A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given.

The term General is used in two ways: as the generic title for all grades of general officer; and as a specific rank. Since the late twentieth century, the rank of General is usually the highest active rank of a military not at war.

All general officer ranks

The various grades of general officer are at the top of the rank structure. Lower-ranking officers are known as field officers or field-grade officers, and below them are company-grade officers. All officers who commanded more than a single regiment came to be known as "general officers". The word "general" is used in its ordinary sense in English (and other languages) as relating to larger, general, military units, rather than smaller units in particular.

Common systems

There are two common systems of general ranks.

Variations of one form, the old European system, were once used throughout Europe. It is used in the United Kingdom (although it did not originate there), from which it eventually spread to the Commonwealth and the United States of America. The General Officer ranks are named by prefixing General, as an adjective, with field officer ranks, although in some countries the highest general officers are titled Field Marshal or Marshal.

The other is derived from the French Revolution, where generals' ranks are named according to the unit they (theoretically) command.

Old European system {| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;" |align="center"| Field Marshal or General Field Marshal |- |align="center"| ''Colonel General'' |- |align="center"| General or Captain General |- |align="center"| Lieutenant General |- |align="center"| Sergeant Major General or Major General |- |align="center"| ''Brigadier (General)'' |}

The system used either a ''brigadier general'' rank, or a ''colonel general'' rank (i.e. exclude one of the italicised ranks.)

The rank of field marshal was used by some countries as the highest rank, while in other countries it was used as a divisional or brigade rank. Many countries (notably pre-revolutionary France and eventually much of Latin America) actually used two brigade command ranks, which is why some countries now use two stars as their brigade general insignia. (Mexico and Argentina still use two brigade command ranks.)

In some nations (particularly in the Commonwealth), the equivalent to Brigadier General is Brigadier, which is not always considered by these armies to be a general officer rank, although it is always treated as equivalent to the rank of Brigadier General for comparative purposes. Unlike other general officers, the brigadier general rank is not derived from a ''field'' rank of brigadier.

The rank of ''major general'' is a shorter form of ''sergeant major general'', and is lower than lieutenant general as a lieutenant outranks a sergeant major, although outranked by a major.

French (Revolutionary) system {| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;" |align="center"| Marshal |- |align="center"| Army General |- |align="center"| Corps General |- |align="center"| Divisional General |- |align="center"| Brigade General |} More information about this system can be found on the page: Général.

Other variations

Other nomenclatures for general officers include the titles and ranks:

Adjutant General

Commandant-General

Inspector General

Captain General

General-in-Chief

General of the Army (which is distinct from the title Army General)

General of the Air Force (USA only)

General of the Armies of the United States (of America), a title created for General John J. Pershing, and subsequently granted posthumously to George Washington.

General Admiral (German Navy)

Air General and Aviation General (Chilean Air Force; roughly equivalent to Air Chief Marshal and Air Vice-Marshal respectively)

Wing General and Group General (Mexican Air Force; roughly equivalent to Air Commodore and Acting Air Commodore respectively)

Lieutenant-Colonel General (A Serb rank immediately inferior to Colonel General, and roughly equivalent to Commonwealth/US Major General)

Director General (a common administrative term sometimes used as an appointment in military services)

Director General of National Defence (most senior rank in the Mexican Armed Forces)

Director of Intelligence Bureau (senior most 4 star Indian Police Service post in India)

Controller General (general officer rank in the French National Police)

Prefect General (the most senior rank of the Argentine Naval Prefecture)

Master-General of the Ordnance

In addition to militarily educated generals, there are also generals in medicine and engineering. The rank of most senior chaplain, Chaplain General, is also considered to be a general officer rank.

The specific General rank

In the Old European system, a General, without prefix or suffix (and sometimes referred to informally as a "full general"), is usually the most senior type of general, above Lieutenant General and directly below Field Marshal. Usually it is the most senior peace-time rank, with more senior ranks (for example, Field Marshal) being used only in wartime, or as honorary titles.

In some armies, however, the rank of Captain General, General of the Army, Army General or Colonel General occupied or occupies this position. Depending on circumstances and the army in question, these ranks may be considered to be equivalent to a full General or to a Field Marshal.

The rank of General came about as a "Captain-General", the captain of an army in general (i.e., the whole army). The rank of Captain-General began appearing around the time of the organization of professional armies in the 17th century. In most countries "Captain-General" contracted to just "General".

General ranks by country

The following articles deal with the rank of General, or its equivalent, as it is or was employed in the militaries of those countries.

General (Australia)

General (Canada)

Shang Jiang (China) - People's Republic of China (PRC) and Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan)

Kenraali (Finland)

Kindral (Estonia)

Général (France)

General (Germany)

Obergruppenführer (Nazi Germany, SS rank)

Strategos (Greece)

Aluf (Israel)

Generale (Italy)

Daejang (Korea - DPRK and ROK)

General (Mexico)

Generał (Poland)

Army General (Philippines)

Army General (Russia)

General (Sri Lanka)

General (Sweden)

General (Switzerland)

General (United Kingdom)

General (United States)

Army generals' insignia

Air force generals' insignia

Generals' insignia of disbanded armies

Air Force and Navy equivalents

Some countries (such as the United States) use the General Officer ranks for both the army and the air force; others only use the General Officer ranks for the army, while in the air force they use Air Officers as the equivalent of General Officers. They use the air force rank of Air Chief Marshal as the equivalent of the specific army rank of General. This latter group includes the British Royal Air Force and those based on it (e.g., India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Nigeria, etc.).

In most navies, Flag Officers are the equivalent of General Officers, and the naval rank of Admiral is equivalent to the specific army rank of General. A noteworthy historical exception was the Cromwellian naval rank ''General at sea''. In recent years in the American service there is a tendency to use ''Flag Officer'' and ''Flag Rank'' to refer to generals and admirals of the services collectively.

See also

Général

Generalissimo

List of comparative military ranks

List of Roman generals

Shogun

References

External links

Generals of World War II

Schema-root.org: US Generals News feeds for US Generals in the news

Marines.mil: General Officer Biographies Biographies of US Marine Corps General Officers

Bios & Information on Generals of Western History Information on 10 Generals who influenced Western History

Category:Generals Category:Military ranks

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Name	Jim Webb
Jr/sr	Senior Senator
State	Virginia
Term start	January 3, 2007
Alongside	Mark Warner
Predecessor	George Allen
Order2	66th United States Secretary of the Navy18th Secretary under the DoD
Term start2	May 1, 1987
Term end2	February 23, 1988
President2	Ronald Reagan
Predecessor2	John Lehman
Successor2	William L. Ball
Order3	1st Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs
Term start3	May 3, 1984
Term end3	April 10, 1987
Predecessor3	None (new office)
Successor3	Stephen Duncan
Birthname	James Henry Webb, Jr.
Birth date	February 09, 1946
Birth place	Saint Joseph, Missouri
Party	Democratic
Spouse	(1) Barbara Samorajczyk (div.)(2) Jo Ann Krukar (div.) (3) Hong Le Webb
Children	Amy Webb HoganSarah WebbKatie WebbJimmy WebbKatie WebbJulia WebbGeorgia LeAnh Webb
Alma mater	United States Naval Academy (B.S.) Georgetown University (J.D.)
Profession	U.S. MarineAuthorScreenwriter
Religion	Non-denominational Protestant
Signature	Webb_signature.png
Residence	Falls Church, Virginia
Website	Senator Jim Webb
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Marine Corps
Serviceyears	1968–1972
Rank
Unit	Delta Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines
Battles	Vietnam War
Awards	Navy CrossSilver StarBronze Star (2)Purple Heart (2) }}

James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. (born February 9, 1946) is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party.

