NOTES from the BIG CHAIR

Can you believe it's been over a month since we've updated here at wthomassmithjr.com? Yikes! Sorry!
We'll try to do better... It's just that the work-load, travel, deadlines, etc. have been overwhelming.
Anyway, lots to report, and it'll take days to do so, so keep reading...
Two recent pieces in National Review Online, here and here (more on one in just a bit), other stories in The Washington Times, NavySEALs.com, and World Defense Review.
Speaking of WDR, check out the latest by Mark Dubowitz, the COO of The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies; and Lt.Col. Heath L. "Mac" McMeans (yes, for those of you who know me personally, he's my "Uncle Mac").
OK, what else? I don't know... It's been so long, the really great news is now old news. In fact, I probably wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for my friend Beth Zimmerman over at Marine Corps Times who politely and unwittingly shamed me into coming back to wthomassmithjr.com for the sake of my readers... and I do love my readers... you ladies and gents are the greatest. Special thanks to all the active duty, reserve, retired, and former Marines and sailors who have sent me so many letters recently.
SPEAKING OF MARINES, the following by Bill Webber of RPRM was released last evening -

MARINE SPECIAL OPERATIONS TEAM GIVEN "GREEN LIGHT"
48 HOURS AFTER ARTICLE APPEARS IN
NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE

On October 26, W. Thomas Smith Jr. reported in National Review Online
that a new Marine special operations team was being formed.
For the report, Smith interviewed Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine,
who had been tasked by the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM)
to evaluate the development of the team and write the report.
Smith had a copy of the report.
Smith also interviewed Gen. Paul X. Kelley, former commandant of the
Marine Corps.
The Marine unit had been being developed for over two years, and it was
waiting on Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld's signature to give it the
"green light."
Some DoD officials said it might be another six months before the
Marine team was officially launched.
Smith wrote on October 26, "the only thing keeping the Marine SOCOM
Detachment from being formally stood up is the signature of Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld."
Within 48 HOURS of the article being published, Rumsfeld called a
meeting of the SOCOM commanding general and the commandant of the
Marine Corps, and the SOCOM Detachment was given the "green light."
Tonight the standing up of the new Marine Special Operations
Detachment is being announced by FOX News and others.
You heard it here first.
Regards,
BILL WEBBER for
Carolyn Ronner
RPRM

Thanks, Bill and others.
Semper Fi,
WTSjr
P.S. Almost forgot... enjoyed my conversation about Iraq, this morning, as a guest with talk radio host Kirby Wilbur on Seattle's KVI. Many thanks always to friends Kirby and his producer, Kelly Minnis.