Not a hero...

SWAN VALLEY – "I just want to say I am not a hero," Swan Valley resident Marc White stated in an interview to discuss his military service, which included participation in Desert Storm. "I'm just a guy who did my job. That's it. I'm not anything special."

Three military coins which carry the words "excellence" and "outstanding performance" would seem to contradict White's statement.

White, whose father served in Vietnam, grandfather in World War II and great-grandfather in World War I, said ever since he was a kid his goal was to join the military and be a police officer. In June of 1990, six days after graduation from Big Sky High School, White enlisted in the United States Army and was sent to Fort Benning, Ga., for Basic Training and Army Airborne School.

In August, the Iraqi Army invaded Kuwait. The action was internationally condemned and a coalition of countries, led by the U.S. and the UK, sent forces to the area. White was sent to Germany to join the 267 Armored Battalion, which was subsequently sent to Saudi Arabia.

White's unit was assigned to support the armored battalion. He said during the time they waited for the vehicles to arrive by boat, the troops were constantly bombarded by Iraqi missiles. The biggest concern was that the missiles might be carrying chemical or biological weapons. Consequently, each missile firing required the troops to don full protection gear. Fortunately, a battery of Patriot missiles countered each attack, blowing up the enemy rockets in mid-air. White added that not long after his contingent left the area, an enemy missile did make it through, killing a large number of Americans.

Once the tanks and other vehicles reached the Saudi Arabian port, they were loaded on low-boy trailers to be driven to the Iraqi border. This was a faster method of transport then driving the tank itself. White was ordered to be the single guard on one of the transports driven by an Arabian who spoke no English. They were given a map but there were no roads through the desert.

He said the trailers were old and broken down; the tanks were "way too heavy for the trailers." It was a journey of several days but somehow they made it.

White said, "It was quite the adventure."

One of the coins White received, the one he said he appreciated most, was awarded by the Battalion Commander for excellence in accomplishing that mission.

Once all the troops and vehicles were assembled, the "Iron Dukes," as White's convoy was called, traveled north to the Saudi Arabia / Iraq border. Their job was to breach the mine fields and other obstacles and destroy whatever resistance they encountered, then turn east and work their way south toward Kuwait. According to White, the enemy troops were oriented toward Kuwait, expecting a frontal attack. They were shocked and completely unprepared when the army attacked them from behind.

White said, "We just absolutely annihilated them. The Republican Guard and several other armored divisions that were there were all in different perimeters facing south and they didn't expect us coming [from the north]. The armor and the tanks and the Bradley's formed a wedge and just destroyed them. This went on for three days, just moving and destroying everything we came across."

According to White, they moved so fast they outpaced their own supply lines carrying their fuel, food, water and ammunition. They were then ordered to dig in and hold the line facing into Iraq in case there was a counter-attack. After several weeks of doing that and scouring the surrounding houses and farmlets for hidden forces or actionable intelligence, White's platoon was assigned to guard the Kuwaiti hospital in Kuwait City.

At that point, Kuwait City, which White described as formerly a "big, beautiful city with big skyscrapers" had been reduced to rubble in many areas due to Iraqi bombings and looting. He also noted the destruction resulting from intensive U.S. and coalition air strikes on the "highway of death," the main route into Kuwait from Iraq.

As the war wound down, the vehicles were cleaned and readied for ship transport back to Germany. Part of the task involved transforming the vehicles from desert tan back to army green. Unwilling to end his deployment so quickly, White volunteered to stay behind and paint vehicles and drive them to the docks. He also volunteered to take guard duty on the ship in lieu of flying back with the rest of the troops.

After four years as an infantry soldier, White re-enlisted for another three years in the military police. He transitioned from a patrol supervisor to desk sergeant to entry team leader on a Special Reaction Team. White explained SRT is comparable to a civilian SWAT force. They are trained to deal with hostage situations, drug house take-overs and similar scenarios. One of White's coins was from the SRT Company Commander. It reads "for outstanding service."

White's wife Gina added that during SRT training, some of the military wives were hired to be "hostages." She said she enjoyed both the role playing and the little added boost to their tight budget.

Though White considered his time as an MP rewarding, when his three years were up, he decided not to re-enlist again. Initially, he took a job with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Not wanting to pursue a permanent career in that field, he worked construction in Oregon. In 1999, he moved his family back to Montana.

When terrorists struck the twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001, White immediately wanted to re-enlist but Gina convinced him to apply for the Air Marshal Service instead. His SRT background made him a perfect candidate for the role of incognito air traveler, trained to take action in the event of a hijacking or other violent air attack. After serving four years as an air marshal, continued absence from his growing family prompted White to leave that job.

Currently White serves as Chief of Police for Montana Veterans Affairs. Though he primarily works out of Fort Harrison, he also oversees officers at Billings. White said the 30-person division "works to enforce federal and state law, and to protect VA properties, veterans, employees and visitors. We do everything from traffic enforcement to criminal investigations."

Looking back over the various phases of his life, White concluded: "We've been very blessed and we're very thankful."