A 1968 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Webb served as a Marine Corps infantry officer until 1972, and is a highly decorated Vietnam War combat veteran. During his four years with the Reagan administration, Webb served as the first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, then as Secretary of the Navy.

Webb won the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Virginia Senate race by defeating Harris Miller in the primary, then won the general election by defeating the Republican incumbent George Allen. Webb's thin margin in the general election (less than 0.5%) kept the outcome uncertain for nearly two days after polls closed on November 7, 2006, and provided the final seat that tilted the Senate to Democratic control. On his sixty-fifth birthday, he announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012, saying that he does not want to spend his whole life in politics, and that he wants to return to the private sector.

Webb is also an author of many books, stating that "I've written for a living all my life, so writing is as much a part of me as working out."

Life and career

Early life

Webb was born in Saint Joseph, Missouri, to James Henry Webb and his wife Vera Lorraine (née Hodges). He grew up in a military family, descended from Scots-Irish immigrants from Ulster who emigrated in the 18th century to the British North American colonies. Webb's 2004 book ''Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America'' details his family history, noting that his ancestors fought in every major American war.

Webb's father, a career officer in the U.S. Air Force, flew B-17s and B-29s during World War II, dropped cargo during the Berlin Airlift, and was later involved in missile programs. He is buried at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Education

Due to his father's military career, Webb grew up on the move, attending more than a dozen schools across the U.S. and in England. After graduating from high school in Bellevue, Nebraska, he attended the University of Southern California on a Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship from 1963–1964 (and was a member of Delta Chi). In 1964, Webb earned appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. At Annapolis, Webb was a member of the Brigade Honor Committee. He also won a varsity letter for boxing, at one point fighting a match against Oliver North, which was won by North on decision. He graduated in 1968, in the same class with North, Dennis C. Blair, Michael Mullen, and Michael Hagee.

Personal life

Webb has been married three times, has four grown children, as well as a young child with his current wife Hong Le, and is stepfather to Le's child from a previous marriage.

His first marriage was to Barbara Samorajczyk, a member of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland Council. They divorced in 1979. They have one daughter, Amy Hogan, who was eight at the time of the divorce.

His second marriage was to health-care lobbyist Jo Ann Krukar in 1981 who also assisted in his 2006 Senate campaign. They have three children: Sarah, Jimmy, and Julia. Jimmy Webb is a rifleman and Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, and served a tour in Iraq with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion 6th Marines. In tribute to Jimmy Webb and "all the people sent into harm's way", Webb wore his son's old combat boots every day during his 2006 Senate campaign.

Webb is now married to Hong Le Webb, a Vietnamese-American securities and corporate lawyer. Hong Le Webb was born in South Vietnam and escaped to the United States when she was seven after the fall of Saigon. She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. They first met in 1994 and started dating in 2002 when both were separated from their previous spouses. They married in 2006. Hong Le and Jim Webb have one child together, Georgia LeAnh, born 2006. Hong Le Webb also has a daughter from a previous marriage. Webb speaks Vietnamese.

Military service

After graduating from Annapolis, Webb was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a first lieutenant during the Vietnam War he served as a platoon commander with Delta Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines. He earned a Navy Cross, the second highest decoration in the Navy and Marine Corps for heroism in Vietnam. Webb also earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts.

Webb received the Navy Cross for actions on July 10, 1969. The citation read:

In a November 19, 2006 appearance on ''Meet the Press'', Webb told host Tim Russert, "I’m one of these people who — there aren’t many of us — who can still justify for you the reasons that we went into Vietnam, however screwed up the strategy got."

Post-military

Webb attended Georgetown Law Center from 1972 to 1975, graduating with a Juris Doctor degree. While at Georgetown, Webb wrote his first book, ''Micronesia and U.S. Pacific Strategy''.

From 1977 to 1981, Webb worked on the staff of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. During this time, he also represented veterans pro-bono. Webb also taught at the Naval Academy and was criticized for a 1979 article published in the ''Washingtonian'' titled "Women Can't Fight" (see "Senate Election" below).

During the Reagan Administration, Webb served as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs from 1984 to 1987. During his time as Assistant Secretary, Webb sought to reorganize the Marine Corps. He was gravely concerned with the disarray the Marines had fallen into post-Vietnam: drug use, racial infighting, and low morale within the Corps left him with the impression it was no longer America's premier fighting force. The Marine Corps was also rocked by two scandals during this time: the Clayton Lonetree espionage affair, where Lonetree became the first Marine convicted of espionage, and Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North's central role in the Iran-Contra affair.

In 1987, he served as Secretary of the Navy, becoming the first Naval Academy graduate to serve as the civilian head of the Navy. As Navy Secretary, Webb pushed the appointment of Alfred M. Gray, Jr. as Commandant of the Marine Corps, hoping that Gray could reshape the Corps into the elite unit it once was. Webb resigned in 1988 after refusing to agree to reduce the size of the Navy. Webb had wished to increase the Navy to 600 ships. As revealed in ''The Reagan Diaries'', President Ronald Reagan wrote on February 22, 1988: "I don't think Navy was sorry to see him go."

After his resignation, Webb earned his living primarily as an author and filmmaker. He won an Emmy Award for his 1983 PBS coverage of the U.S. Marines in Beirut.

Among Webb's awards for community service and professional excellence are the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the Medal of Honor Society's Patriot Award, the American Legion National Commander's Public Service Award, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Media Service Award, the Marine Corps League's Military Order of the Iron Mike Award, the John H. Russell Leadership Award, and the Robert L. Denig Distinguished Service Award

In a 1990 ''New York Times'' opinion piece, Webb opposed further U.S. military escalation in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield citing lack of a coherent strategy and consent from the United States Congress. He also warned against a permanent military presence in the Middle East. Seven months before the beginning of the 2003 Iraq War, Webb wrote an essay for the ''Washington Post'' in which he

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Webb wrote an op-ed piece for ''USA Today'' in which he, as a military veteran, evaluated the candidacies of John Kerry and George W. Bush. He criticized Kerry for the nature of his opposition to the Vietnam War in the 1970s while affiliated with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and accused Bush of using his father's connections to avoid service in Vietnam. Webb also wrote that Bush had "committed the greatest strategic blunder in modern memory" with the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Webb supported Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey's campaign for the 1992 Democratic presidential nomination. He endorsed incumbent Democrat Charles Robb for reelection to his Senate seat, over Webb's former Naval Academy classmate and fellow Marine Oliver North, in 1994. Webb subsequently endorsed Republican George Allen over Robb in 2000, and then ran against Allen himself in 2006.

United States Senate

2006 Senate campaign

In late 2005, a campaign to draft Webb to run for the Senate in 2006 began on the Internet. On February 7, 2006, he announced that he would seek the Democratic nomination for the 2006 Senate race against incumbent Virginia Senator George Allen.

In the Democratic primary on June 13, 2006, Webb faced longtime businessman and lobbyist Harris Miller. Webb won with 53.5% of the vote, in a race with low turnout.

