Sunday, August 27, 2006

MARINES IN THE REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
Last year I was fortunate to deploy to the Republic of Georgia (in the former Soviet Union) to cover the work of the Marines serving there as part of the Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program (GSSOP). Marines, along with personnel from the US Navy, Army and Air Force have been serving in the Georgia since 2002, helping to train military units to western standards. Georgia is a democratic nation looking eagerly to the west with hopes of joining NATO and the European Union in the coming years. A well-trained, professional military supports their goals and helps bring stability to the the volatile Caucasus region. The Georgians are wonderful, gracious people. I hope to visit there again. For more about the work of the Marines in Georgia, see upcoming issues of the Marine Corps Gazette and Leatherneck magazines. Links to the articles will be posted here when available.

Saturday, August 26, 2006


What is a Field Historian?
We're all familiar with history. We've read it, studied it, perhaps even learned from it... but where does it come from? In my civilian career I am a high school history teacher. I am also a Marine Reservist. Since 2004 I have been privileged to serve as a Field Historian with the Marine Corps History Division based in Quantico, VA. Our mission is to document Marine Corps History as it occurs by deploying wherever Marines are serving to conduct interviews, take photos, collect documents and preserve artifacts. I always encourage my students to learn from "primary source" documents whenever possible. My work as a Marine is to collect these sources for future historians to use. This blog contains some of my personal observations and reflections as I work to document the role of the Marine Corps in the global war on terror. The opinions herein are mine alone and should not be construed as those of the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense.