took care of him.), to establishing a history award at Leonard's high school (history was his thing, he was good at it, he believed in it), to establishing a scholarship to attend summer camp (Leonard was a camp counselor for many years and strongly believed that every child should be able to attend). Give them some time and they will sort it out.

How has the Army treated Sarah?
Wonderful. Dignified. Caring. You may know that I am retired Army. I always believed that the Army took care of its own. I now know it is true. We are in Yorktown but the unit is in Germany. Regardless, the Army has wrapped its arms around Sarah as only the military can do. The notification occurred as you've seen it in the movies or read about it.

The car pulled up in the drive way and two officers came down the walk. They were professional and Sarah-oriented. They had a horrible message but delivered it in a manner worthy of emulation and admiration. Those poor guys. The causality assistance officer is equally squared away and Sarah-oriented. He will be with her till all the details are finished. He's done his homework and has thus far been able to answer everything we've asked up to the point it is known. Again, the poor soul. He has drawn one of the most awful details any soldier could ever dream of. He has deported himself well and I couldn't ask for better. The Army will carry many, if not most, of the funeral and interment expenses. Sarah will continue to receive full military benefits. Some of the next details might raise an eyebrow or two but they are available on many web sites and I share them so you may understand. She was given a check today for $12K. This benefit is not a quantification of the value of a soldiers life. It is the Army's way of providing immediate help to a spouse. Sarah is young and living with us. However, if she was a Private's wife, on her own, or with children, the fund would be a god-send of help. She will receive the Serviceman's Group Life Insurance (SGLI) payment. She will not be wealthy but she will have time to think and plan. We have received offers of help from General Officers to Lieutenant friends. From local, to Korea, to Germany, to West Point, to points around America. The Army is closing ranks to take care of my daughter. I am proud and grateful.

They both went to military schools. What's going on there? Leonard is the first USMA '03 grad to die in combat. I'll just have to report that the Corps had a moment of silence and his company is holding a military memorial. The emotions behind these ceremonies can not be put in an e-mail. If you're curious, ask me when I get back or ask a grad. They are soul searing and will stay will the Corps forever. Sarah is the first VWIL grad to experience this - ever. Her military friends around the world have reached out and her civilian friends as well.

The Commandant and the Corps have been very much a part of all this.

When am I coming back to work?
I know, I know, I know - you didn't ask and every body and their brother has said to take the time I need. I will. However, I need to get on with things as well. As of this point, it looks like Monday next is as good day to shoot for as any. I'm sure I'll need to take some periodic time off in the upcoming weeks to help Sarah and the Cowherd's settle things but they'll taper off with time.

OK y'all...LONG e-mail and it's late and I need to hit the sack. However, this is what I know as of the moment and wanted to share. I'll keep you posted.
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Tomorrow - the funeral ceremony. Sunday, the burial. Monday - Memorial Day.

Note that through it all, the Cerris and the Cowherds were thinking of others. The living.

However, if you want to 'do' something we have two requests. First - somewhere in your 6-degree circle of friends and family find a deployed soldier, sailor, airman, or marine. Talk to them. Send them an e-mail, a letter, or package. Tell them you're there. Tell them you care.

I recommend you follow their advice.

Right now would be a good time.

The tale continues here.

« Secure this line!

*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".

Defense planners are putting together options for implementing the concept, which they plan to present to the senior leadership within the next several months, said Tornberg, who co-chairs the working group that's developing the options. Once approved, the implementation plan for a unified medical command would be included in the fiscal year 2008 budget request, he said.

Throughout the process, the biggest litmus test will be how much it improves the military health-care system, Tornberg said. "No change would ever come at the price of quality," he said. "We are always striving to provide a higher-quality product, and this has the potential to help us."

Already, several examples of a unified approach to medical care are operating or in the works. DoD's health-care system in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan rely on the integrated capabilities of each of the military services. Also, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany operates as a joint medical facility.

The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure plan, with big changes to military medicine in Washington, D.C., and San Antonio, Texas, offers a snapshot of what's likely to be ahead, Tornberg said.

It establishes the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on the grounds of the National Navy Medical Center in Bethesda, while closing the existing Walter Reed campus in Washington, D.C. In addition, Malcolm Grow Hospital at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., will become an ambulatory clinic. Military medical research and development will combine efforts at Fort Detrick, Md., and Edgewood Arsenal, Md.

BRAC 05 also creates the joint San Antonio Regional Medical Center at Brooke Army Medical Center and makes San Antonio the training hub for all enlisted medical technicians.

