“May You Live in Interesting Times”

The Economist Sept 22 Cover

The disputed Senkaku islands lie about 250 miles due west of our Marine—the distance from here to Dallas. And the turtle at the bottom right answers, “Sadly, yes.” Yikes. The above proverb could just as easily read, “…in interesting places.”

I posted earlier about “The New Global Hot-Spot: Asia Pacific.” Tensions have only risen since then.

photo from Getty Images. A Japanese coast guard vessel at right sprays a Taiwan boat with water cannon.

And now, Taiwan has entered the fray, also lodging a territorial claim. Similar claims swirl in the South China Sea between China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand.The Economist article makes several good points:

• • They draw a parallel between today’s situation and the rising nationalism in imperial Germany a century ago. “China is re-emerging after what it sees as 150 years of humiliation, surrounded by anxious neighbors, many of them allied to America. In that context, disputes about clumps of rock could become as significant as the assassination of an archduke.”
• “Asian politicians have to start defanging the nationalist serpents they have nursed; honest textbooks would help.”
• They suggest three “immediate safeguards:” one, “to limit the scope for mishaps to escalate into crises;” two, “to rediscover ways to shelve disputes over sovereignty, without prejudice;” and three, “to bolster deterrence.”

(A related article observed that when a Chinese policeman invited a local journalist to participate in a protest, she asked if she could also shout anti-corruption slogans. “He told her to stick to the approved anti-Japanese ones,” said the magazine. Herein lies my previously expressed doubt about the spontaneity, or lack thereof, of such demonstrations in totalitarian regimes. Anyone remember the excessive moaning and wailing when Kim Jong Il died?)

Photo from AFP. Funny title on “Economist” blog: 58,000 tonnes of coincidence

Adding fuel to the fire, China recently unveiled its first aircraft carrier—although the first flight won’t leave its deck for years.

US allies in the region continue to build ties with the military in general and the US Marines in particular. Already, US Marines are based in Darwin, Australia, and recently the Pentagon announced a training partnership with New Zealand. The Philippines are also interested in increased cooperation, and the US military hold regular exercises with both Japan and South Korea (all mentioned in my previous Asia/Pac post).Again from The Economist: “A century ago in Europe, years of peace and globalization tempted leaders into thinking that they could afford to play with nationalist fires without the risk of conflagration. After this summer, [incoming Chinese leader] Mr. Xi and his neighbors need to grasp how much damage the islands are in fact causing.” I’m paying close attention to headlines coming in from this part of the world.

Prepping for the Worst, Hoping for the Best

Typhoon Sanba kicks up a mean wave (NBC News photo)

Military exercises don’t always hone wartime skills. They also practice disaster response, so when the “real one” hits, everyone knows what to do.

At the beginning of typhoon season (see my earlier post), III MEF (Sean’s unit) prepares Okinawa residents for a bad storm. (Good thing, too, since two “super typhoons” have pummeled Oki in the last month.) They publish “disaster kit” lists (bottled water, batteries, flashlights, etc.), inform everyone about the different levels of typhoon warnings, and post frequent updates to their Twitter and Facebook accounts when storms approach.

“The critical thing… [is to] have a discussion about what to do and where to go should an event occur,” said the regional installation emergency manager. So far, so good. The Japanese know how to build for such storms. I haven’t even heard of any injuries or serious property damage (other than electrical damage to a camp fieldhouse) from the last two storms, much less deaths.

As if typhoons weren’t bad enough, they must also deal with the potential for earthquakes and tsunamis. III MEF recently installed a new tsunami warning system and tested it during their annual “all-hazards” exercise. This system will “significantly improve the safety of personnel who live or work in low-lying coastal areas….and improve their ability to safely and expeditiously evacuate those in harm’s way,” said a recent issue of the base newspaper. NOAA says that Japan has experienced the most tsunamis of anywhere in the world.

Sometimes, Marine units hold joint disaster exercises with local Japanese officials. This year’s exercise simulated a large earthquake, and the local authorities asked the 12th Brigade to assist with response operations. “As Marines, we are always ready to do humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations when asked by Japan,” said a local commander.

