Principles, Innovation Reveal Marines' Success, Petraeus Says
(August 5, 2009) | 
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| ARLINGTON, Va., July 31, 2009 – The secret to the U.S. Marine
Corps' success is a blending of bedrock principles with innovation, the
commander of U.S. Central Command said here last night.
Using two examples from recent history -- the heroism of the last Marine Medal
of Honor recipient and the turnaround in Iraq's Anbar province, -- Army Gen.
David H. Petraeus shared his view at an event hosted by the Marine Association
Foundation.
“On the one hand, Marines display a stalwart resistance to change in those
bedrock values that form the very foundation of what it means to be Marine,” he
said. “On the other hand, Marines demonstrate a ready embrace of innovation that
allows them to adapt to the environments in which they operate and to the
enemies they face.”
Some of those timeless, unchanging truths that describe the Marine Corps include
an unflinching devotion to one's fellow Marines, a ready embrace of hardship and
a universal emphasis on the skills and the spirit of the rifleman, he said.
Petraeus said these underlying principles are illustrated in the story of Marine
Corps Cpl. Jason Dunham. In 2004, the 22-year-old Marine was killed in action in
Karabilah, Iraq, when he used his body to cover a grenade and shield his fellow
Marines from the ensuing blast.
Dunham became the 295th Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's
highest military decoration, which is bestowed for gallantry in action. The Navy
will christen a ship named in the fallen Marine's honor -- the USS Jason Dunham
-- next week during a ceremony at Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine.
Petraeus said the Marines' actions in Anbar province illustrate their ability to
adapt their strategy to meet unique challenges.
In 2006, Anbar province was one of Iraq's most contentious regions. It was a
society that had collapsed under the weight of an endemic insurgency with an
infrastructure dilapidated by years of infighting and neglect. But amid the
surge of U.S. forces in 2007, al-Qaida operatives overplayed their hands in
Anbar, alienating local residents. Meanwhile, the influx of U.S. Marines helped
to tamp down violence and create political breathing room, which in turn allowed
the forging of key alliances between local tribal sheiks and coalition
operators.
“As a result, sheiks started coming forward to coalition forces to discuss an
alliance to throw off al-Qaida,” Petraeus said. “And this was the opening we
needed.”
The “Anbar Awakening,” a societal purging of extremism by Anbaris, and formation
of a civilian security group known as “Sons of Iraq” ushered in a level of
stability unprecedented since U.S. operations in Iraq began.
“It is not an exaggeration to say that the Anbar Awakening helped alter the
course of events in Iraq,” Petraeus said. “And I believe that generations from
now, historians will continue | |
Article and photo by John J. Kruzel
American Forces Press Service
Copyright 2009
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