Webb benefited from the fallout from an August 11, 2006 incident in which Allen used the word ''macaca'' to refer to S.R. Sidarth, who was filming an event as a "tracker" for the Webb campaign. A poll the following week showed Webb gaining 10 percentage points. The race, which at one point looked like a sure win for Allen, became one of the most watched and closest races of the 2006 elections.

Allen had been expected to be reelected relatively easily, and that this reelection would prepare him for a possible 2008 Presidential candidacy. But Webb's entry into the race and primary victory changed the political landscape. Political analyst Larry Sabato said in May that "Jim Webb is George Allen's worst nightmare: a war hero and a Reagan appointee who holds moderate positions… Allen tries to project a Reagan aura, but Webb already has it." In September, Bloomberg.com's Catherine Dodge wrote an article highlighting Webb and the Senate race, and said "Webb isn't a typical Democrat. His family hails from the rural southern part of the state. He's pro-gun ownership, and he takes a harder line on illegal immigration than many Senate Republicans."

On September 7, 2006, Webb released his first television advertisement, which included footage of a 1985 speech by Ronald Reagan that praised Webb's service as a Marine. The next day, the Chief of Staff for the Reagan Library wrote Webb's campaign on behalf of former first lady Nancy Reagan, urging them not to air the advertisement saying it was neither fair nor respectful because it gave the impression of an endorsement. The Webb campaign disagreed, saying, "What Reagan said about Jim Webb, that belongs to Jim Webb, frankly." The library said they ask all candidates to refrain from using the former president's image but declined to say if they would request the Allen campaign to remove the image of Reagan used on his campaign website.

Five female graduates of the United States Naval Academy held a press conference, decrying a 1979 article by Webb, titled "Women Can't Fight." The women said Webb's article contributed to an atmosphere of hostility and harassment towards women at the academy. Webb was later endorsed by nine military women who stated that Webb is a "man of integrity" who "recognizes the crucial role that women have in the military today."

In October 2006, the Allen campaign issued a press release quoting several passages from Webb's novels with sexual content, including graphic references to female anatomy and purported pedophilia, homosexuality and incest, citing a passage in which a Southeast Asian father ritually places the penis of his young son in his mouth. The press release said that the passages showed a "continued pattern of demeaning women". Allen's campaign refused to tell a local radio news station, WTOP-FM, whether it in fact had issued a news release on the matter.

On November 9, 2006, after AP and Reuters projected that Webb had won the seat, Allen conceded the election. Although the margin was narrow — less than half of 1% of the total vote and therefore small enough under Virginia law to allow demanding a recount — Allen stated that he would not challenge the result.

Webb, as a Democratic veteran challenger, was also considered one of the Fighting Dems.

Senator-elect

On November 15, 2006, Senate majority leader in waiting Harry Reid assigned Webb to three committees: the committees on Foreign Relations, Veterans' Affairs, and Armed Services.

That same day, an op ed authored by Webb appeared in the pages of the ''Wall Street Journal''. Titled "Class Struggle," the piece addressed what Webb feels is a growing economic inequality in the United States, touching on what he feels are overly permissive immigration policies, extravagant executive compensation, the detrimental effects of free trade and globalization, iniquitous tax cuts, and speedily rising health care costs, and attacking the "elites" who he says perpetuate the aforementioned woes for their personal economic gain.

Tense exchange with President Bush

On November 28, 2006, at a White House reception for those newly elected to Congress, Webb declined to stand in the line to have his picture taken with the president, whom Webb often criticized during the campaign. The president approached Webb later and asked him, "How's your boy?", referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq. Webb replied "I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President." Bush responded, "That's not what I asked you. How's your boy?" Webb responded, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." The Hill cited an anonymous source who claimed that Webb was so angered by the exchange that he confessed he was tempted to "slug" the president. Webb later remarked in an interview, "I'm not particularly interested in having a picture of me and George W. Bush on my wall."

In response to the incident, some conservatives criticized Webb, including George Will, who called Webb a "boor" and wrote, "[Webb] already has become what Washington did not need another of, a subtraction from the city's civility and clear speaking." Others, such as conservative columnist and former Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noonan, reserved their criticism for Bush, writing: "I thought it had the sound of the rattling little aggressions of our day, but not on Mr. Webb's side."

Webb was asked about the exchange in a January 4, 2007 appearance on ''Hardball with Chris Matthews''. He told Matthews: :"My feeling about that — first of all, it's been kind of a bit overblown. But I think when people are now seeing how John McCain is handling the situation with his son being in the Marine Corps, perhaps they can understand a little bit more what I was having to go through during the entire campaign. I greatly respect my son‘s service and all of the people who are serving. At the same time, I have not commented, even to many of my friends, about the operational side. That‘s personal to me in terms of my feelings about it. And it was not a casual comment. As I said in the piece that you just ran, I think the best article that was written on that was by Peggy Noonan in the ''Wall Street Journal'' when she basically said that the lack of civility was not mine and I feel that way."

After his son returned from Iraq, Webb "buried the hatchet" with the president by setting up a private chat with his son, the president, and himself in the Oval Office.

110th Congress

On January 4, 2007, Webb was sworn into the 110th U.S. Senate, accompanied by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., a fellow former Secretary of the Navy; and former Virginia Democratic Sen. Charles Robb.

Webb’s first legislative act was to introduce a bill, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act, to expand benefits for military families. The act replaces key provisions of the Montgomery G.I. Bill for recent veterans and “makes veterans benefits identical to those soldiers received following World War II.” “With many of our military members serving two or three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is past time to enact a new veterans’ education program modeled on the World War II era G.I. bill. This is exactly what our legislation does.” Webb said. It became law on June 30, 2008, as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008.

In a January 4, 2007, appearance on ''The Situation Room'', Webb articulated his position on the Iraq War: "What we really need to do is to get into the arena where we can talk about a strategy, talk about the pluses and the minuses of the Baker-Hamilton Commission and work toward a solution that, on the one hand, will allow us to remove our combat troops, but on the other, will increase the stability of the region, allow us to continue to fight against international terrorism and allow us, as a nation, to address our strategic interests around the world. And this is — this is one of the drawbacks that we've had with so many troops having been put into this constant rotational basis inside one country when we have a war against international terrorism that's global."

Asked by Wolf Blitzer if he would ever support the efforts of Dennis Kucinich to cut funding for the war, Webb said, "I — you know, I lived through Vietnam. I lived through it as a Marine and I know that those sorts of approaches, while they seem attractive on one level are really not that realistic. What we want to do — and I was talking with a number of senators today — is to try to get some of these so-called emergency legislation packages back into the committee process so that the committees can actually play."

On January 23, 2007, Webb delivered the Democratic response to the President's State of the Union address, focusing on the economy and Iraq. Webb's speech drew positive reviews, and was regarded as one of the stronger State of the Union responses in recent memory. Webb, a decorated war veteran spoke of his family’s military past, his own passionate attachment to the military, and the way in which previous presidents had always attempted to ensure that all precautions had been taken when sending young Americans into harm's way.

On March 5, 2007, Webb introduced his second piece of legislation, , intended to prohibit the use of funds for military operations in Iran without the prior approval of Congress. In a statement on the floor of the Senate, Webb said, "The major function of this legislation is to prevent this Administration from commencing unprovoked military activities against Iran without the approval of the Congress. The legislation accomplishes this goal through the proper constitutional process of prohibiting all funding for such an endeavor."