CBRN exercise (USMC photo by LCpl Daniel E. Valle)

Not all disaster exercises plan for natural events. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit recently held a CBRN exercise, where they practiced mass-casualty decontamination procedures. I try not to dwell on the meaning of CBRN: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear.

So far, our Marine hasn’t participated in any of these exercises, but there’s always the potential. It sure would put his emergency management degree to good use. Stay safe!

Where in the World are US Marines?

US Marine global deployments

In a word……everywhere!

In addition to over 30 US installations and permanent overseas bases in seven countries, Marine units deploy frequently to countries around the globe. Marine Corps Times publishes a weekly map listing all known deployments; as you can see, units are currently working in Central America, Africa, the Middle East, and Australia.

Recent trips have included Norway for Exercise Cold Response, Uganda to train the Uganda People’s Defense Force, and the USS Iwo Jima as a quick reaction force, ready to address any “hot spots” in the area. Okinawa hosts the Jungle Warfare Training Center, which holds frequent exercises to train Marines for the challenges specific to jungle warfare.

US Marines in Uganda (photo by Cpl Jonathan Wright)

Many of the missions to foreign countries involve training local forces in specific skills. The mission in Uganda, for example, includes training in marksmanship, small unit tactics and engineering to prepare Ugandans for their deployment in support of the African Union Mission in Somalia. Talks are underway with the Philippines to increase the presences of US Marines there.

And sometimes, the Pentagon quickly sends Marines into crisis areas. Just this week, in response to the attack on the US consulate in Libya, 50 Marines from Rota, Spain were sent to Tripoli. According to the Associated Press, these Marines are “members of an elite group known as a Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team….whose role is to respond on short notice to terrorism threats and to reinforce security at embassies.”

As the Marines draw down their presence in Afghanistan, the Pentagon will continue to redeploy units to address other problem areas around the globe (see my last post on the Asia/Pacific). It’s probably only a matter of time before our Marine ends up somewhere other than the US or Okinawa.

For more of my thoughts on being a military mom, see the August 2012 issue of “American Legion Auxiliary” magazine (look for the “Faces of Freedom” story).

The New Global Hot-Spot: Asia/Pacific

As US troops withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Pentagon is gradually shifting its focus to another region of the world—the Asia/Pacific basin. Our Marine lives and works smack in the middle of this current global hot spot.

Recent news headlines sound ominous:

• “Tensions set to cloud APEC summit”
• “Clinton: US committed to Asia-Pacific security”

Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen James Amos (photo courtesy USMC)

The Marine Corps Commandant, Gen. James Amos, and Sgt Maj of the Marine Corps Michael Barrett recently visited Okinawa (and other Asia/Pacific countries) to build relationships and visit the troops to stress the importance of their mission. “This is a very important part of the world and we want to make sure that we’re here to talk to our Marines,” said Amos.

Amos also spoke about the importance of III Marine Expeditionary Force, to which Sean is assigned. “There is nobody further west, there is nobody more engaged…than the III Marine Expeditionary Force,” he said. “This really is the tip of the warfighting spear.”

Location of disputed islands (from Google Maps). Naha is on Okinawa.

While territorial claims fly fast and furious in the South China Sea (between China, the Philippines, Malaysia, and others), regional tensions have also flared recently not far from Okinawa.

A recent Marine Corps Times story outlined how “the Marine Corps’ plan for future deployments in the Pacific is solidifying.” The Corps plans to reduce its Okinawa presence from the current 14,000 troops to 10,200 in coming years; how this will affect Sean’s unit (if at all) is not yet clear.

We often joke that if the Russians are Klingons and the Chinese are Romulans, the North Koreans must be Tholian. (Apologies to non-Trekkers.) What’s the old proverb? “May you live in interesting times.” He certainly joined the Corps during just such one of those times. Rest assured that this Mighty Marine Mom will closely follow developments in the coming months.