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CNN Saturday Morning News
Novak Zone
Aired December 13, 2003 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: United States Marines are currently deployed in hot spots around the world, fighting the war on terrorism, among other missions. The nation's top Marine is General Michael Hagee, and who took time out to join Robert Novak in this week's edition of The Novak Zone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT NOVAK, HOST: Welcome to The Novak Zone.
We're at the headquarters of the United States Marine Corps at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, with the 33rd commandant of the Marine Corps, General Michael W. Hagee.
General Hagee, you're nearing your first -- anniversary, your first year as commandant. What is the role of the Marines in America's war against terrorism?
GEN. MICHAEL W. HAGEE, COMMANDANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, the -- really, the role of the Marines and the Navy is to project combat power from the sea for this nation. And over this past year, we have done that, both in Afghanistan and in Iraq. We are also currently in Djibouti, in Africa, collecting actionable intelligence on the global war on terrorism.
NOVAK: Specifically, what is the role of the Marines in the two battlefront areas in Afghanistan and in Iraq?
HAGEE: Well, of course, we're supporting the combat commander there. In Afghanistan, we have about 1,400 Marines in Afghanistan. We have an infantry battalion there and we also have a reserve squadron composed of Cobra helicopters and Huey helicopters.
We have -- in Iraq, we're augmenting the joint task force there, and as I know you know, early part of next spring we'll be flowing in just over 20,000 Marines into Iraq.
NOVAK: General, you're a veteran of Vietnam. How do you compare, as some people do, the war we're fighting against the terrorists in Iraq with the long guerrilla warfare in Vietnam?
HAGEE: Well, I think there are some similarities there. But there -- I think there are more -- there are more differences. The war that we have going on in Iraq right now is really concentrated in and around, in and around Baghdad. The capabilities that we have, both the capabilities of the individual Marine and the individual soldier, is much better than it was when I was a lieutenant and captain.
And also our technical capabilities are quite a bit better.
NOVAK: General, it used to be said that every Marine is a rifleman. In this age of technical complexity, is that still true?
HAGEE: Absolutely. It's still said in the Marine Corps, every Marine is a rifleman. During the major combat operations in Iraq, I visited the hospital at Bethesda here, unfortunately, quite often, and had an opportunity to talk with Marines. And I was quite surprised at the number of Marines who had supply, military occupational specialties, who were food specialists, who had been wounded because they were needed. They picked up their rifle, and they responded to that need.
NOVAK: General, my late partner, Roland Evans, was a proud Marine, and all his life he talked about his boot training at Parris Island before he went into the campaigns in the Solomon Islands in World War II. Is the boot training in Parris Island as tough as it used to be in a Marine Corps that now includes women?
HAGEE: Well, that depends on whom you talk with. If you talk with the old guys, they'll say absolutely not. But having been down there, both on the East Coast and the West Coast at our two boot camps, the training is just as tough. And I would say, in some instances, even tougher. We put not only physical demands on them, but we put psychological demands on them.
NOVAK: What are you looking for in Marine recruits today?
HAGEE: We're looking for a young American who wants to serve, who obviously physically fit, but more importantly, wants to serve. And I can tell you, Bob, we are getting those type of Americans into the Marine Corps.
NOVAK: How does a woman fit into this mix of really the most macho branch of the service, I would say?
HAGEE: Well, I can tell you, in the past year, I have been out and had the opportunity to visit all of our major installations and bases, both in the United States and overseas. And they fit in very well.
As you know, there are only three areas by law that women are not allowed to serve in, artillery, infantry, and tanks. They serve in all other military occupational specialties in the Marine Corps. And they do extremely well. And they've been integrated long enough to where, down at the unit level, it's really not talked about.
NOVAK: You see changes in the Marine Corps in the future, sir?
HAGEE: I don't see any change in our basic mission. Once again, to repeat, this projection of combat power ashore from the sea, being ready to respond to any contingency, almost at a moment's notice, that's not going to change. How we respond will change.
NOVAK: And now the big question for the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, General Hagee.
General, not far from this building is the U.S. Marine Memorial, generally known around here as the Iwo Jima Memorial, statue of brave Marines raising the American flag at Mount Surabachi in the bloody battle of Iwo Jima. What does that memorial mean to you?
HAGEE: To me, and I would argue, to the rest of Marines, it talks to us about dedication. It talks to us about service. And it talks to us about answering the call of our nation.
For those of us who are on active duty today, we look back at those great young Americans, those individuals who were in the Marine Corps during World War II, who in many ways set the standard for what we do today.
NOVAK: General Michael Hagee, thank you very much. And thank you for your service to America.
HAGEE: Bob, thank you.