Meanwhile, more NATO nations are contributing forces to Regional Command South, increasing the coalition presence there, Ham said. "And I think the Taliban see that to say if they don't do something to try to disrupt that transition to NATO control, then they may lose the opportunity to do that for awhile."

Three significant engagements over the past several days, including one yesterday in the Kandahar region that left up to 80 Taliban members dead, are part of Operation Mountain Lion.

Members of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan are on the ground today assessing the strike and looking into reports of non-combatant casualties, which Ham said the coalition takes "very, very seriously" and investigates "to the fullest."

"Having said that, it's also important to note that the Taliban knows that, and it's not unusual at all to see them operate in and among noncombatants, knowing the great measures we take to try to protect noncombatants," he said.

Operation Mountain Lion, which began in mid-April, has made solid strides toward disrupting insurgent activities, denying them sanctuary, and preventing their ability to restock. The ultimate goal is to extend the reach of the Afghan government so it can serve the Afghan people.

The offensive, which Ham said has now moved into the "stability and reconstruction phase," is designed to extend the reach of the Afghan security forces and, ultimately, the Afghan government.

Since the operation began with air and ground assaults in the Pech River Valley, an area notorious for terrorist activity, U.S. and Afghan security forces have conducted more than 650 patrols and discovered 12 major weapons and ammunition caches, Ham reported. He said it's "very good news" that many of those discoveries resulted from tips by local Afghans.

In addition, coalition forces met with local and district leaders throughout the region to explain the operations' goal and solicit their support for the Afghan security forces.

Coalition medical teams treated more than 8,000 Afghan men, women and children while operating in their districts and distributed more than 13,000 radios so people who never had them before can "receive news and stay connected with their central government," Ham said.

*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".

[How apt. My spam filter dumped the email notification of this comment into the trash. The comment below (except where interspersed with comments contained in [brackets]) does not represent in any ways, means or form, the personal nor editorial policy of Castle Argghhh!. We reject the unifying premise.]

The Jews behind George W. Bush

[More accurately, a list of Jews, period. Which means you know where this is going... down the Road to Dachau. Oh, wait - Dachau was just a vacation destination for European Jewry established in the middle of a genocidal war by a benevolent German government. Oops. My bad. ]

1 .Richard Perle
One of Bush's foreign policy advisors, he is the chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board. A very likely Israeli government agent, Perle was expelled from Senator Henry Jackson's office in the 1970's after the National Security Agency (NSA) caught him passing Highly-Classified (National Security) documents to the Israeli Embassy. He later worked for the Israeli weapons firm, Soltam. Perle came from one the above mentioned pro-Israel thinktanks, the AEI. Perle is one of the leading pro-Israeli fanatics leading this Iraq war mongering within the administration and now in the media.

2. Paul Wolfowitz
Deputy Defense Secretary, and member of Perle's Defense Policy Board, in the Pentagon. Wolfowitz is a close associate of Perle, and reportedly has close ties to the Israeli military. His sister lives in Israel. Wolfowitz came from the above mentioned Jewish thinktank, JINSA. Wolfowitz is the number two leader within the administration behind this Iraq war mongering.

3. Douglas Feith
Under Secretary of Defense and Policy Advisor at the Pentagon. He is a close associate of Perle and served as his Special Counsel. Like Perle and the others, Feith is a pro-Israel extremist, who has advocated anti-Arab policies in the past. He is closely associated with the extremist group, the Zionist Organization of America, which even attacks Jews that don't agree with its extremist views. Feith frequently speaks at ZOA conferences. Feith runs a small law firm, Feith and Zell, which only has one International office, in Israel. The majority of their legal work is representing Israeli interests. His firm's own website stated, prior to his appointment, that Feith "represents Israeli Armaments Manufacturer." Feith basically represents the Israeli War Machine. Feith also came from the Jewish thinktank JINSA. Feith, like Perle and Wolfowitz, are campaigning hard for this Israeli proxy war against Iraq.

4. Edward Luttwak
Member of the National Security Study Group of the Department of Defence at the Pentagon. Luttwak is reportedly an Israeli citizen and has taught in Israel. He frequently writes for Israeli and pro-Israeli newspapers and journals. Luttwak is an Israeli extremist whose main theme in many of his articles is the necessity of the U.S. waging war against Iraq.

5. Henry Kissinger
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Kissinger sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle. For detailed information about Kissinger's evil past, read Seymour Hersch's book (Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House). Kissinger likely had a part in the Watergate crimes, Southeast Asia mass murders (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), Installing Chilean mass murdering dictator Pinochet, Operation Condor's mass killings in South America, and more recently served as Serbia's Ex-Dictator Slobodan Milosevic's Advisor. He consistently advocates going to war against Iraq. Kissinger is the Ariel Sharon of the U.S. Unfortunately, President Bush nominated Kissinger as chairman of the September 11 investigating commission. It's like picking a bank robber to investigate a fraud scandal.