On March 26, 2007, a senatorial aide of Webb, Phillip Thompson, was arrested for carrying Webb's loaded pistol as he entered the Russell Senate Office Building and for carrying unregistered ammunition. The weapon was discovered when Thompson went through an X-ray machine with a briefcase that contained a loaded pistol and two additional loaded magazines. Charges against the aide were dismissed after prosecutors concluded it could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Thompson was aware that the gun and ammunition were in the briefcase. Webb responded to his aide's arrest by reiterating his support for gun-owners' rights:

"I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment; I have had a permit to carry a weapon in Virginia for a long time; I believe that it’s important; it’s important to me personally and to a lot of people in the situation that I’m in to be able to defend myself and my family."

2009 visit to Southeast Asia

On August 14, 2009 Webb visited Myanmar (Burma), seeing its junta's leader, Gen. Than Shwe and also the pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest. During Webb's visit with Than Shwe, Webb negotiated the release and deportation of an imprisoned American, John Yettaw.

Webb visited Vietnam as part of a two-week trip to five Southeast Asian countries. The Senator, who serves as chair of the Senate Foreign Relation’s subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Affairs, stopped in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City on August 19, where he met government officials, business leaders, and friends from his past involvement in US-Vietnamese relations. Webb, who can speak Vietnamese, has had a continuous involvement in Asian and Pacific affairs that long predates his time in the Senate. In addition to his more recent visits as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Webb has worked and traveled throughout this vast region, from Micronesia to Burma, for nearly four decades, as a Marine Corps officer, a defense planner, a journalist, a novelist, a Department of Defense executive, and as a business consultant. He worked in the 1990s as a consultant for companies attempting to do business in Vietnam.

Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009

On March 26, 2009, Webb filed the Criminal Justice Commission Act of 2009 (SB 714), which would create a blue ribbon commission to reevaluate the criminal justice system and drug policy and make recommendations for reform. Noting that the United States houses 25% of the world's inmates despite having only 5% of the world's population, Webb proposed a comparison between U.S. incarceration policies and those of other developed nations. At a United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs hearing, Webb described the criminal justice system as being in "...a profound, deeply corrosive crisis that we have largely been ignoring at our peril." He also criticized the lack of standards in prison administration and highlighted the justice system's negative impact on communities. The subcommittee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), expressed support for the bill at the hearing and indicated his intent to move the bill to the full United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. As of December 5, 2009, the bill had 35 cosponsors.

In the fall, an amendment to SB 714 was proposed by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) that would have prohibited the commission created by the bill from discussing or recommending the decriminalization or legalization of any substance prohibited under the Controlled Substances Act. The proposed amendment drew criticism from some in the online community and was perceived as an attempt at censorship. Grassley later rescinded the amendment and claimed in a ''Des Moines Register'' op-ed he had proposed it to "start a debate on this important issue."

SB 714 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a voice vote on January 21, 2010.

Committee assignments

Committee on Armed Services

*Subcommittee on Airland

*Subcommittee on Personnel (Chairman)

*Subcommittee on SeaPower

Committee on Foreign Relations

*Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Narcotics Affairs

*Subcommittee on African Affairs

*Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Chairman)

*Subcommittee on European Affairs

Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Joint Economic Committee

Engagement with Vietnam on rights

On January 27, 2010, Webb condemned Vietnam's jailing of four dissidents but urged the Obama administration not to isolate the communist nation. Webb voiced concern about Vietnam's jailing of the four dissidents for subversion in a day-long trial the previous week. "The arrest and trial of these individuals illustrates the growing pressure in Asia towards government censorship and authoritarian control," said Webb, "Rather than isolate Vietnam for its actions, I encourage the Obama administration to continue to raise issues of freedom of association and rule of law with the government of Vietnam."

Webb is a strong advocate of engagement with non-democratic states in Asia. He is the most prominent advocate in Congress for dialogue with military-run Myanmar, often pointing to Vietnam as an example of how US engagement can lead to greater openness. Vietnam sentenced the four democracy advocates to between five and 16 years in prison, a decision condemned by the United States and European Union.

Retirement

On February 9, 2011, Webb announced his plan to not run for reelection in 2012.

2008 Vice presidential speculation

Webb was frequently mentioned as a possible Vice Presidential Democratic nominee for Barack Obama in 2008 due to his military experience and moderate policy positions. Although he said he was not interested in the vice presidency, speculations about him being picked by Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee at the time, were still heard.

Some felt that Webb's commentary on women serving in the military (e.g., his article "Women Can't Fight") was a strong consideration as to his possible candidacy. His selection would have closely followed the somewhat divisive Democratic primary battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton, whose candidacy had received strong support from organized feminism, and who would have been the first female major party nominee for the presidency, had she won the nomination. This situation may have made the prospect of Webb as Obama's running mate entirely politically untenable, as it could have caused many Democratic Clinton supporters to balk at switching allegiance to Obama.

On July, 7, Webb effectively removed himself as a possible candidate for Vice President in a statement made to ''Time'', stating that he intended to serve his term in the Senate and that "under no circumstances will I be a candidate for Vice President.” Obama went on to choose fellow senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

As an author

Books

Webb's successful first novel, ''Fields of Fire'' (1978), drawn from personal experience, tells the story of a platoon of United States Marines in late 1960s Vietnam. Reviewers hailed its descriptions of infantry life and combat.

After five more novels, he wrote a work of nonfiction, ''Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America'', tracing the role people of Scots-Irish ancestry have played in American history and culture. Webb argues that, contrary to the "cracker" and "redneck" stereotypes often applied to the Scots-Irish, many of whom settled in Appalachia, the American Midwest and the American South, the Scots-Irish were central to defining American working class values and culture. He lauds the fiercely independent streak and individualism of the Scots-Irish, and explains how their political pragmatism has often led them to play the role of swing voters in elections, for example as Reagan Democrats, and as voters for Ross Perot and Reform Party. Critics complain that errors in this book include incorrect time frames, omissions, misinterpretations (such as viewing the American Civil War as a continuation of the centuries-old Celtic-Saxon conflict), and bias stemming from Webb's feelings of persecution as a veteran of the Vietnam War.

Works

''Fields of Fire'' (1978) ISBN 0-553-58385-9

''A Sense of Honor'' (1981) ISBN 1-55750-917-4

''A Country Such as This'' (1983) ISBN 1-55750-964-6

''Something to Die For'' (1992) ISBN 0-380-71322-5

''The Emperor's General'' (1999) ISBN 0-553-57854-5

''Lost Soldiers'' (2002) ISBN 0-440-24091-3

''Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America'' (2004) ISBN 0-7679-1688-3

''A Time to Fight: Reclaiming a Fair and Just America'' (2008) ISBN 0-7679-2835-0

Movies

Webb wrote the story and was the executive producer for the 2000 movie ''Rules of Engagement'', which starred Tommy Lee Jones and Samuel L. Jackson.

Warner Brothers acquired Webb's script for ''Whiskey River''. The script concerns an American soldier who is injured in Iraq and returns to the United States. Before completing rehabilitation, he is called back to active duty. His father, in an attempt to save his son's life, kidnaps him.

