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Too few know that the first national leader to recognize the independence of the United States was a Muslim, Muhammad III, the Sultan of Morocco.
When I first heard the news of the desecration of dead Muslim terrorists I did not want to believe it. After 19 months in Afghanistan I knew our enemies were capable of despicable acts and hoped they had cleverly faked the event to discredit the force that has done them and their cause the most damage over the past three years.
My arrival in Afghanistan came shortly after a Marine battalion arrived in Helmand Province in the spring of 2008. As the brother of a U.S. Marine and a student of history I knew that the surest sign the United States is serious about something is when we send in the Marines.
From on the ground in Afghanistan I could see and feel the change that came with the arrival of 11,000 more Marines throughout the spring of 2009 as part of the troop increase authorized by President Obama in February 2009.
In April 2009 I went through counter-insurgency (COIN) training in Kabul with the leaders of a Marine battalion from Camp Pendleton. The seriousness and professionalism of these Marines was self-evident.
Over the previous months I had observed Army units from many nations go through this training. Many complained that they already received this training but displayed a profound ignorance and misunderstanding of the essence of the COIN strategy crafted by General David Petraeus and his team at Fort Leavenworth through their attitude and actions. These Marines were different.
Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" McCullough and his Marines understood that COIN was not some "touchy-feely" attempt to make our enemy like us. They understood that COIN had nothing to do with the meaningless and tired cliché of winning "hearts and minds." They understood that real COIN was about protecting innocent civilians from predatory criminals and terrorists who used Afghan shepherds, farmers and civilians as support in their war against the elected government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
In two weeks of classes we were not taught how to kill the enemy. The Marines knew how to do this from their training at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton. Instead we were taught how to interact with the population we were there to protect – to respect Afghan traditions, culture, and religion.
These Marines understood the need not to lend aid and comfort to our enemies by making our struggle against terrorism appear to be a war on their religion.
These Marines intuitively grasped the essence of COIN operations. That helping the good guys was equally if not more important than hurting the bad guys. After this training these Marine leaders returned to the United States to share this training with their Marines.
Too few know that the first national leader to recognize the independence of the United States was a Muslim, Muhammad III, the Sultan of Morocco.
When I first heard the news of the desecration of dead Muslim terrorists I did not want to believe it. After 19 months in Afghanistan I knew our enemies were capable of despicable acts and hoped they had cleverly faked the event to discredit the force that has done them and their cause the most damage over the past three years.
My arrival in Afghanistan came shortly after a Marine battalion arrived in Helmand Province in the spring of 2008. As the brother of a U.S. Marine and a student of history I knew that the surest sign the United States is serious about something is when we send in the Marines.
From on the ground in Afghanistan I could see and feel the change that came with the arrival of 11,000 more Marines throughout the spring of 2009 as part of the troop increase authorized by President Obama in February 2009.
In April 2009 I went through counter-insurgency (COIN) training in Kabul with the leaders of a Marine battalion from Camp Pendleton. The seriousness and professionalism of these Marines was self-evident.
Over the previous months I had observed Army units from many nations go through this training. Many complained that they already received this training but displayed a profound ignorance and misunderstanding of the essence of the COIN strategy crafted by General David Petraeus and his team at Fort Leavenworth through their attitude and actions. These Marines were different.
Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" McCullough and his Marines understood that COIN was not some "touchy-feely" attempt to make our enemy like us. They understood that COIN had nothing to do with the meaningless and tired cliché of winning "hearts and minds." They understood that real COIN was about protecting innocent civilians from predatory criminals and terrorists who used Afghan shepherds, farmers and civilians as support in their war against the elected government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
In two weeks of classes we were not taught how to kill the enemy. The Marines knew how to do this from their training at Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton. Instead we were taught how to interact with the population we were there to protect – to respect Afghan traditions, culture, and religion.
These Marines understood the need not to lend aid and comfort to our enemies by making our struggle against terrorism appear to be a war on their religion.
These Marines intuitively grasped the essence of COIN operations. That helping the good guys was equally if not more important than hurting the bad guys. After this training these Marine leaders returned to the United States to share this training with their Marines.
Two months later they returned to Afghanistan with their Marines to participate in "Operation Khanjar" (Strike of the Sword), an operation led by Afghan General Sheer Mohammad Zazi and the 205th Corps to liberate Helmand Province from the Taliban.
The mission of McCullough’s Marines was to liberate the Nawa District of Helmand Province. Based on thorough preparation the battle was fought and won with rapid and professional precision.
After the battle, Rajiv Chandresekaran, an embedded reporter from the Washington Post said that the real test of their victory would be what the place looked like in 100 days.
Almost exactly 100 days later Chandresekaran returned to Nawa with USMC General James Mattis. "Is it safe?" the general asked Colonel McCullough. "No Sir,” he replied, “not 100 percent, but it's safe enough. Let's ground our gear." The Marine Commander then took the General and the reporter on a tour of the bazaar. Where 100 days earlier there were only six shops, there were now 86. Refugees who had fled the town under the Taliban had returned and the market was packed with sheep, goats, and men, woman and children shopping.
The equal professionalism and effort to winning the peace as well as fighting the war in the DNA of these Marines made the difference.
Now, a few angry, undisciplined Marines have tarnished the reputation of the Corps, and handed the enemy a propaganda coup greater than they could have manufactured.
But the internet video picture that thousands, if not millions, will see of our Marines is the wrong picture. The attached picture of Lt. Col. Bill McCullough is the real picture of the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. Sadly it is one that too few have seen. As most U.S. Marines know the sword carried by the United States Marine Corps is a Mameluke sword like the one presented to Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon in December 1805 near the shores of Tripoli by Prince
U.S. Marines and independent Muslim warriors together defeated the Barbary Pirates to protect free trade in the region in the first overseas engagement by the United States in 1805. The sword Col. McCullough presents to an Afghan elder in the Nawa District of Helmand Province in 2009 is a version of the same sword presented to the Marines by Muslim warriors as a token of respect to the Corps.
Lawrence "Chip" Levine served as a senior training advisor to the Afghan National Army from June 2008 to January 2010. He lives in Leavenworth.
