Fulfilling the Iraq Mission

I interviewed former Marine E.J. Catagnus in a January 2007 Times Herald article just prior to the Iraq "surge". The Jan. 21, 2007 article follows:

Local marine wants to change military

By KEITH PHUCAS
Times Herald Staff

NORRISTOWN – In order to win in Iraq, former marine Earl Catagnus Jr. says U.S. troops must be there for the long haul, with helmets off to help Iraqis rebuild their war-torn country. The classic hearts and minds approach. Kinder and gentler.

“If you build a school and stay there, eventually you’ll see children graduate from the school,” he said.

Troops must get out of the Green Zone and mingle with Iraqis in their neighborhoods. Actually, sit down and eat meals with them.

“If you’re forced to sit down and break bread with someone, it’s harder to hate them,” he said.

To succeed in such a counterinsurgency effort, Catagnus said, coalition forces must clear neighborhoods of the enemy, hold the territory and build the economy. It won’t be easy, but ultimately this approach could win the day.

But the 28-year-old Norristown native questions whether the America public is truly committed to succeeding in Iraq.

“America has to have the stomach for the long term,” he said. “If we leave now, they’ll always hate us. But, if we stay, there’s a chance to actually win.”

And victory would mean having a United States ally in the Middle East.

Two years ago, Catagnus was walking house to house in the Iraq city of Fallujah with the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines ferreting out insurgents. Sometimes his squad had only four men.

He had injured his knee even before getting to the Middle East, but he kept his injury a secret.

“I fell all the time,” he said. “It was like a running joke.”

Thousands of Iraqis evacuated the city before the Second Battle of Fallujah began in November 2004. Those who remained were considered hostile. Though the marines came across Iraqis in private residences, many combatants were Jordanians, Saudis, Chechens or natives of African countries.

“The majority of the fighters we encountered were foreign,” he said.

In 2004, then Sgt. Catagnus was in charge of a sniper section, a mortar team and a group of Navy SEALS. He was later promoted to staff sergeant.

Often, his unit found houses contained a surprising assortment of weapons – AK-47s, grenades, 15-foot rockets, mortar shells and launching tubes. Explosives were tucked into sacks of flour or sugar.

“You name it,” he said. “Every house had a weapon in it.”

Improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, hidden in the dirt, under trash piles or buried in the road were especially dangerous.

“We found an IED factory that could produce 30 (explosives) a day,” he said.

Catagnus and nine other marine were injured in an explosion during a house-clearing operation in Fallujah. Fortunately, the men’s wounds were not serious. He was peppered in the face with shrapnel.

“I saw the fireball, and I remember hearing a pop,” he said. “I almost lost my eye.”

Other marines weren’t so lucky. His best friend, Ssgt. Eric McIntosh was killed in combat in Ramadi. Another friend lost both legs.

Catagnus first served in the Marine Corps from 1998 to 2002 as a scout sniper. He had two tours in Okinawa. The marine sergeant volunteered to be recalled to active duty in 2004 before deploying to Iraq.

In 2005, he got out of the marines and returned to Penn State University in Abington. When he graduated earlier this month with degrees in history and life sciences, the military presented him with the prestigious Purple Heart at the commencement ceremony.

Last week, he applied for a doctoral program at Temple University.

The former marine is articulate and could talk for hours about past wars, and how the military should learn from history and change.

He faults marine officers for neglecting the enlisted men, who should be taught critical thinking skills and undergo extensive cultural sensitivity training to aid their mission in Iraq.

“The smartest people I’ve ever met were the young marines (I served with), who were able to improvise, overcome obstacles and adapt,” he said. “A lot of the officer corps underestimates the capacity of the individual infantryman.”

Catagnus wrote a 37-page training manual for Iraqi Special Forces. In 2005, he co-authored, “Infantry Squad Tactics,” with three other marines in 2005. The article appeared in the Marine Corps Gazette.

The Bush administration recently proposed sending a “surge” of 17,500 more troops to Iraq, including 4,000 additional marines to Al-Anbar Province that includes Fallujah.

Catagnus is critical of Army Gen. George Casey Jr., the top military commander in Iraq, who told the Associated Press Friday that troops making up the surge in Iraq could be ready to return home by late summer.

“I think it’s absurd that he’s saying that,” Catagnus said.

With lots of speculation about routing insurgent militia groups in the coming weeks, the Norristown native believes the historical moment demands more than combat.

“I don’t agree that it’s a purely military solution,” he said. “You engage the population, and the insurgency dies.”

Catagnus scoffs at setting timetables for the Iraq mission, believing success there is what’s most important.

“We’re going to take casualties, but in the long run it’s worth it,” he said.

Currently, Catagnus lives in Norristown with his wife, Rebecca.