It is instructive that there are no comments on this story. It is also instructive that there has been little or no mention of this story in the media. This is a missed opportunity for the Marines specifically and the military generally to highlight warfighting techniques in a positive manner.

People love animals. There is much survey research data to support this view as well as anecdotal evidence almost everyone can share. In my case, I got a quick education at the end of the First Gulf War. I was a civilian advisor to the Kuwaiti government in exile who accompanied the first elements of that body into Kuwait City at Liberation. I assisted them with several issues including coordination with the Coalition Military. An immediate problem presented itself when a rumor began to circulate that US Marines had slaughtered animals at the Kuwait Zoo. I asked for assistance from the Army Civil Affairs unit attached to the Army Central Command Forward (RCENT Forward). This was a Reserve Unit that included veternarians and almost any other skill set imaginable. A crusty old Colonel who was from Fort Worth, Texas quickly assembled a team to accompany us to the zoo. I also canvassed the international press contingent to see if there was any interest. There was and a fairly large and representative group trudged along to check out this story. I was fairly confident that the Marines had not used the zebras for target practice so I (naively?) did not deeply investigate prior to leading this eclectic group to our destination.

We found that there were many exotic species that had either escaped or been killed by the Iraqis. Many of these occupying conscripts were starving and simply wanted to eat. However, some Republican Guard troops had visited on occassion and played hunting games. They roughed up the handlers and attendants who showed us scars and bruises to substantiate these claims. That not all of the animals had died was a tribute to the dedication of these people who also had not been paid during the occupation.

An elephant had been shot in the hind quarter and was in obvious distress. A Rhino was suffering from sunburn (the water was out of commission so there was no place for it to bath and hide from the sun.). Other birds and mammals were suffering from a variety of maladies. The Colonel obviously loved animals and promptly triaged and treated the wounded. He was a cattle farmer and vet in civilian life who instinctively calmed the elephant who had smacked his long time handler with his trunk when he had tried to sooth the beast. The Colonel was also a natural with the media.

Deborah Roberts reported this for The Today Show and later told me they had received a record number of telephone calls (the metric of those days) applauding the troops and decrying the Iraqis for their inhumane treatment of the animals. The only discordant note was struck by an absolutely ravishing French journalist who asked to see me the next day. She quickly burst my bubble by launching into an antiAmerican diatribe that essentially accused me and my fellow countrymen of caring more about animals than the civilian casualities inflicted by preinvasion bombing. My knee jerk reaction is thankfully not recorded.

The long and shot of this was that the original hazy accusations against the Marines were overtaken by the obvious affection exhibited by the US servicemen and women and recorded for posterity in electronic and print media. This helped set the tone for favorable coverage of the post invasion phase of the liberation of Kuwait. It also illustrated that the Army can plan for all phases of warfare. The most recent post by Mr. Ricks correctly points out that this has not been the case in the post 9/11 wars. That is probably as much a function of Mr. Rumsfeld's lack of understanding of these things as any lack of committment by the Army brass to civil affairs functions as part of COIN or other operations.

The Marines usually have a flair for these things in spite of recent headlines. They should disseminate the story about their efforts to help a canine member of their family and use it to educate the public. The Army should enhance the civil affairs units and reintegrate them into conflict planning.

Just started reading Power Point Ranger...a little juvenile but funny at the same time. http://militarytimes.com/blogs/outside-the-wire/files/2012/01/PPR-2.jpg