ANTHOLOGY AND ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY                                       207


Hussein forces us to fight him, he will see that the Marine Corps is to war what
Michael Jordan is to basketball.
   Many of you asked me what I eat.     We are issued three times a day a small
rectangular, heavy, green plastic bag called a meal-ready-to-eat (MRE).   The
MREs come in a case of 12.     Each case has the same 12 meals: diced turkey,
ham slices, pork patty, beef patty, beef stew, chicken a Ia king, frankfurters,
chicken loaf, meat balls with BBQ sauce, beef slices and BBQ diced with gravy.
Each package has crackers, peanut butter or cheese, cake, salt, pepper, sugar,
coffee, gum, matches, toilet paper, and a candy bar.    Some meals have beans
in tomato sauce or applesauce. The ones we eat were made in 1985. 1 have lost
20 pounds since I got here, so that should tell you something about how good
it tastes.  Some evenings trucks come with hot food, but to be honest, many of
the meals we have eaten, we have not been able to give a name.    Some type of
meat with noodles and sauce. I really miss McDonald's and my wife's great
cooking.    For the first time in my 31 years of living, I wish I had a plate of
vegetables.   I would eat a giant bowl of green beans, broccoli, or corn if I
could get it.  I also miss fresh salads. I have to stop; this is making me very
hungry.
   One of you asked if I like my job and if I was having fun. I have to be very
honest. There have been a few occasions where I have never been happier (only
a few, however).    As an officer I really love working with my Marines, I care
very much for my men.     I show them respect, keep them informed, and do my
best to protect them. When they go out of their way to show me they appreciate
and respect me, it makes it all worthwhile.     Everyone wants to feel they have
value and that their existence makes a difference.   I feel that way now. I have
been a Marine since I was 17 years old, and now I make decisions that affect
the lives of 900 men.  I love being in charge and leading strong, well-trained,
very disciplined warriors.   My country needs me, and my job makes me feel
important.
   Many of you ask what I do.     I am a senior captain in a Marine Corps in-
fantry battalion.   An infantry battalion is made up of five companies with
roughly 900 Marines total. We are a ground fighting force, meaning we do not
have tanks, artillery (cannons), or aircraft.  These weapons do, however, come
under our control in combat.   My position would put me between the principal
and a senior teacher if your school was a battalion. The principal would tell me
what he or she wanted and I would carry out those instructions by directing the
teachers.    As the assistant operations officer, I have 14 Marines who work
directly for me.  Most of my time is spent planning combat missions.   Another
job I have is senior watch officer for the battalion's combat Operations center.
In that role, after directed by my commanding officer or operations officer, I
either directly or indirectly control and monitor the actions of the battalion's
Marines, and the tanks, artillery, aircraft, or other weapons that come under our
control. When not rehearsing combat missions, I supervise the battalion's train-
ing to get my Marines ready.    The best part of my job is when I get to train
Marines.    I have taken 300 Marines out to teach them how to shoot machine-
guns.     I teach a hand-to-hand combat class a few times a week to get my Ma-