Jonathon P Myers - American to the Corps: Iraq, Bosnia, Benghazi, Snowden: A Marine Corps Intelligence Officers Incredible Journey

American to
the Corps

American to
the Corps

Iraq, Bosnia, Benghazi, Snowden

A Marine Intelligence Officers Journey

Jonathon P. Myers, LtCol.

USMC (Ret.)

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. government.

However, every story told in this book is the complete and unvarnished truth. The places and times have not been changed. The names of individuals (unless they are already referenced in public documents or news reports) have been altered, unless said person was an asshole. In that case, the names have been only slightly modified so that they will know Im talking about them.

All rights reserved

Copyright 2021 by Jonathon P. Myers

Cover art copyright 2021 by Jonathon P. Myers

ISBN: 978-0-578-88978-8 (Paperback Edition)

ISBN: 978-0-578-78991-0 (Hardcover Edition)

ISBN: 978-0-578-78992-7 (Ebook Edition)

Contents

Foreword

I first met (then) 1st Lieutenant Jonathon Myers on the Navy ship, the U.S.S. KEARSARGE, in June of 1995. I had just been rescued from six days alone deep in enemy Bosnian territory by the Marine Corps 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Jon was the intelligence officer for HMM-263, the helicopter squadron for the 24th MEU. Jon, with fellow Marines of the 24th MEU all played a vital role in saving my life. I will be forever grateful to them and I have the highest respect for all who bear the title of United States Marine.

Jons distinguished career as an intelligence officer included involvement in numerous historical events. In this fascinating book he gives a behind-the-scenes accounting of his Marine Corps career to include the invasion of Iraq, the response as the Officer in Charge for embassy reinforcement to the Benghazi terrorist attack on September 11, 2012, his role in the Marine Corps investigation of Edward Snowdens crimes, his work across Africa and Eastern Europe countering the Chinese and Russians, and his final assignment with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon.

Jonathon has lived a remarkable and full career as a dedicated Marine. His honesty and patriotism rings loud and true in this memoir. I encourage all freedom lovers to read the accounts set forth here in American to the Corps.

Scott OGrady

Captain, U.S. Air Force

F-16 pilot

Introduction

A t the onset of my Marine Corps career, I had no way of knowing that circumstances and fate would thrust me into the center of so many of the high-profile national security events of the last thirty years. In fact, to many other Marine officers, the running joke became that I was the Forrest Gump of Marine Corps officers. Over the years, as I told these stories to friends, family, peers, and acquaintances and received positive feedback, I began to believe that others may be interested in learning about them as well.

This book is not intended to be an academic read, with deep analysis and technical nuance behind each and every national security event I was involved with. Instead, consider it a collection of anecdotes about Marine Corps life as well as a firsthand account of some of the most intriguing events and people of our time.

My intent in writing this book is first and foremost, to entertain. Some of the unusual circumstances and unbelievable events that a Marine officer witnesses over a thirty year career may be intriguing to a great many people. The same can be said for many of the standard operational and training methodologies of the Marines and other services, which the average American may not be aware of. I also hope to inform the American public about some of the unknown details surrounding high-profile events in Libya (Benghazi), Bosnia, Iraq, and Eastern Europe in order to raise awareness.

This book is based primarily on my recollections of my life and career, with input from others who may also have been involved in each event, mission, or anecdote. The entire contents of this book have been subject to Department of Defense security review.

A Difficult Start

I didnt know my parents were covertly working as CIA agents until I was seventeen. From the time I was nine years old, we had lived in countries across Asia and Europe. We visited many, many more places across the globe during that same period. The idea that my parents were employed in any unusual capacity had never even occurred to me. In fact, Im not even sure I knew what a CIA case officer was, except for maybe seeing it in movies. That all changed the day my step-father, Kurt, came into our apartment in a European capitol and said to me Hey, Jonathon, I need you to go somewhere with me.

This was unusual. Although my step-father and I had a good relationship, we didnt normally hang out together. My step-father had raised me since the age of eight. He was nine years younger than my mother and a former Marine. He and my mother generally maintained a separate, adult life from me, and we didnt have the kind of family in which the parents regularly included the children in discussions or social activities. Helicopter parents wasnt even a known term at this point. They did their thing and I did mine, and we occasionally engaged in family activities.

On this hot afternoon, in Southern Europe, my step-father and I walked down to the public bus stop. This is something I did alone every day to go to school or downtown to meet my friends on a weekend. I didnt know where we were going. I asked at one point, but all I got was a youll see when we get there reply. We waited and then boarded a public bus. It took us down the winding road from our penthouse apartment that sat high up on a hill, overlooking the entire city. In addition to the great views of the city itself, it also provided great views of the young lovers who parked at the dead end street below my balcony most evenings. When I got bored I sometimes threw fruits and vegetables down at the cars, hoping to score a direct hit in an open sunroof. Years later, as a young man actively dating, I felt terrible about this. Poor people couldnt even get a little privacy without some jerk pelting them with apples.

My step-father and I got off the bus and boarded another, and then another. Finally, we reached a neighborhood slightly outside of the city. It was a suburb where a lot of my wealthy host nation American school friends lived. I attended an American international school, and all the rich locals wanted their children to receive an accredited American education. We could never have afforded the tuition as a family if not for our overseas assignment. I went to school with the children of business magnates, sports car empire CEOs, actors, and politicians, as well as children of senior American military officers (although we were nowhere near a U.S. base) and diplomats. It was the mid-to-late 1980s. On several occasions, a young American kid came to play basketball in our school gym, although he didnt attend the school. His father was a former NBA player who played in the host nation league. I wasnt a basketball player, but several of my friends were and they would comment on how skilled this kid was, how he crossover-dribbled, shot, and drove the net. Turns out that little kid was a future NBA hall of famer. It was an interesting school to say the least. Graduates of my class of around fifty kids would go on to become billionaires, actors, talent agents for mega-movie stars, executives at major technology companies, and authors.

We got off the bus, waited for it to depart, and then for one teenager to walk away toward his destination. Then my step-father looked at me and said, Theres a reason I brought you out here. I need to tell you something. Your mother and I both work for the CIA.