6. Dov Zakheim
Under Secretary of Defense, Comptroller, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Department of Defense. He is an ordained rabbi and reportedly holds Israeli citizenship. Zakheim attended attended Jew’s College in London and became an ordained Orthodox Jewish Rabbi in 1973. He was adjunct professor at New York's Jewish Yeshiva University. Zakheim is close to the Israeli lobby.
[Oops! Incomplete! Zakheim is *also* a Beltway Bandit!]

7. Kenneth Adelman
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Adelman also sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle, and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor, who supports going to war against Iraq. Adelman frequently is a guest on Fox News, and often expresses extremist and often ridiculus anti-Arab and anti-Muslim views. Through his hatred or stupidity, he actually called Arabs "anti-Semitic" on Fox News (11/28/2001), when he could have looked it up in the dictionary to find out that Arabs by definition are Semites. [Which doesn't mean they can't be anti-semitic. Look at many prominent Democrats included in this list. They are anti-American...]

8. Lewis Libby
Vice President Dick Cheney's Chief of Staff. The chief pro-Israel Jewish advisor to Cheney, it helps explains why Cheney is so gun-ho to invade Iraq. Libby is longtime associate of Wolfowitz. Libby was also a lawyer for convicted felon and Israeli spy Marc Rich, whom Clinton pardoned, in his last days as president. [Shouldn't you update this now that Libby has been indicted? Geez, dude, how long have you been prowling the 'Net, shatting in people's blogs with this drivel?]

9 Robert Satloff
U.S. National Security Council Advisor, Satloff was the executive director of the Israeli lobby's "think tank," Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Many of the Israeli lobby's "experts" come from this front group, like Martin Indyk.

10. Elliott Abrams
National Security Council Advisor. He previously worked at Washington-based "Think Tank" Ethics and Public Policy Center. During the Reagan Adminstration, Abrams was the Assistant Secretary of State, handling, for the most part, Latin American affairs. He played an important role in the Iran-Contra Scandal, which involved illegally selling U.S. weapons to Iran to fight Iraq, and illegally funding the contra rebels fighting to overthrow Nicaragua's Sandinista government. He also actively deceived three congressional committees about his involvement and thereby faced felony charges based on his testimony. Abrams pled guilty in 1991 to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to a year's probation and 100 hours of community service. A year later, former President Bush (Senior) granted Abrams a full pardon. He was one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the Reagan Administration's State Department.

11. Marc Grossman
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He was Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the Department of State. Grossman is one of many of the pro-Israel Jewish officials from the Clinton Administration that Bush has promoted to higher posts.

12.Richard Haass
Director of Policy Planning at the State Department and Ambassador at large. He is also Director of National Security Programs and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He was one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the first Bush (Sr) Administration who sat on the National Security Council, and who consistently advocates going to war against Iraq. Haass is also a member of the Defense Department's National Security Study Group, at the Pentagon.

13. Robert Zoellick
U.S. Trade Representative, a cabinet-level position. He is also one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the Bush (Jr) Administration who advocated invading Iraq and occupying a portion of the country in order to set up setting up a Vichy-style puppet government. He consistently advocates going to war against Iraq.

14. Ari Fleischer
Former ( until 2003) official White House Spokesman for the Bush (Jr) Administration. Prominent in the Jewish community, some reports state that he holds Israeli citizenship. Fleischer is closely connected to the extremist Jewish group called the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidics, who follow the Qabala, and hold very extremist and insulting views of non-Jews. Fleischer was the co-president of Chabad's Capitol Jewish Forum. He received the Young Leadership Award from the American Friends of Lubavitch in October, 2001.

15. James Schlesinger
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Schlesinger also sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor, who supports going to war against Iraq. Schlesinger is also a commissioner of the Defense Department's National Security Study Group, at the Pentagon.

16. David Frum
White House speechwriter behind the "Axis of Evil" label. He lumps together all the lies and accusations against Iraq for Bush to justify the war.

17. Joshua Bolten
White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Bolten was previously a banker, former legislative aide, and prominent in the Jewish community.

18. John Bolton
Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Bolton is also a Senior Advisor to President Bush. Prior to this position, Bolton was Senior Vice President of the above mentioned pro-Israel thinktank, AEI. He recently (October 2002) accused Syria of having a nuclear program, so that they can attack Syria after Iraq. He must have forgotten that Israel has 400 nuclear warheads, some of which are thermonuclear weapons (according to a recent U.S. Air Force report).

