A New Generation of Heroes Surfaces

A new greatest generation is emerging --- in Afghanistan, in Iraq and on the other, less-publicized battlegrounds of the war on terror.

Focused on the U.S. political cycle, America’s media elite are missing the extraordinary story of the 19 through 35-year olds who are winning this war. The detailed history of this new cohort of American and free world leaders - the people who will shape the 21^st century - is being written by themselves, chiefly on the Internet, via e-mail or Web logs.

This is a battle-honed bunch with exceptional talent and motivation, young people with a mature balance of idealism and realism, youthful cool and professional competence. I saw this on every patrol and convoy I made this past summer in Iraq. I had the privilege of working with these “kids,” inevitably chastising myself for referring to such able young adults as kids. Their comeback was always, “It’s OK, sir. We know colonels are old.

” Sam, a U.S. Army private first class from Milwaukee, is an example of young soldiers who are both “boots and geeks” - troops who can handle digital technology and rifles. The unclassified laptop is on the blink. Sam taps out a half-dozen commands, and the machine functions smoothly. Need to run the eight kilometers of iffy freeway between Baghdad International “Airport and downtown? Sam pulls up in an SUV, his M-16 propped so he can drive and shoot.

Sam goes through the pre-trip procedures calmly, carefully. If we “meet trouble” and can’t drive through the ambush- and Sam is very good at high-speed swerves; I’m talking NASCAR level - he’ll take the best firing position available and try to suppress the attackers. Cool? He does this every day.

I know Sam has several gripes with “the system” - every real soldier earns the right to gripe. But in four months, I never saw a gripe deter this young man from doing his job right.

Then there’s James. He’s a captain in the Australian army (note, I said “free world leaders”). He’s 27, with a law degree but, more importantly, on-the-ground experience. He has a special talent for seeing the “big picture” strategic assessment. Every night the analytic group he organized would meet in Al Faw Palace to discuss the day’s events, with particular emphasis on economic and political issues affecting Iraqi governance.

James’ “chess club” consisted of lieutenants, captains, majors and a handful of young enlisted troops, with a couple of old fogies allowed to kibbutz. From the discussion, James would produce four or five concise PowerPoint slides. He usually finished his chore around 2 a.m., when he e-mailed the slides worldwide. By 9 a.m. the next morning, there’s James, back in the office, with a huge cup of coffee, starting the process again.

James “product” attracted a large readership. One day we got a complaint from headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Europe, that “the interesting slides SACEUR likes to see” hadn't arrived by e-mail.

<>Australia, James said one morning, was America’s most reliable military ally in the 20^th century and those shared values extend into the 21^st century. As a senior officer told me the day before I left Baghdad: “You’yet gotten to see what I see, Austin. These young people are so smart.” <>
“Where do they come from?” I asked. "I don’t know. Many were in the service before 9-11, but a lot of the young enlisted people, they’ve come in since then.” “Maybe it’s the pressure, circumstances,” I said. “Your know, terrible challenges, the old saw of rising to the occasion?”

We both looked at each other. No doubt that is the case - but the challenges these young people meet day in and day out are dangerous and daunting.