"The Marine Corps has always considered itself a breed apart. Since 1775, America's smallest armed service has been suspicious of outsiders and deeply loyal to its traditions. Marines believe in nothing more strongly than the Corps' uniqueness and superiority, and this undying faith in its own exceptionalism is what has made the Marines one of the sharpest, swiftest tools of American military power. Along with unapologetic self-promotion, a strong...

"The story of Army Major General Mark Graham and his wife Carol, whose two sons are both military men. Their sons pass (one from suicide, one in combat), and the Grahams' grief sheds light on military culture, and society's struggle to come to terms with the death of our soldiers"-- "The unforgettable and sensitively reported story of a military family that lost two sons--one to suicide and one in combat--and channeled their grief into fighting the...

In response to the irregular warfare challenges facing the U.S. in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2005, General James Mattis-then commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command-established a new Marine Corps cultural initiative. The goal was simple: teach Marines to interact successfully with the local population in areas of conflict. The implications, however, were anything but simple: transform an elite military culture founded on the principles...