INDCJournal: "How to Win in Anbar"

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December 11, 2006

"How to Win in Anbar"

Posted by Bill

This is a must-read: a Powerpoint presentation (pdf document) utilizing stick figures which I suspect succinctly summarizes many of the same political, economic and warfighting complexities and challenges presented by the Devlin analysis. I've learned at least as much about Anbar from those 18 slides than the entirety of the MSM coverage to date.

The author? An evidently brilliant fellow named Captain Travis Patriquin. CPT Patriquin was killed by the same IED that felled PAO Major Megan McClung last Wednesday. Michael Fumento knew both of them, and pens an epitaph:

Patriquin was exactly the sort of officer we need in Iraq. He spoke at least five languages including fluent Arabic, and was a major player in getting Ramadi sheiks to start supporting Coalition operations by sending men into the Iraqi Police and urging civilians to expose al Qaeda terrorists. He fought in one of the fiercest battles of the Afghanistan war, Operation Anaconda, later receiving the Bronze Star. Patriquin also provided a terrific inbriefing, giving an overview of a city that seems slowly to be improving but is still too much like the local graffiti states: "The graveyard of the Americans." I quoted him at great length in my major article about the trip in the Nov. 27 Weekly Standard.

Fumento writes of their death:

While most journalists heading into Ramadi require no PAO escort, for some reason on December 6 both McClung and Patriquin, plus 22-year-old Army Specialist Vincent J. Pomante III decided to accompany some reporters downtown in a separate vehicle. A tremendous blast from an improvised explosive device (IED) ripped apart their truck, killing all three. I heard about Patriquin from a cousin of his, then left a message for McClung asking for verification and offering her my condolences. And then I found out about her. McClung has the dubious honor of being the first female officer killed in the war.

Godspeed MAJ McClung, CAPT Patriquin and SPC Pomante.

(Powerpoint via Blackfive)

Posted by Bill at December 11, 2006 06:18 PM | TrackBack (4)

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Comments

Capt (made Maj while I was embedded) McClung and I jousted many times over her desk at the PAO Office in Camp Fallujah. She made fun of me for "policing up my area" (my trailer room) like a "Good Marine". Her wit and humor, her sense of duty and humanity made it a pleasure to work with her.

She was class act, a nice lady, a great Marine, and someone who never cut me any slack, took any of my shit, but always came through on my request. She was the prime mover in getting me embedded with Lima 3/5, and my resulting story. Today is a pretty shitty, sad day for me.

Posted by: Don Jones at December 13, 2006 01:34 PM

Major Megan McClung will be missed. Had the pleasure of doing some PT with here back in my Beaufort, SC days. She was a STUD and thats why she joined the Corps and always, always had a great smile. Thanks for the kind words guys.

Semper Fi Megan

R. Shayne

Posted by: Robert Shayne at December 15, 2006 04:06 AM

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Posted by: iesmpnr gsynbflzk at January 10, 2007 04:21 PM

cool blog!

Posted by: Tom at April 9, 2007 06:28 AM