19. David Wurmser
Special Assistant to John Bolton (above), the under-secretary for arms control and international security. Wurmser also worked at the AEI with Perle and Bolton. His wife, Meyrav Wurmser, along with Colonel Yigal Carmon, formerly of Israeli military intelligence, co-founded the Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri),a Washington-based Israeli outfit which distributes articles translated from Arabic newspapers portraying Arabs in a bad light. [Um, MEMRI just translates the stuff, dude. The writing stands on it's own. It isn't MEMRI portraying itself in a bad light - it's the authors. Kinda *exactly* like you are in this piece of troll-scat you dumped here. Your Irony Meter is, well, *broken*]

20. Eliot Cohen
Member of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor. Like Adelman, he often expresses extremist and often ridiculus anti-Arab and anti-Muslim views. More recently, he wrote an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal openly admitting his rascist hatred of Islam claiming that Islam should be the enemy, not terrorism.

21. Mel Sembler
President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. A Prominent Jewish Republican and Former National Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee. The Export-Import Bank facilitates trade relationships between U.S. businesses and foreign countries, specifically those with financial problems.

22. Michael Chertoff
Secretary of ‘Homeland Security’ and he holds Israeli citizenship

23. Steve Goldsmith
Senior Advisor to the President, and Bush's Jewish domestic policy advisor. He also serves as liaison in the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (White House OFBCI) within the Executive Office of the President. He was the former mayor of Indianapolis. He is also friends with Israeli Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert and often visits Israel to coach mayors on privatization initiatives.

24. Adam Goldman
White House's Special Liaison to the Jewish Community.

25. Joseph Gildenhorn
Bush Campaign's Special Liaison to the Jewish Community. He was the DC finance chairman for the Bush campaign, as well as campaign coordinator, and former ambassador to Switzerland.

26. Christopher Gersten
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Administration for Children and Families at HHS. Gersten was the former Executive Director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Husband of Labor Secretary, Linda Chavez, and reportedly very pro-Israel. Their children are being raised Jewish. [Um, and if one of them is Jewish and they've agreed to raise the kids Jewish, raising their children Jewish is surprising (or informative) for what reason? Oh! I see - Chavez must be Catholic (Hispanic, right?). Um, I'm CofE (actually, I'm undeclared, I was just raised CofE), my wife is Catholic, my son is... Catholic! Oh no! You're a Buffoon.]

27. Mark Weinberger
Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Public Affairs.

28. Samuel Bodman
Deputy Secretary of Commerce. He was the Chairman and CEO of Cabot Corporation in Boston, Massachusetts.

29. Bonnie Cohen
Under Secretary of State for Management.

30. Ruth Davis
Director of Foreign Service Institute, who reports to the Office of Under Secretary for Management. This Office is responsible for training all Department of State staff (including ambassadors).

31. Daniel Kurtzer
Ambassador to Israel.

32. Cliff Sobel
Ambassador to the Netherlands.

33. Stuart Bernstein
Ambassador to Denmark.

34. Nancy Brinker
Ambassador to Hungary

35. Frank Lavin
Ambassador to Singapore.

36. Ron Weiser
Ambassador to Slovakia.

37. Mel Sembler
Ambassador to Italy.

38. Martin Silverstein
Ambassador to Uruguay.

39. Lincoln Bloomfield
Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs.

40. Jay Lefkowitz
Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

40. Ken Melman
White House Political Director.

41. Brad Blakeman
White House Director of Scheduling.

42. Carl Gershman
President National Endowment for Democracy

43. Edwin Feulner
President Heritage Foundation

44. S. Daniel Abraham
Chairman Center for Middle East Peace and Economic Cooperation

45. Joel Rosenthal
President Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs

46. Herbert I. London (Winner of the 2001 American Jewish Congress Award)
President Hudson Institute

47. Irwin Hochberg
Executive Committee Chairman Middle East Forum
The Middle East Forum, a think tank, works to define and promote American interests in the Middle East.

48. William Kristol
Chairman Project for a New American Century,

49. Bill Grinstein
Chairman World Affairs Council

50. David R. Segal
Center for the Research on Military Organization

51. Leslie Gelb
President Council on Foreign Relations

52. Abraham Lowenthal
Vice President Council on Foreign Relations

53. Myron Lieberman
Chairman Education Policy Institute

54. Jeff Cohen
Executive Director Fairness and Accuracy in Media (FAIR),

55. Michael Savage (born Michael Weiner)
Conservative talk-show host and apologist for Israel. [His readio show sucks, too, for my taste. He's mean-spirited, screechy and annoying, and he makes more money that I do at this pundit business, so mebbe he's on to something. What's that got to do with putatively being Jewish?]

