The SecState and a few good men

Reader Carol Herman has forwarded the email message to her son from Charles Hampton, one of the Marines detailed to provide security for Secretary of State Rice in in Jerusalem last month. On the morning of her departure, the Marines positioned themselves to have a photograph taken with Secretary Rice. The forwarded message reports that “she shook every one of our hands, looked us square in the eye, and said, ‘thank you for your service.'” Hampton comments: “boy, i don’t care what else she might do, i’m behind her 100%! that little, personal touch felt SO good.”
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Among the few and the proud is Charles Hampton, second from the right in the photograph above. Coincidentally, The Age reports: “Iraq dents Marines’ recruitment drive.” Shouldn’t this photograph be used in the Marines’ recruiting efforts?
UPDATE: Chris Hanson writes to correct my misstatement above:

Being one of your regular readers and (gasp) a Foreign Service Officer, I wanted to clear up something from your post regarding Marines providing security for Secretary Rice. The Marine Security Guard Detachments at our overseas diplomatic posts (fine young Americans, all–who go through a rigorous selection process to get into the program above and beyond what Marines ALREADY do to be, well…Marines) provide security for our classified material and internal security for the embassies, consulates, and other posts. The personal security of the Secretary is the job of the Special Agents of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

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