Osama

Me, on the way to Basrah.

On September 11, 2001, I had just finished PT, got showered and changed, and was in the chow hall when the plane hit. We were supposed to go to JRTC that month, and train with the 101st Airborne, but little did we know that act would send the entire Army and a couple of generations of Soldiers on a wild ride.

I am not sure his death will change much in the grand scheme. We will get a treasure trove of info, and the fellas that chase guys like him are in for a busy summer, fall, winter, spring, and probably summer. I don't think it ends the war in Afghanistan, and it's not going to get us out of Iraq any sooner.

I have mixed emotions. Happy that the guy responsible for me having to take off my shoes at the airport and then get searched by little more than a mall security guard got aced, happy for the families of 9-11, and happy that all of the sacrifices of all of the military for the past 10 years paid off. I am wowed by the audacity of the operation, as well as the thought to bring the body out. But I also wonder who's next? Al Qaeda has proven its resiliency over the decade, and at least with him at the top we knew who to go to. When does it end, when is good enough good enough? My experience with the muslim world tells me it will end when all of the extremists are dead, as they don't readily give up, even when their efforts are completely futile.

I'm sure the smart guys can figure it out. I'm also glad to see we learned something from the Uday/Qusay goof: Kill him, but respect the culture so as to not create 10 more Bin Ladens. Bury him at sea and feed him to the fishes to prevent another Mecca.

I am also a bit surprised at the public's reaction. I think it's great, and I hope their support continues, as it is very much appreciated.

Back to work. Thanks for reading.

Ron