56. Jane Friedman
Chairman Association of American Publishers

57. Jean Picker Firstenberg
Director and CEO American Film Institute

58. Marlene Kahan
Executive Director American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME)

59. Dan Stein
Executive Director Federation for American Immigration Reform

60. Diana Aviv
Chairman of the board National Immigration Forum

61. James D. Wolfensohn
President World Bank

62. Alan Greenspan
Chairman Federal Reserve [Oops. Need to update this one, fella. Alan retired.]

63. Nickolas J. Neubauer
Chairman Chicago Board of Trade

64. Charles H. Falk
President New York Board of Trade

65. Harvey J. Goldschmid
Commissioner U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

66. Stephen Friedman
National Economic Council

67. Lawrence Summers
President Harvard University

68. Richard L. Levin
President Yale University

69. Harvey Shapiro
President Priceton University

70. James O. Freedman
President Dartmouth College
(Quote: I dearly wish that my father, who had confronted anti-semitism in finding his early teaching positions, had lived long enough to see the installation of Jewish presidents at numerous Ivy League and Big Ten universities.") [Um, obviously your mileage varies...]

71. Jeffrey Lehman
President Cornell University

72. Henry Bienen
President Northwestern University

73. Richard Atkinson
President University of California
( Atkinson is a member of the Board of Directors of the avidly pro-Israel Koret Foundation, which features its "Israel Emergency Fund )

74. Isaac Stein
Chairman of the Board Stanford University

75. Michael Eisner
CEO Walt Disney Corporation, owner of ABC

76. Sumner Redstone (born Murray Rothstein)
Chairman and CEO Viacom, owner of CBS, MTV and Paramount Pictures

77. Arthur Sulzberger, Jr
CEO of the New York Times , The Sulzberger family also owns, through the New York Times Co., 33 others newspapers, including the Boston Globe, purchased in June 1993 for $1.1 billion; twelve magazines, including McCall’s and Family Circle with circulations of more than 5 million each; seven radio and TV broadcasting stations; a cable-TV system; and three book publishing companies. The New York Times News Service transmits news stories, features, and photographs from the New York Times by wire to 506 other newspapers, news agencies, and magazines. [A well known and documented supporter of this President! Snerk]

78. Peter R. Kann
Chairman and CEO Dow Jones & Company, Inc, publisher of the Wall Street Journal

79. Peter Chernin
President and CEO of Fox Group, owns Fox News

80. Michael Silverman
Managing Editor Associated Press

81. Lloyd Blankfein
President and Chief Operating Officer Goldman Sachs, world's biggest investment bank

82. Stephan Newhouse
President Morgan Stanley

83. Sanford Weill
Chairman Citigroup, owns Citibank, the world's biggest private bank

84. Robert Rubin
Chairman of the Executive Committee and Director Citigroup [Ah, yes, Clinton's Treasury Secretary, just falls all over himself supporting Bush's policies... why just the other day I heard him on Limbaugh, right after his appearance with Ann Coulter, and before he dropped in on G. Gordon Libby. I hear he's scheduled a segment with Ollie North, too.]

85. Henry Kravis
Investor, President of Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts.
In 1997 Kravis joined with fellow billionaires Edgar Bronfman, Sr. and Lewis Eisenberg ( both jewish) to establish the Republican Leadership Council

86. Michael Dell
Founder and chairman of Dell Computer, head of the Bush technology panel [...and his firm built the computer I'm typing on. So?]

87. Michael Rubens "Mike" Bloomberg
Businessman and mayor of New York City [Ah yes, a Raging RINO who supports the President about as firmly as Senator Lincoln Chafee, (RINO) Rhode Island]

88. Ruth Joan Bader Ginsburg
US Supreme Court Justice [Who it's well known has voted in support of all this Administrations policies when appealed to the Supreme Court. Not.]

89. Stephen Breyer
US Supreme Court Justice [Another jurist well known to have voted in support of all this Administrations policies when appealed to the Supreme Court. Not.]

Izziss the best you've got? You're just a jew-hater, fella. Nothing more. It's not something to be proud of. Go away, and don't bother us again.

*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".

With full apologies to Rick Springfield...

Jessie is a friend

Yeah, I know he’s been a good friend of mine

But lately something’s changed that ain’t hard to define

Jessie’s got himself new friends and they’re lying all the time

Moonbats are watchin’ him on that blog

And they’re lovin’ him in that uniform, I just know it

And he’s holding up their hopes late, late at night

You know I wish that I had Jessie’s balls

I wish that I had Jessie’s balls

How can he keep a straight face like that?