In October 2006, while commenting on the need to break away from stereotypical movie villains, Webb stated, "[e]very movie needs a villain. Towel-heads and rednecks—of which I am one... became the easy villains in so many movies out there."

Articles

Webb has authored a number of articles in various journals and newspapers, including the ''Marine Corps Gazette'', ''Proceedings'' of the United States Naval Institute, ''USA Today'', ''The New York Times'', ''The Washington Post'', and the ''Wall Street Journal.''

On November 15, 2006, ''The Wall Street Journal'' published an article by Webb entitled "Class Struggle." Webb argued that the government must "confront the growing unfairness in this age of globalization." He also stated that the "elites" ignore the average American, and that they believe that "certain immigrant groups have the 'right genetics' and thus are natural entrants to the 'overclass,' while others, as well as those who come from stock that has been here for 200 years and have not made it to the top, simply don't possess the necessary attributes." Conservative columnist Jim Glassman has insinuated that this comment was anti-Semitic.

Election history

Webb first won election to the senate in 2006, defeating incumbent George Allen. George Allen has announced he will run for the Senate in 2012 for his old Senate seat.

See also

United States Senate election in Virginia, 2006

References

External links

Official

United States Senator Jim Webb Senate site

2007 Archived Senate Web Site part of Virginia's Political Landscape, 2007 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory

2008 Archived Senate Web Site part of Virginia's Political Landscape, 2008 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory

2009 Archived Senate Web Site part of Virginia's Political Landscape, 2009 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory

2010 Archived Senate Web Site part of Virginia's Political Landscape, 2010 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory

2006 Archived Campaign Web Site part of Virginia Statewide Election Campaign Web Sites, 2006 Archive Collection at Virginia Memory

Webb for Senate campaign site

Born Fighting PAC, Senator Jim Webb, Honorary Chair

Veterans for James Webb

Real Virginians for Webb

Generation Webb

Jim Webb's Facebook Grassroots Page

Jim Webb's Grassroots Myspace.com Page

James Webb Enterprises

Resources

Profile at SourceWatch

Secretaries of the Navy official list

Articles

Senator Jim Webb, Choosing His Battles, interview on Fresh Air, May 20, 2008

West, Paul. "Jim Webb: No More Combat Boots", ''Washingtonian'', February 1, 2008.

Webb's Navy Cross citation

Webb, James H. "The Price of Duty", ''PARADE Magazine'', May 27, 2001. URL accessed December 29, 2005

Webb, James. "Why You Need To Know The Scots-Irish", ''PARADE Magazine'', October 3, 2004, adapted from his book ''Born Fighting''. URL accessed April 27, 2010

Webb, James. "Purple Heartbreakers, ''New York Times'', January 18, 2006

About James H. Webb, Jr., from the Naval Post Graduate School

Interview on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, March 8, 2006

Jim Webb vs. George Allen ''Meet the Press'', September 17, 2006

Allen Blasts Webb Novels For Sex Scenes Michael D. Shear and Tim Craig, ''The Washington Post'', October 28, 2006

Wilder endorses Webb Caine O'Rear, ''Richmond.com'', October 26, 2006

Military women support Webb as 'man of integrity' Seth McLaughlin, ''The Washington Times'', October 18, 2006

An angry man catches America's mood ''The Times''

Jim Webb & Graham Greene: With a Vietnamese Baby on Your Mind

Bad Manners Nora Ephron, ''Huffington Post'', November 30, 2006

Americans at War video

The Jim Webb Story profile on Webb and review of ''A Time to Fight'' from ''The New York Review of Books''

{{U.S. Senator box |state=Virginia |class=1 |before=George F. Allen |start=January 4, 2007 |alongside=John Warner, Mark Warner}}

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:American Protestants Category:American historians Category:American military personnel of the Vietnam War Category:American novelists Category:American political writers Category:American people of Scotch-Irish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:Democratic Party United States Senators Category:Georgetown University Law Center alumni Category:Historians of the United States Category:People from St. Joseph, Missouri Category:Reagan Administration personnel Category:Recipients of the Bronze Star Medal Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross Category:Recipients of the Purple Heart medal Category:Recipients of the Silver Star Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:United States Naval Academy alumni Category:United States Secretaries of the Navy Category:United States Senators from Virginia Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:Virginia Democrats Category:Washington, D.C. lawyers

de:Jim Webb es:Jim Webb fr:Jim Webb it:Jim Webb nl:Jim Webb no:Jim Webb pl:Jim Webb pt:Jim Webb sh:Jim Webb fi:Jim Webb sv:Jim Webb vi:Jim Webb

Rosalie Gardiner Jones (February 24, 1883 - February 1978) was an Oyster Bay socialite and suffragist known as "General Jones". She took part in the 1913 Suffrage Hike.

Biography

She was born in 1883 to Mary and Oliver Livingston Jones. She graduated from Adelphi College, then a women's school in Brooklyn, and later graduated from Brooklyn Law School.

References

Category:1883 births Category:1978 deaths Category:Brooklyn Law School alumni Category:Adelphi University alumni Category:American women's rights activists Category:American feminists Category:American suffragists

de:Rosalie Gardiner Jones

Name	Tom Barry
Birth date	1 July 1897
Death date	2 July 1980 (aged 83)
Birth place	Killorglin, County Kerry, Ireland
Death place	Cork, Ireland
Branch	British Army Irish Republican Army Irish Defence Forces
Rank	Commandant General
Commands	Officer Commanding, 3rd (West) Cork Brigade, Irish Republican Army Chief of Staff, Irish Republican Army Operations Officer, Southern Command, Irish Defence Forces
Unit	Irish Republican Army
Battles	World War I Irish War of Independence Irish Civil War
Laterwork	}}

Thomas (Tom) Barry () (1 July 1897 – 2 July 1980) was one of the most prominent guerrilla leaders in the Irish Republican Army during the Irish War of Independence.

Early life

Barry was born in Killorglin, County Kerry. He was the son of a Royal Irish Constabulary policeman. Four years later, Thomas Barry Senior resigned and opened a business in his hometown of Rosscarbery, County Cork. Barry was educated for a period at Mungret College, County Limerick from 25 August 1911 to 12 September 1912. The reason for his short stay is indicated by a reference from the school register of the Apostolic School, Mungret College; 'Went - Home (ran away) without knowledge of superiors - no vocation'.

In 1915, during World War I, he enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery at Cork and became a soldier in the British Army. He fought in Mesopotamia (then part of the Ottoman Empire, present day Iraq). He rose to the rank of sergeant. Barry was offered a commission in the Munster Fusiliers but refused it. While outside Kut-el-Amara Barry first heard of the Easter Rising.

War of Independence

On his return to Cork he was involved with ex-servicemen's organisations. In 1920, Barry joined the 3rd (West) Cork Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) which was then engaged in the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921). He was involved in brigade council meetings, was brigade-training officer, flying column commander, was consulted by IRA General Headquarters Staff (GHQ), and also participated in the formation of the IRA First Southern Division. The West Cork Brigade became famous for its discipline, efficiency and bravery, and Barry garnered a reputation as the most brilliant field commander of the war.

