Ex-Marine Mike's Mission: The Story Behind the Story

The deployment of our troops to Iraq continues; to many, there seems to be no end in sight. Food supplies sustain these brave men and women, while our letters and e-mails keep their spirits high. What else can we do to help those who risk their lives on the war front? Below is the story of one man - a civilian - who is making a difference.

In a conversation with a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, Mike (anonymity preferred), a former Marine, who is a resident of Alaska, asked, "What do you really need in the field?" Better communication between the American soldiers and the Iraqi people, he learned. The time pressure and burden on our government to provide a continuous stream of manpower overseas meant little time for thorough formal language training for our troops. Imagine eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds trying to keep peace with minimal or no knowledge of the language and culture. It was clear to Mike that an alternative training method - one that closes the fluency gap efficiently - would make a tremendous difference in facilitating and strengthening the relations between our soldiers and the Iraqis.

Mike set out to work. He contacted Total Recall Learning, an educational software company in San Diego, and shortly after, a partnership was forged. Mike would come up with the required financial funds, while Total Recall Learning would provide the resources to create a computer-based training program that facilitates the learning and long-term retention of Iraqi Arabic language and cultural customs.

Today the Quick Arabic program - with its 460+ questions broken down into seven easily-studied segments - is finished and made available to all U.S. troops and defense contractors - free of charge, thanks to Mike. Mike does not want any credit for doing this; he only wants to help out, he said. Even so, his act of generosity could save hundreds - even thousands - of lives, many of whom are fathers/moms, husbands/wives, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters, grandchildren, and friends. That is why we at Total Recall Learning and Mike want this story to be known.

Please help us spread the word.