Won’t play along with the charade

Can’t even put his beret on right

You know I feel so dirty when they start talkin’ war

He wasn’t anywhere near Fallujah or even Tal-Afar.

And moonbats are watchin’ him on that blog

And they’re eating up those lies, I just know it

And they’re wishing he was real, late, late at night

You know I wish that I had Jessie’s balls

I wish that I had Jessie’s balls

How can he keep a straight face like that?

And I’m lookin’ online all the time

Wonderin’ why they won’t believe in me

And I’ve been honest, I’ve been cool with the lines

Ain’t that the way truth’s supposed to be

You know I wish that I had Jessie’s balls

I wish that I had Jessie’s balls

I want Jessie’s balls

Where can I find brass balls like that

And who says they don't have a sense of humor...?

Heh. And gee, Greyhawk, I at least asked permission...!

*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".

*A term of art from the artillery. Harassment and Interdiction Fires.

Back in the day, when you could just kill people and break things without a note from a lawyer, they were pre-planned, but to the enemy, random, fires at known gathering points, road junctions, Main Supply Routes, assembly areas, etc - to keep the bad guy nervous that the world around him might start exploding at any minute.

Not really relevant to today's operating environment, right? But, it *is*

The UAVs we fly over Afghanistan and Pakistan looking for targets of opportunity are a form of H&I fires, if you really want to parse it finely. We just have better sensors and fire control now.

I call the post that because it's random things posted by me and people I've given posting privileges to that particular topic. It's also an open trackback, so if (Don Surber uses it this way a lot) someone has a post they're proud of, but it really isn't either Castle kind of stuff, or topical to a particular post, I've basically given blanket permission to use that post for that purpose. Another term of art that might be appropriate is "Free Fire Zone".

The Right Process

Before World War II, the Germans reorganized their army in a new way and, in doing so, changed the nature of war. The blitzkrieg was highly efficient and effective. Today, little doubt exists that the U.S. Army has the structure and processes in place for victory in any conventional conflict, but when the contest has less to do with destructive power than with winning hearts and minds, is the Army organized and manned in the most efficient, effective manner to win? The assessment made by many of those critical of the numerous peacekeeping operations throughout the globe is that it is not.

The military's role in peacekeeping is to maintain a safe, secure environment. Little else is asked. Nationbuilding is seen as a separate, distinct diplomatic enterprise. Given the current structure and manning of the military force, this seems like a rational division of responsibility.

Unfortunately, as former U.S. Congressman Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill once said, "All politics is local!" Most human interactions during nationbuilding occur between members of the Armed Forces and the local community. Few Iraqis have encountered Coalition Provisional Authority administrator L. Paul Bremmer, but many have had interactions with U.S. soldiers. The millions of interactions Iraqis have with the Armed Forces create lasting impressions about Americans, and the impressions either support or diminish U.S. efforts.

The ultimate goal of nationbuilding is to establish a self-sustaining country friendly to the United States. To do so, the U.S. military must use all its assets effectively. The United States should structure, man, and employ forces to ensure the peace and optimize nationbuilding through quality interactions with civilian populations. Soldiers must go beyond being peacekeepers and become nationbuilders.

Up, Not Down

Ford's assembly line and the Army's rigid top-down command structure are good examples of the top-down approach to management that dominated the latter half of the 19th century and all of the 20th century. All organizational actions, down to the most elemental movements of the workforce, were controlled from the top. In combat operations, this type of management philosophy has proven highly effective.

Unfortunately, the top-down system has been less successful in nationbuilding. Top-down management encourages exaggerating good news and minimizing bad news. Run that tendency through several layers of command and the chance is slim of higher headquarters understanding what is important in any exchange between a nationbuilder and a civilian.

A Vietnam war story provides one example of failure of the top-down command structure. The command decided that building local schools would be a good hearts and minds thing to do. Military forces went into local villages and built schools. Ceremonies were conducted to celebrate the wonderful advance the new schools represented. Pictures were taken. Speeches were made. Officers congratulated each other. And, shortly thereafter, the Vietnamese burned the schools down.

The decision to construct schools was a top-down decision. No one asked the villagers what they thought about it. The villagers were not involved in the decision or the construction. As a result, they saw the school not as a benefit, but as a tool of repression.

During my tour of duty in Bosnia, my unit met an older gentleman who asked us for help. We went to his home where he pointed out a man-size pit in his back yard, which he believed was an unmarked grave. He asked for help to investigate the situation and hopefully bring closure to some family's grief.