On 28 November 1920, Barry's unit ambushed and killed almost a whole platoon of British Auxiliaries at Kilmichael, County Cork. In March 1921 at Crossbarry in the same county, Barry and 104 men, divided into seven sections, broke out of an encirclement of 1,200 strong British force from the Essex Regiment. In total, the British Army stationed over 12,500 troops in County Cork during the conflict, while Barry's men numbered no more than 310. Eventually, Barry's tactics made West Cork ungovernable for the British authorities.

"They said I was ruthless, daring, savage, blood thirsty, even heartless. The clergy called me and my comrades murderers; but the British were met with their own weapons. They had gone in the mire to destroy us and our nation and down after them we had to go."

Civil War

During the negotiations that preceded the Truce that ended the war, the British had demanded that Barry be handed over to them before progress could be made on other matters. Michael Collins refused, although he afterwards jokingly told his fellow Cork men that he had been sorely tempted. Barry opposed the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 6 December 1921, because, according to him, it betrayed the Irish Republic and partitioned Ireland. He fought on the Republican side in the Irish Civil War (1922–1923) and was imprisoned by the Irish Free State after the Battle of Dublin in July 1922. Barry had voiced the opinion that, at the start of the Civil War, while the Republican side was stronger, they should have taken over Dublin and the major cities and forced a new confrontation with the British.

In September of that year, however, he escaped from an internment camp at Gormanston in north County Dublin and travelled south, to take command of the anti-Treaty IRA Second Southern Division. In November 1922, he led his men in the capture of a string of towns across the south midlands, including Carrick on Suir, Thomastown and Mullinavat, taking the Free State garrison there prisoner. However, due to a shortage of men and equipment, he was unable to hold these places, evacuating them before National Army reinforcements arrived. After this point, Barry increasingly argued with Liam Lynch, the Republican commander in chief, that the Civil War should be brought to an end, as there was no hope of victory. In March, Barry proposed to the IRA Army executive that a ceasefire should be called, but he was defeated by 6 votes to 5. The anti-treaty campaign was belatedly called off by Frank Aiken in May, after Lynch had been killed in a skirmish with Free State troops. Barry was arrested shortly before Aiken's order to "dump arms", on 24 May 1923.

Subsequent IRA career

After the defeat of the Anti-Treaty IRA in the Civil War, Barry was released in 1924. He served as general superintendent of Cork Harbour Commission from 1927 to 1965. In 1937, he succeeded Seán MacBride as chief of staff. Barry claimed that they had sabotaged a planned IRA offensive in Northern Ireland. Barry would assert in later life that he opposed both the 1930s bombing campaign in England and IRA contacts with Nazi Germany. In fact in January 1937 he had taken a trip to Germany seeking Nazi support, which was assured to him subject to the condition that the IRA limit its actions to British military installations once war was declared. Financing was to be arranged through the ''Clann na Gael'' in the USA. The Army Convention in April 1938 adopted Seán Russells ''S-''Plan instead. Barry resigned as chief of staff as a result, but remained in contact with German agents at least to February 1939.

In 1940, Barry was made responsible for Intelligence in the Irish Army's Southern Command, a position he held for the duration of World War II (see The Emergency). In 1941 he was denounced by the IRA for writing for the Irish Army's journal. He was an unsuccessful candidate at the 1946 Cork Borough by-election. Barry was supportive of the Provisional IRA campaign but expressed reservations about some of their tactics.

Memoir

In 1949, Barry published his memoirs of the Irish War of Independence, ''Guerilla Days in Ireland''. It describes his Brigade's exploits such as the ambushes at Kilmichael and Crossbarry, as well as numerous other less known actions which were directed against the British Army, Black and Tans, the Auxiliary Division and the Royal Irish Constabulary. It became a classic account of the war and an influential guide on guerrilla warfare. Barry took part in a fiftieth anniversary commemoration of Kilmcihael on 9th August, 1970, which was reported by Mary Leland in the Irish Times: "THE BOYS of Kilmichael were honoured in Co. Cork, yesterday, 50 years after the famous ambush in which the West Cork Flying Column wiped out a force of Black-and-Tans. General Tom Barry was the man who planned and led the ambush and yesterday he used the occasion to enunciate what he described as “certain principles of Republicanism.” To an audience of perhaps 1,000 people which included former members of the column who had taken part in the ambush as well as Messrs. Neil Blaney T.D., Kevin Boland, T.D., and Flor Crowley, T.D., he said that the first object of Republicanism was still the attainment of a Republic of the 32 Counties “despite any other implication or manoeuvring.” “There is now a heresy being propounded,” he said, “that the question of the unity of this country is a matter for the people of the Six Counties. This can never be accepted because the unity of this country is a matter for every man, woman and child within it.” That was the second principle. The third was that nobody had the right to abjure the right of Irishmen to drive from this country the armed occupying forces. “There has never been so much love-talk with British Imperialism as of late,” General Barry said. “Never so much sloppy talk and sloppy actions – particularly to the effect that Ireland can only be reunited by peaceful means. Do peaceful means obtain in the Six Counties?” General Barry drew the parallels of history: his theory of interior disunity being the fatal flaw in Irish defensive warfare was expressed again – that, and British imperialistic machinations. “These are facts of our own lifetime,” he said. “Are we going to go on in this disunity? Are we going to continue to see our Six Counties under the repression, the terror of Imperialism? Are we going to go on allowing this, or are we going to do our thinking for ourselves?” These words, and his gritty references to the men who died in their youth with guns in their hands, were greeted with cheers and applause. [. . .]

He described the plan of the engagement, how it happened, the long wait through the wet day among the rocks and heather. Then all over in 20 minutes. He took full responsibility for the fact that when the Auxiliaries called a second surrender (they had violated the first by opening fire again and killing two of his men) he refused to grant it.

“Keep firing,” I told them. “Keep firing until they stop.” Again the crowd cheered.

Eighteen members of the column were present, old men from . . . west Cork. Some had come from America; a wreath was laid on behalf of the old I.R.A. members in Boston, with the message: “We helped in the past and we will endeavour to help in the future”."

Death

He died in a Cork hospital in 1980 and was survived by his wife, Leslie de Barra (née Price), whom he married in 1921 and who was the director of organization for Cumann na mBan and later President of the Irish Red Cross. She died in 1984.

Tom Barry in popular culture

Bobby Sands wrote a poem about Barry after his death, entitled ''Tom Barry''. It was published posthumously in the collection ''Prison Poems''.

In Ken Loach's film ''The Wind That Shakes the Barley'' the character of Teddy is partly based on him, although Teddy fights on the other side in the Civil War.

