Beyond the DropZone

W. Thomas Smith Jr.

Recent stories are available at the Beyond the DropZone blog.

• Jihadism's dangerous liaisons [18 Mar 08]
• Turning a terrorist into a cult hero [21 Feb 08]
• The insanity of Hezbollah [15 Feb 08]
• Slipping below the radar screen [13 Feb 08]
• Lebanon "cannot bear two armies" [10 Feb 08]
• Hezbollah trying to demoralize the Lebanese Army [04 Feb 08]
• Connecting the dots
Is a terrorist-allied TV company infiltrating our media? [28 Jan 08]

• For the families
We don't know what you're feeling, but we're trying to understand [30 May 07]
• We're being hamstrung in a war we must win [15 Mar 07]
• Iraq's "King David"
Gen. David H. Petraeus may be the man who can save Iraq [20 Feb 07]
• Spirituality and military service [22 Jan 07]
• Casualty figures a shameful means of manipulation [08 Jan 07]
• Stopping an attack on U.S. soil
An interview with Maj. Gen. Tom Garrett, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security [04 Dec 06]
• Eagle Scout, Intel Guru picked to head Defense
A profile of Defense Secretary nominee Dr. Robert M. "Bob" Gates [13 Nov 06]
• Defending "America's longest border"
An exclusive interview with Rear Admiral Timothy D. Beard, III [27 Oct 06]
• Kim, his nukes, and his army
North Korea's Kim Jong Il tests nukes; threatens war with the United States [16 Oct 06]
• Plain talk about fighting terrorism
An exclusive interview with Medal of Honor recipient Michael E. Thornton [02 Oct 06]
• F-35 Lightning II will fly within weeks [18 Sep 06]
• Descendents of giants
The Marine Corps is still producing a few good men [19 Jun 06]
• Defining combat [05 Jun 06]
• Echoes of the 19th century's forgotten conflict [13 May 06]
• "College-prep" for Navy SEALs?
A special school for Navy SEAL hopefuls is preparing candidates for the rigors of BUD/SEAL training [09 Feb 06]
• It takes decades to stand-up an army [19 Dec 05]
• Where we were when Pearl Harbor was attacked
WWII veterans share their personal places-in-time with W. Thomas Smith Jr. [02 Dec 05]
• Kuwait-based Navy SEAL Reservist is building armored vehicles for Iraqi combat [14 Nov 05]
• A dramatic toast to the President
A tale of one of America's most colorful commandos [17 Oct 05]
• Fear of monsters
A tale of the Bosnian War [12 Oct 05]
• "Welcome to hell, gentlemen!"
An inside look at the Navy SEALs' five-and-a-half-day pressure cooker that finds the warrior within the man "who would rather die than quit" [26 Sep 05]
• Bringing special operations thinking to Army basic training
An exclusive interview with Brig. Gen. James H. Schwitters [13 Sep 05]
• Reflecting on the 9/11 terrorist attacks [11 Sep 05]
• U.S. Army recruits train to battle Al Queda [05 Sep 05]
• Born to be a soldier
Reflecting on the impact of Southern military culture [29 Aug 05]
• Nothing tougher than an American Marine [20 Aug 05]
• Marines, Navy SEALs forge new special operations team
An exclusive interview with U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Mark Divine [16 Aug 05]
• Generations [25 Jul 05]
• Inside Hell
An exclusive interview with Janine Di Giovanni, one of five women war correspondents featured in Bearing Witness [15 Jul 05]
• "Sharkman of the Delta"
An exclusive interview with retired Navy SEAL Commander Richard "Rogue Warrior" Marcinko [MilitaryWeek.com, 16 Jun 05]
• "PhDs with guns"
Linda Robinson's "Masters of Chaos: The Secret History of the Special Forces" [MilitaryWeek.com, 24 May 05]
• The passing of a soldier's soldier
Best-selling author, Col. David H. Hackworth, dead at 74 [MilitaryWeek.com, 11 May 05]
• Preparing young Americans for battle
An exclusive interview with Brigadier General Abraham Turner [MilitaryWeek.com, 05 May 05]
• Fighting Kentuckians [MilitaryWeek.com, 22 Apr 05]
• The birth-cry of America's armed forces [MilitaryWeek.com, 14 Apr 05]
• The Pope's "few good men" [MilitaryWeek.com, 07 Apr 05]
• Iraqi combat capability on the upswing [MilitaryWeek.com, 29 Mar 05]

About W. Thomas Smith Jr. :
• USwriter.com
• FactChasers Research Service
• AbsoluteWrite interview
• Free Times
• The State
• South Carolina Literary Map
• Facts on File reviews
• Battle Cry by Kay Day
   A poem for W. Thomas Smith Jr.

Order W. Thomas Smith Jr.'s books at amazon.com.

Articles by W. Thomas Smith Jr. :
• U.S. House Armed Services Committee
• U.S. Pacific Command
• University of South Carolina i-site