I promised to see if I could get some help, and I reported the situation up my chain of command. I reported it four times, but I never found out any information for the villager. My superiors took no action or allowed me to do so; it was not a command priority. We did nothing other than embarrass ourselves.

Did the villager blame me personally? No, but he concluded that Americans had little interest in his concerns. The United States missed a chance to make a friend and an opportunity to shorten our stay in Bosnia.

Bottom-Up Success

The weapons harvest is a semiannual event in Bosnia in which the Stabilization Force (SFOR) attempts to remove militarygrade weapons from the civilian population. Different units take different approaches. My unit took a positive, supporting approach. The local authorities were in charge. We would help. They set the dates and locations for action and coordinated the effort. We did not threaten or intimidate the civilian populace, and by taking this approach, we secured several antitank weapons; hundreds of automatic weapons, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades; and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Other SFOR contingents took a top-down approach. With minimal coordination with local authorities, SFOR soldiers searched local homes with or without owners' consent. One unit that had taken this intrusive approach confiscated only an old pistol and one hand grenade after several weeks of work. The skills required to conduct a successful military operation are not the skills required for nationbuilding.

The Small Hammer

When my unit arrived in Bosnia, we spent 2 weeks with the unit we were replacing to learn the mission. My predecessor told me he would introduce me to the mayor of the local village in our area of responsibility. He explained that the mayor was a difficult man who dodged meetings, did not like Americans, and only tolerated our presence. When we arrived at the townhall, a secretary informed us the mayor was in a meeting and would be unable to see us. My predecessor announced, "I am SFOR! The mayor will see me now!" We then stomped up the stairs and barged into the mayor's meeting. I do not speak Serbo- Croatian, but I could read the mayor's body language: he was quite unhappy with the intrusion. My predecessor's problem was less the mayor's dislike for Americans than his dislike for a particular American. However, my predecessor executed the mission the way he had been instructed. His only requirement was to maintain a safe, secure environment. Unfortunately, he acted more like a conqueror than a nationbuilder.

A few weeks later, I went back to the townhall and asked for an appointment to see the mayor at his convenience. Then I made sure I was there when he was willing to see me. I did so because it was good manners and because my unit would be both safer and more effective with the mayor as an ally, not an adversary. Eventually, the mayor and I were able to work well together. He was not anti-American. He simply wanted to be treated with the respect he deserved as the town's mayor. Good manners go a long way in any culture.

Uncommon task training

The skills nationbuilders need to be effective, which are not now in common task training manuals, fall into two categories: interpersonal communication skills and areaspecific knowledge. The ability to speak the local language is critical to the ability to communicate. The use of interpreters is a poor substitute for communicating directly. Speaking the language immediately confers a status far beyond simple communication and is the first big step toward trust. Communication skills can be learned. The sales industry has developed countless communication models that can be adapted easily to communication in nationbuilding. After all, the United States is attempting to "sell" some of its basic beliefs.

The Reserve Component contains a reservoir of uncataloged civilian skills. Making a living as an architect has little application in combat operations, but the same ability could have great application in nationbuilding. The Army should catalog and certify such reservist civilian skills and use them when appropriate.

The great Broadway show The Music Man opens with the musical number "You Gotta Know the Territory!" Knowing the territory is vital and entails more than understanding geography; it entails appreciating how the locals think of themselves as a group.

Not many people wake up in the morning and say, My culture and I are worthless and insignificant. People need to respect themselves, especially in uncertain times. Every group has some accomplishment it can point to with pride. The way to create support for nationbuilding is to respect, appreciate, and acknowledge the local people's historic contributions. Area-specific knowledge should include understanding local customs; cultural and political history; and the current political situation.

Understanding the current situation entails understanding people. Who are the significant players in the area who shape opinion-the employers, the clergy, the head of the local education system? Who is in charge of utilities, police, and insurance? Who controls the media? Where do they live? What are they trying to achieve professionally and personally? All politics is local. The discovery and effective handoff of such information is vital to nation-building.

My predecessor in Bosnia did as he had been taught. The transition briefing book he provided contained pictures of significant locations, the townhall, the police station, and local churches and mosques. Unfortunately, it contained not one word on the townspeople. In less than a week, I knew where every building was. Six months later, I was still learning about the people. One man had just lost his wife of 30 years. Another wrote poetry. One individual liked chocolate. Another was threatening his neighbors. An effective nationbuilder must understand people and relate to them, not buildings. The briefing book we gave our successors was 20 percent locations and 80 percent personalities. The book gave our successors a real resource on which to build in dealing with people. Unfortunately, I believe we were the exception rather than the rule.