See also

Kilmichael Ambush

Crossbarry Ambush

Irish Republican Army

Irish War of Independence

Tomas O'Canainn

References

Sources

Brian Hanley, ''The IRA. 1926–1936'', Dublin (Four Courts Press), 2002. ISBN 1-85182-721-8

West Cork Flying Column 1919–1921

'War of Words' over battle

The Kilmichael ambush controversy

62 minute talk to the 1916–1921 Club by Meda Ryan, author of 'Tom Barry: IRA Freedom Fighter'

Detailed account of the controversial Kilmichael Ambush

Category:1897 births Category:1980 deaths Category:Irish soldiers Category:People from County Kerry Category:Royal Artillery soldiers Category:Irish soldiers in the British Army Category:Irish people of World War I Category:British Army personnel of World War I Category:Irish Republican Army members (1917–1922) Category:Irish Republican Army members (1922–1969) Category:Irish Army generals

eu:Tom Barry sv:Tom Barry

Title	Tom Clancy's EndWar
Developer	Ubisoft Shanghai
Publisher	Ubisoft
Designer	Michael de Plater
Composer	Alistair Hirst Matt Ragan
Genre	Real-time tactics(turn-based for handhelds)
Engine	Unreal Engine 3.1
Version	1.02 (May 12, 2009) (PC)
Released	Console and handheld:Microsoft Windows:February 24, 2009
Modes	Single-player, multiplayer
Ratings	|PEGI16+, 12+ (NDS)}}

|platforms= Microsoft Windows, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360 |media= Blu-ray Disc, DVD, UMD |requirements= |input= }}

''Tom Clancy's EndWar'' is a real-time tactics game designed by Ubisoft Shanghai for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows platforms. The Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable versions feature turn-based tactics instead of the real-time tactics of their console counterparts. It was released on November 4, 2008 in the United States, November 6, 2008 in Canada, and November 8, 2008 in Europe. A Windows version was released on February 24, 2009.

Story

Background

In 2016, a nuclear attack occurs in Saudi Arabia, killing six million people and crippling the supply of oil from the Middle East, plunging the world into an unprecedented energy crisis. The following year, the United States of America and the European Union sign the historic SLAMS (Space-Land-Air Missile Shield) Treaty, agreeing to co-develop technologies for a comprehensive, interlocking anti-ballistic missile system. The U.S. and EU test-launch nuclear salvos against each other, which the SLAMS weapons completely destroy. Emboldened by the success of the tests, the United States and the European Union pronounce "the end of strategic nuclear war," and the world celebrates a new age of peace.

With the price of crude oil at USD 800 a barrel, the EU member states are forced to consolidate political, economic, and military power to form the European Federation. The United Kingdom and Ireland decline membership. Nations too weak to join the new Federation, notably the Balkans and Eastern Europe, collapse completely and were subsequently taken over by Russia, who refer to it as "their land." The U.S. and the EF regard each other's power as a threat to their own, and the now fractured former allies embark on a costly space arms race with each other.

Russia, being the world's new number one supplier of natural gas and crude oil, has its economy skyrocket up with the energy crisis, spending its oil profits on modernizing its armed forces, creating its own missile defense system, and utilizing its new-found power to influence world events.

The militarization of space reaches its peak in 2020, when the United States reveals plans to launch the ''Freedom Star'' space station in an effort to regain its position as the premier world superpower. While partly designed for civilian research purposes, the station will also house three companies of U.S. Marines, who can deploy anywhere on Earth within 90 minutes. International reaction is extremely negative, to say the least. The EF and Russia in particular despise the development, seeing it as a way the U.S. could use to neutralize their portion of anti-ballistic defenses and upset the balance of power. The EF withdraws from the already divided NATO in protest.

Prelude to war

The prelude to war takes place before the Third World War and explains how the conflict began.

On March 23, 2020, European Federation (EF) uplink sites in the "lawless zone," where Croatia used to be, are attacked by an as-yet unidentified group of terrorists, who are using T-80 tanks, from a beached cargo ship. They are repulsed by EF Enforcers Corps (EFEC) forces. During the battle, the EF attempts to gain access to the cargo ship that the terrorists use but the ship is destroyed before they can gain access. Details of the attack are kept secret.

On April 4, 2020, when the final module of the ''Freedom Star'' is set to launch from Kennedy Space Center amid international outcry, the same group of terrorists attack the module and attempt to destroy it, using the same methods as the Croatian attack. Once again they are repulsed, this time by the United States Joint Strike Force (JSF) as reports of yet another terrorist attack come in, this time of an assault on the Rozenburg petrol plant in the Netherlands. After being defeated by EFEC forces, the terrorists identify themselves as the "Forgotten Army" composed of people from a collection of failed states in the Balkans, Africa and South America.

Following a final terrorist attack, this time on a Russian power plant near Minsk (an attack which the Russians were aware of beforehand but played along with for aesthetic purposes), the US finds "conclusive evidence" that the European Federation's defense minister, François Pulain, funded the Forgotten Army with modern military equipment. They send a black-ops team to abduct him while he inspects the Copenhagen uplink network. They manage to capture him but an anonymous call by Russia informs Danish police, allowing EFEC forces to prevent extraction and trap the team in one of the uplinks. On April 7, 2020, the US crashes Copenhagen's uplinks and sends in JSF units to rescue the trapped team. The US successfully repels the EFEC's first attack, but European forces are able to counter-attack and reboot Copenhagen's uplinks in their favor. The JSF forces are forced to surrender and allowed safe passage back to the U.S. in exchange for releasing Pulain.

While emergency peace talks are held on neutral ground in London, it is revealed (to the player only) that Russia funded the Forgotten Army's attacks and planted the evidence against Pulain, citing the need to keep the EF and the U.S. from uniting in order to take Russia's oil. To ensure that war is sparked between the two powers, elements of the Spetsnaz Guard Brigade (SGB) embark on a covert operation, disguised as Forgotten Army soldiers, to upload a virus into the European SLAMS network at Rovaniemi air base in Finland. The virus causes an EF orbital laser satellite to shoot down the new ''Freedom Lifter'' module during lift off, thinking it to be an ICBM. The entire crew is killed, and news reports blaming problems from "malfunction" to "terrorist hijacking" to (finally) "EF satellite." This final act starts a war between the two powers. Russia initially joins the United States under the guise of "aiding it in its crusade against Europe" and invades EF-controlled Poland, but the Americans see this as an attempt to reform the Eastern Bloc and attack Russia. World War III has begun.

World War III

World War III is an open ended part of the story where the player chooses their faction and character and tries to take all three Capitals or twenty-eight battlefields.

The campaign plays much like Prelude to War with a few additional options. During World War III between battles the player has the option to choose between several battle locations. The battles that the player could have chosen, but did not, will be fought by AI. Also, battles lost or quit by the player cannot be replayed, and the territory is lost, whereas in Prelude to War, the player could retry each battle until he succeeded. The player also has the option to upgrade their chosen battalion with improved attack, defense, mobility, and ability characteristics.

At the conclusion of each campaign battle a summary screen is shown. This screen includes information including number of battalion units promoted, amount of credits (money) received, command rating, medals, mission duration, and a quote by a famous military leader. The player can gain a more in depth understand of the battle summary by viewing the details screens, which provides a breakdown of statistics, ranking, etc...

During the course of the war several background situations arise such as adverse weather conditions like typhoons causing people to become homeless and rescue teams being dispatched. There are also reports of protest against the war from around the world as well as by individual figures such as the Pope. These parts of the story are told via television reports. They also report the sinking of enemy shipping by airstrikes and WMDs. As the war progresses, the leader of an opposing nation survives an assassination attempt, around Turn 15.

When the war has ended, the winning faction takes control of the world and a special scene is shown, which shows the winning faction's flag and troops parading with the voice of the faction's General talking about their victory and what will happen in the future; depending on whether it is United States, Europe or Russia that is the winning side, the cut scene is different due to different speeches by Generals and different reasons for starting the war.

Locations

In an IGN interview, De Plater said the setting of ''EndWar'' (as a possible series) is a global battle, but the first installment is focused on the North Atlantic theatre of battle: Europe, Russia and North America. Players will hear reports of events in other parts of the world, such as reactions to the war by the Pope and various other countries, as well as actions in the war that the player takes no part in.

