for 12 March 2001. Updated every WEEKDAY.

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Mr. Beers

Another superb piece of thinking. It is a privilege to read your stuff. The military is a mystery almost never considered with sympathy and critical intelligence all at once. I will use this essay in my "Organizational Culture" class next fall.

Thomas Duncanson
<tduncanson@mail.millikin.edu>

Thanks. Delighted to hear you're teaching one of your classes with something I wrote — generally I have to influence the youth of America one at a time, and it involves a lot of time-consuming skulking and prowling. But this mass hypnotism thing, that I can get behind. It's like one of those giant Moonie weddings, in a stadium.

Let me know what they think.

Ambrose Beers

The Marines are getting new hats. They're getting floppy-brimmed canvas-y hats, the kind someone always buys on vacation and no one looks good in, those all-the-way-around, not-quite-a-cowboy-hat not-quite-a-baseball-cap keep-the-sun-out-of-your-eyes hats. They're getting cool pixelated camo cargo pants too.

Josh Kamensky
<kamensky@inetworld.net>

By far the best thing about that story is this one sentence:

"Among the innovations being considered is the addition of gaiters, cloth coverings for the calf, instep and ankle--the macho cousin of spats."

The macho cousin of spats. Arg!

Ambrose Beers

Dear AB:

Very nice. I wonder what comes next after your term is up. Graduate school and a useful specialized niche? Very possible...an ex-hippie grad student I knew took his PhD in modern history and now lectures at the War College and the Academies. Little Jamie Fox, who I hung out with in his first job, is now the always-quoted Dr Professor James (some middle initial) Fox specialist in cops and crime. It's a living. And not a dishonest or unrewarding one.

Or you could do something useful. The real novels about the army were written after the Civil War and WWII because only there were large numbers of men of all types swept up into war. A handful came out of Korea, for the same reason. Since then, it's the officer types--and the Academy professional officer types---who've done the writing. I hope you choose the latter path.

Anyway...good article. If you can find it, last week's New Republic (on line if you have access) discussed the underlying logic of genocide. It appears plausible that the rationale for such horror is the very human one to just not have enemies: if everyone unlike you is dead, then---and only then---are you "safe." Unfortunately, the article goes on, it is indeed the very concept of "other" that defines our humanness. Only by appreciating that we are inevitably surrounded by those not like us (ie, weak, spineless, not from Southie) can we be moral beings. Hell, I oversimplify...read the piece.

Again, thanks.

Alan Kornheiser
<akornhis@optonline.net>

Funny you mention it, because my term is up relatively soonish. Should be home on August 13, a date that I repeat to myself, out loud, several times an hour. 120-day mark on April 13!

As for what comes next after my term is up: I've been on an infantry post next to a shithole military town in the deep south for two years. Go ahead and guess what the _very first thing_ on my mind might be. I'm planning on getting started in the airport.

After that, I have a very large pile of unread books that's been backing up while the army pours my time down the rathole. And, yes, there will be a novel. I have notes; I have many disorganized pages. I just need some time to sit, quietly, in an apartment near the ocean, so I can actually write the thing for real.

In between the. Um. Other thing. That I've been mostly saving up for two years. Have any sisters? (Know anyone who has any sisters?)

Ambrose Beers

As always, that was some truly great shit.

One question: I have always considered the 10th Mountain Division to be some pretty crack badasses — is that impression not borne out by the current reality? Am I projecting WWII history onto the situation?

Good to see more of your stuff recently, keep it up.

MikeCotton
<michael.cotton@guarantygroup.com>

Some people think, on account of all the extremely miserable cold-weather/high-altitude training, on account of all the physical challenges and all the, um, combat history, that they're crack badasses.

But the Rangers know better. Evidence: No special hat. See?

Ambrose Beers

Soldier (and I mean that with more respect that you can imagine):

Writing as a former "special hat" guy, I must admit that I am not too happy that the Army is going to pass out the black beret to everyone. I just think it is stupid.

A beret will NOT boost retention, recruitment, morale, or performance. I have read some articles by people serving in Ranger bats. now who are outraged that anyone without a tab or in a battalion would get a black beret. I can only imagine that the folks writing that tripe have no clue what it is that makes the Rangers an elite force or what the it means to truly serve (and I mean that in the selfless, I am here for my friends and not the fucking re-enlistment bonus, way).

As for the "hierarchy" that the gentleman alluded to, I also see that as a load of shit. A U.S. soldier, properly trained and equipped is the finest fighter in the world. The extra schools (Ranger, Airborne, Special Forces)