thedrifter
09-05-07, 07:43 AM
The Saints and the Surge
By Beau Higgins
With the start of NFL and college football seasons upon us, I was struck by some of the similarities in today's fight in Iraq and the way we all want our teams to perform on the gridiron. As a diehard Saints fan, I admittedly have been through my fair share of painful losses over the years and have yet to see my team finish on top -- although this year is looking pretty good. Clearly, last year's dream season for the Saints was the highlight of what has been a long suffering love affair for the team. Last season my beloved Saints battled to the end, and while they lost before reaching the final stage of the Super Bowl, they went down swinging with their heads held high and the knowledge that they had left it all on the field.
As a Marine currently deployed for a 3rd tour in Iraq, I am confounded by negative reporting on the situation in Iraq which is causing too many people at home to lose hope. Admittedly, mistakes have been made in how this war was prosecuted, but from my perspective of the battlefield, which is focused on Al Anbar province, I am surrounded daily by signs of progress. The number of attacks are down dramatically. There are an exponentially growing number of Iraqis who want to be part of the future and are demonstrating this by their willingness to join the Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army or local security forces. The populace finally seems to have bought into the future as they are tired of the violence and less willing these days to harbor Al Qaida or other Anti Iraqi Forces in their homes. This is a significant change that has clearly established Al Anbar province on the road to future success and has the potential to shake up the politicians in Baghdad with a grass roots movement that cannot be ignored.
Our President, as the owner of the military team, staked his political future on the "surge", a decision widely panned by many. He also installed a new head coach in the form of General Petraeus who has introduced a new offensive philosophy focused on counter insurgency. In football terms, the surge may have seemed to many like throwing a Hail Mary pass. In my opinion, the pass has been caught by the residents of Al Anbar province. And while they haven't run the ball across the goal line yet, they are moving steadily in that direction. Could the ball carrier (in the form of the Iraqi people) be stopped before they score a touchdown? No doubt about it, but the level of hope for the future in this part of Iraq hasn't been this high in years. Many back home have grown tired of the fight here and that is certainly understandable, but these Iraqis have not grown tired, and now is not the time for America to take a knee and run out the clock.
We Marines will not quit the fight, and the Iraqis in Al Anbar province are getting on board for the team win as well. We only ask that we be given the time for the runner to cross the goal line. In the past, I have made the analogy to friends that as Marines deployed to Iraq we are asked to move the ball down the field 5 yards at a time. None of us come over here thinking we are going to necessarily win the game by ourselves, but the Iraqis I see are making steady progress on a battlefield we share. Much like hurricane Katrina did not drive the Saints out of town, there have been setbacks in Iraq, but we shouldn't turn out the lights in the Iraqi stadium while time is left on the clock and the end zone finally appears to be in sight.
Semper Fidelis. Go Saints.
----LtCol Beau Higgins is the Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
Ellie
By Beau Higgins
With the start of NFL and college football seasons upon us, I was struck by some of the similarities in today's fight in Iraq and the way we all want our teams to perform on the gridiron. As a diehard Saints fan, I admittedly have been through my fair share of painful losses over the years and have yet to see my team finish on top -- although this year is looking pretty good. Clearly, last year's dream season for the Saints was the highlight of what has been a long suffering love affair for the team. Last season my beloved Saints battled to the end, and while they lost before reaching the final stage of the Super Bowl, they went down swinging with their heads held high and the knowledge that they had left it all on the field.
As a Marine currently deployed for a 3rd tour in Iraq, I am confounded by negative reporting on the situation in Iraq which is causing too many people at home to lose hope. Admittedly, mistakes have been made in how this war was prosecuted, but from my perspective of the battlefield, which is focused on Al Anbar province, I am surrounded daily by signs of progress. The number of attacks are down dramatically. There are an exponentially growing number of Iraqis who want to be part of the future and are demonstrating this by their willingness to join the Iraqi Police, Iraqi Army or local security forces. The populace finally seems to have bought into the future as they are tired of the violence and less willing these days to harbor Al Qaida or other Anti Iraqi Forces in their homes. This is a significant change that has clearly established Al Anbar province on the road to future success and has the potential to shake up the politicians in Baghdad with a grass roots movement that cannot be ignored.
Our President, as the owner of the military team, staked his political future on the "surge", a decision widely panned by many. He also installed a new head coach in the form of General Petraeus who has introduced a new offensive philosophy focused on counter insurgency. In football terms, the surge may have seemed to many like throwing a Hail Mary pass. In my opinion, the pass has been caught by the residents of Al Anbar province. And while they haven't run the ball across the goal line yet, they are moving steadily in that direction. Could the ball carrier (in the form of the Iraqi people) be stopped before they score a touchdown? No doubt about it, but the level of hope for the future in this part of Iraq hasn't been this high in years. Many back home have grown tired of the fight here and that is certainly understandable, but these Iraqis have not grown tired, and now is not the time for America to take a knee and run out the clock.
We Marines will not quit the fight, and the Iraqis in Al Anbar province are getting on board for the team win as well. We only ask that we be given the time for the runner to cross the goal line. In the past, I have made the analogy to friends that as Marines deployed to Iraq we are asked to move the ball down the field 5 yards at a time. None of us come over here thinking we are going to necessarily win the game by ourselves, but the Iraqis I see are making steady progress on a battlefield we share. Much like hurricane Katrina did not drive the Saints out of town, there have been setbacks in Iraq, but we shouldn't turn out the lights in the Iraqi stadium while time is left on the clock and the end zone finally appears to be in sight.
Semper Fidelis. Go Saints.
----LtCol Beau Higgins is the Commanding Officer of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion.
Ellie