The Army should develop current civil affairs units into highly effective, efficient nationbuilding units by building on their existing base of expertise and training them for region-specific nationbuilding missions, including training in the language, customs, culture, history, and significant individuals in their areas. These units would differ from today's civil affairs units in several ways. They would not be nationbuilders; they would be new units with a unique designation and unique uniforms, demonstrating to the world that the United States has moved from fighting to nationbuilding.

Unlike current civil affairs units that provide technical expertise, future nationbuilders would assist and provide governance. Soldiers need to know how to destroy targets. Nationbuilders need to know how to create good impressions and build formidable relationships. They are one part diplomat and one part soldier. We want first-line nationbuilders to be smart, educated, and capable of assessing situations and taking independent actions within the general guidelines set forth by the higher command. We want our nationbuilders to be open, approachable, and easy to communicate with. We want nationbuilders who understand and care about the locals. We want nationbuilders to dialogue first and rely on force only as a last resort.

We want our soldiers to have none of these qualities. The U.S. soldier should be the wrath of God, able to bring death and destruction anywhere at any time. Let the nationbuilder be the good guy and the soldier the bad guy. Attempting to have the same people in the same uniforms perform both roles confuses those around us as well as ourselves.

We must invest more instruction in cultural studies and communications techniques. We must recruit the type of individuals we want and retain them. At the end of combat operations, nationbuilder units would deploy to the country to take over first-line responsibility. Combat units would be kept in reserve for a period of time in case of emergency.

As nationbuilding progressed, the nature and size of reserve combat forces could be altered without any noticeable change to the level of engagement. Finally, as efforts matured, the nationbuilders would phase themselves out and local authorities would assume control.

The Benefits

A bottom-up command structure with properly trained, proactive nationbuilders would-

• Improve U.S. standing in-country.
• Increase the effectiveness of diplomatic efforts and the safety of the troops.
• Decrease the costs of operations and unit formation.
• Reduce engagement time.
• Improve the readiness of conventional forces.

History is full of examples of countries that have won the conventional war, but lost the nationbuilding war. In Vietnam, we learned that you do not win a person's heart and mind by kicking him in the butt. Unfortunately, we have yet to learn the most efficient way to win hearts and minds.

Nationbuilding's effect on a client state can be profound and more enduring than that achieved solely through diplomatic efforts. A properly trained nationbuilding force cannot supplant traditional diplomatic efforts, but it can greatly enhance them.

Similarly, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the U. S. was faced with putting people into the airports capable of maintaining security, or shutting those airports down.

"Well, there wasn't any department or agency - federal, state or local - that could instantaneously put in those airports some folks who could on an interim basis provide that kind of security and assistance, and then transfer it over to the Department of Transportation," Rumsfeld said.

Rumsfeld called the decision "a rational use of taxpayer assets." With the American people's estimated $500 billion annual investment in its military, it's reasonable for them to expect the military to step in to support other missions as it's able, he said.

"We have a standing capability that has the purpose of deterring people form attacking and defending our country to the extent it is required," he said. "On the other hand, it's there, and there is no reason it ought not to be used from time to time for things that no rational person would have invested in just to have on standby, in case there's a Hurricane Katrina (that) comes along."

That's exactly how Rumsfeld said he looks at the newly announced National Guard border security mission. With the National Guard making up just 19 percent of the U.S. military force in Iraq, the Guard has the assets available to support the mission, he said.

"What is wrong - and I can't find anything wrong - with a plan that on an interim basis, temporarily, we would provide 6,000 out of 450,000 people who will do doing it on their active duty for training for two weeks?" Rumsfeld said. "They will go down there (and) do exactly what they do in their training. & They are not going to be out with guns, standing on the border, shooting at people trying to come across the border. They are not law enforcement."

Rather, Rumsfeld said, the guardsmen will support the U.S. Border Patrol as it beefs up its force and moves its own members from support to operational jobs. "The Border Patrol that are in the tail as opposed to the teeth end of the Border Patrol will be freed up to move into the teeth portion," he said.

A lot of misinformation is circulating around about the mission, the secretary acknowledged. "People imagine that we're going to go down there, stay there forever, (and) that it's a whole new role for the Department of Defense," he said. "It isn't. We're simply doing it on an interim basis, just like we do with firefighting."

When wildfires rage in the Western U. S., the military, primarily the National Guard, regularly answers the call for support, he said.

"People weren't recruited into the military to go fight fires," Rumsfeld said. "But by golly, the Guard and Reserve does that every year. They do it because somebody has to go do it for a short period of time, and there are people (in the military) who have those skill sets.

"So I feel good about it," he said. "I think it's the right thing to do."