NOVAK: And thank you for being in The Novak Zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 13, 2003 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: United States Marines are currently deployed in hot spots around the world, fighting the war on terrorism, among other missions. The nation's top Marine is General Michael Hagee, and who took time out to join Robert Novak in this week's edition of The Novak Zone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT NOVAK, HOST: Welcome to The Novak Zone.
We're at the headquarters of the United States Marine Corps at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, with the 33rd commandant of the Marine Corps, General Michael W. Hagee.
General Hagee, you're nearing your first -- anniversary, your first year as commandant. What is the role of the Marines in America's war against terrorism?
GEN. MICHAEL W. HAGEE, COMMANDANT, U.S. MARINE CORPS: Well, the -- really, the role of the Marines and the Navy is to project combat power from the sea for this nation. And over this past year, we have done that, both in Afghanistan and in Iraq. We are also currently in Djibouti, in Africa, collecting actionable intelligence on the global war on terrorism.
NOVAK: Specifically, what is the role of the Marines in the two battlefront areas in Afghanistan and in Iraq?
HAGEE: Well, of course, we're supporting the combat commander there. In Afghanistan, we have about 1,400 Marines in Afghanistan. We have an infantry battalion there and we also have a reserve squadron composed of Cobra helicopters and Huey helicopters.
We have -- in Iraq, we're augmenting the joint task force there, and as I know you know, early part of next spring we'll be flowing in just over 20,000 Marines into Iraq.
NOVAK: General, you're a veteran of Vietnam. How do you compare, as some people do, the war we're fighting against the terrorists in Iraq with the long guerrilla warfare in Vietnam?
HAGEE: Well, I think there are some similarities there. But there -- I think there are more -- there are more differences. The war that we have going on in Iraq right now is really concentrated in and around, in and around Baghdad. The capabilities that we have, both the capabilities of the individual Marine and the individual soldier, is much better than it was when I was a lieutenant and captain.
And also our technical capabilities are quite a bit better.
NOVAK: General, it used to be said that every Marine is a rifleman. In this age of technical complexity, is that still true?
HAGEE: Absolutely. It's still said in the Marine Corps, every Marine is a rifleman. During the major combat operations in Iraq, I visited the hospital at Bethesda here, unfortunately, quite often, and had an opportunity to talk with Marines. And I was quite surprised at the number of Marines who had supply, military occupational specialties, who were food specialists, who had been wounded because they were needed. They picked up their rifle, and they responded to that need.
NOVAK: General, my late partner, Roland Evans, was a proud Marine, and all his life he talked about his boot training at Parris Island before he went into the campaigns in the Solomon Islands in World War II. Is the boot training in Parris Island as tough as it used to be in a Marine Corps that now includes women?
HAGEE: Well, that depends on whom you talk with. If you talk with the old guys, they'll say absolutely not. But having been down there, both on the East Coast and the West Coast at our two boot camps, the training is just as tough. And I would say, in some instances, even tougher. We put not only physical demands on them, but we put psychological demands on them.
NOVAK: What are you looking for in Marine recruits today?
HAGEE: We're looking for a young American who wants to serve, who obviously physically fit, but more importantly, wants to serve. And I can tell you, Bob, we are getting those type of Americans into the Marine Corps.
NOVAK: How does a woman fit into this mix of really the most macho branch of the service, I would say?
HAGEE: Well, I can tell you, in the past year, I have been out and had the opportunity to visit all of our major installations and bases, both in the United States and overseas. And they fit in very well.
As you know, there are only three areas by law that women are not allowed to serve in, artillery, infantry, and tanks. They serve in all other military occupational specialties in the Marine Corps. And they do extremely well. And they've been integrated long enough to where, down at the unit level, it's really not talked about.
NOVAK: You see changes in the Marine Corps in the future, sir?
HAGEE: I don't see any change in our basic mission. Once again, to repeat, this projection of combat power ashore from the sea, being ready to respond to any contingency, almost at a moment's notice, that's not going to change. How we respond will change.
NOVAK: And now the big question for the commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, General Hagee.
General, not far from this building is the U.S. Marine Memorial, generally known around here as the Iwo Jima Memorial, statue of brave Marines raising the American flag at Mount Surabachi in the bloody battle of Iwo Jima. What does that memorial mean to you?
HAGEE: To me, and I would argue, to the rest of Marines, it talks to us about dedication. It talks to us about service. And it talks to us about answering the call of our nation.
For those of us who are on active duty today, we look back at those great young Americans, those individuals who were in the Marine Corps during World War II, who in many ways set the standard for what we do today.
NOVAK: General Michael Hagee, thank you very much. And thank you for your service to America.
HAGEE: Bob, thank you.
NOVAK: And thank you for being in The Novak Zone.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
