Marine Corps Stories: Engulfed

Digital images flashed like flickering holograms over the model outlines of Tehran, Iran and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. General Misha Wainwright observed the moving figures that represented the Marines camped out in the two countries. She contemplated with the other generals around her. The War Room buzzed.

“Ma’am,” Major General Paul Brandt said. “We’ve got to be wary of the civilian populations. We cannot destroy their infrastructure or their homes and businesses. The battle is against the enemy, not untold men, women, and children.”

Misha caught that part about “untold.” Brandt said it but meant innocent. She continued to peer at the board. Her face became a brick wall. Nothing less than a wrecking ball could break her concentration.

“I hear you talking, Paul. And I somewhat agree with you. But the fight should be brought to civilian populations. We are not to rape and pillage like some savages of the past. But we are to destroy the capacity for our enemy to make war and to cripple the psychology of the people who help, aid, and abet these bastards.”

Lieutenant General Tasha Spraic spoke next. “Ma’am, there’s too much collateral damage that could be involved here. If we target civilians, we will create animosity and hatred for generations to come.”

Without missing a beat, Misha fired back, “Oh, like Germany and Japan after World War II?”

Tasha fell silent for a moment. She appeared flustered. Red marks colored her cheeks out of embarrassment or fear or worse. She quickly regained herself. She breathed in a gulp of air through her mouth.

“Mish’, we’ve got to do this surgically,” she said.

“There is only surgery in war when one of our own catches a bad one. Otherwise, the idea is to keep the enemy in as much discontent as possible. I say that we keep our boots down and allow for them to fulfill their missions. Let us decide that the enemy should be extinguished with full force and if any civilians get in the way, so be it. The blood will not be on our hands. It will be on the palms of the corrupt and evil governments that sponsor terror and other atrocities in this world. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Tasha said.

Brandt circled the board which showed highly detailed contours of the two nations. Each had specific backstories to the top enemy combatants and the whereabouts of each of them. A hologram drone flew over the virtual landscape every few minutes.

“I think that we should be cautious about whether we can adequately assemble enough Marines to attack the strongholds that have populated this region, Mish’,” he said.

“What is war?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

“Yes, you are for that last statement. But what is the reason for war?”

“It’s for fighting...why, it’s conflict.”

“Exactly. And so we fight with all of our power and strength to not contain the adversary but to crush him and if need be, turn his cities to dust. Hell, I would even bring fire into this equation.” She waved her hand over the digital board. “All of this should be in ruin and engulfed in conflagration. But not just some haphazard way of doing it, this is the only ‘surgical’ way to do it. We could fire bomb the means that make the war possible to these terrorists and insurgents. Once we break the mindset that they can win, we will have gained just the opposite of what you said Tasha. The civilians will be wanting to reach out and grasp our tanks and throw candy at us for the simple fact that we would be liberating them. Though that is not our aim or goal, we must be aware that our actions will precipitate the elimination of those who threaten our way of life. That’s why these missions are entitled Operation American Freedom and Operation Columbian Liberty. We’re not here to cast packages of food or build roads, sewers, and schools. We’re not here to aid in the ‘democratic’ process of affording the people the right to vote. We are here to strike fear in our enemy’s mind and to keep him from ever considering going against the United States. This meeting is over.”

The generals filed out of the room and as the last Marine left, the digital board collapsed and the light flickered away.