Vlorë

Vlorë appears in the video game Tom Clancy's EndWar as a possible battlefield. In the game, a major oil refinery is located there, which receives oil from the Black Sea.

Gameplay

Imp Rebs has confirmed 4x4 will be offered in the full version. De Plater confirmed the game to be a Real-time tactics strategy war-game. Units will gain experience as they are used in battle. The emphasis will be more on smaller scale battles rather than the overarching campaign.

Ubisoft also claims that the game is "completely controllable through voice commands." This is demonstrated on a handful of game play videos by de Plater himself.

Factions

There are 3 playable factions in ''EndWar'': The ''European Federation Enforcer Corps (EFEC)'', which is made up of veteran elite counter-terrorist and peacekeeping forces throughout Europe, especially skilled in urban warfare. While their units are slightly less armored, they are faster than either the JSF's or SGB's. They also excel in electronic warfare, as well as advanced directed energy and microwave weapons. Their ranks notably contain many previous members of the elite counter-terrorist unit, Rainbow. Their WMD (weapon of mass destruction) is a Tactical High Energy Laser.

The ''Russian Federation Spetsnaz Guards Brigade (SGB)'', which is composed of veterans of Russia's many regional conflicts, specializing in heavy weapons and heavy armor. They believe in winning at all costs, while still saving face. A few Rainbow veterans from Eastern Europe serve as Battalion commanders. Their WMD is a Fuel-Air Missile / Vacuum bomb, as are many of the 'special weapon' upgrades for units - e.g.: engineers and tanks gain access to flamethrowers, while artillery and gunships make use of fuel-air weaponry.

The ''United States' Joint Strike Force (JSF)'', led by ''Ghost Recon'' main character Scott Mitchell, is modeled after today's Marine Expeditionary Units. The J.S.F. is built around small units packing a precise punch, and is made up of elite servicemen from all branches of the U.S. Military. They also specialize in access to state-of-the-art stealth technology and battlefield robotics, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Automated Sentry Drones. Their WMD is a Kinetic Strike. A few veteran Ghost Recon and Rainbow members serve as battalion commanders.

Units

There are seven types of units available for direct command: riflemen, engineers, tanks, transports, gunships, artillery, and command vehicles.you can also subcommand drones and us army units(needs to be purchased from the barracks). Troops which have been with the player for many battles will be more effective than fresh recruits. De Plater, Creative Director, says this creates a "Pokémon-like" ownership of the player's units, and will have a large effect on his tactics. "It's a battalion that you own," says de Plater. "You can personalize it. You can customize it. You can choose its motto and its heraldry. You can change its composition and abilities." According to a Pre-GC IGN article: "Each faction has roughly 150 upgrades and units have six levels of experience. These upgrades are where the seven unit types can gain great variety and specialization through three different ways-experience, equipment and training, all of which have different effects and abilities. This allows many of the related unit types other games consider a different class have merely to be folded into one of the eight present in ''EndWar''. For example, a rifleman may be upgraded to a sniper unit rather than having that unit type exist by itself."

Each individual unit can be upgraded, improving their armor or offensive capability. Upgrades must be bought from points earned in the game.

The player will not control individual soldiers, but much larger platoons and companies. The soldiers will behave realistically, using stealth and military tactics. Veterans will act based on their experience in previous battles.

Craters, walls, debris, and buildings can be used for cover, and units can be pinned down by heavy enemy fire.

De Plater hinted at the game being streamlined with regards to units, resource management, etc. He stated that "every time they cut features out, it just made the game better." For example, only 12 groups are allowed under control at once. Also, the resource system will be stripped down compared to other RTS games. Each unit costs the same amount of resources, which are gained by capturing strategic points on the battlefield. Reinforcements will be handled realistically meaning all new units must be transported onto the battlefield by a transport vehicle (or in the case of helicopters, will fly in from off-screen).

To call in new units it costs between one and six CP (Command Points), Command Points are also used to call in airstrikes, force recon and electronic warfare, the three kinds of offmap support. Command Points regenerate at a rate of around one point for every 30 seconds and are also gained for killing enemy units, the player gains a bonus of four Command Points for capturing an uplink.

Mission Supports

There are also three mission supports that can be upgraded:

Air strikes that can be used to damage or destroy enemy units. Electronic warfare disrupts enemy communications, disables shields, reveals hidden traps and infantry, and immobilizes enemy vehicles and helicopters. Force Recon is a support weapon that sends a regular army unit to a captured uplink to protect it, or to attack a designated hostile. It consists of up to two infantry units, two FAVs (Fast Attack Vehicle) units, and two Tank units from the regular army.

DEFCON 1 Supports

When a battle reaches DEFCON 1 two supports are unlocked for the losing player; these are the ability to Crash an Uplink and deploy a WMD. When an uplink is crashed its upgrade can no longer be used and it no longer counts towards victory; Crashing an Uplink does not damage any units on the battlefield and can only be done once. A WMD, however, destroys all units within a large blast area, whether friendly or not. WMDs recharge slowly, so they can be used again. Additionally, during DEFCON 1, units used as reinforcements only cost two Command Points.

Mission Types

There are four types of missions in the game: conquest, assault, raid and siege.

Conquest: These battles are the most common, as Conquest is the primary mode in EndWar. The player starts with up to four units and has access to reserves and off map support. The aim of this mission type is to maintain control over a majority of the uplinks for a five minute period. When over half the uplinks are controlled, DEFCON 1 initiates and access to DEFCON 1 supports is granted.

Assault: These battles are the most straight-forward. To win this battle, the player must wipe out all enemy units.

Raid: These battles are like conquest mode, but the player has to sabotage the enemy by destroying half of the key buildings on the map within ten minutes (on offense), or prevent them from being destroyed (on defense). WMDs are not available.

Siege: These battles are exclusive to capital cities and require the player to capture or defend a critical uplink identified by being larger than all other uplinks. The attacker must secure the uplink before reinforcements arrive in ten minutes. The defender will be given eight units and must hold on to the uplink for ten minutes time, at which point a large Force Recon team deploys. Until the timer runs out, the defenders must do without any off-map support, including reinforcements and evacuation choppers, forcing units to fight to the last man. Off-map supports, including WMDs and reinforcements, are half the CP cost.

In all mission types, the player can also win by annihilating the enemy force.

Voice

The game features optional voice commands so that the player may use a headset to give orders to their troops, although the troops will only react to valid and game-related orders in certain languages, but are able to understand many accents of those languages. Officials at Ubisoft Shanghai said it was also possible to control the game using only voice commands; Jeff Bakalar of CNET concurred, saying the demonstration he watched ran for twenty minutes without any perceptible faults. Hearing enemy soldiers communicate gives the player a strategic advantage to counter the enemy's attack with one of their own. Ubisoft has even created a video showing parrots commanding units using their voice.

Point of View

The primary view in the game is from the perspective of one of the units under the player's command. The view can be moved a short distance from the selected unit or switched to that of another unit. Enemy units will only be detected if they are within the Line-of-Sight of a unit; doing away with the fog of war common in most strategy games.

In addition to the units' point of view, there is a tactical map or Sitrep view, which shows the entire map with the locations of all allied and any visible enemy units which can be used to issue commands.

Marketing

The special edition of ''Rainbow Six Vegas 2'' included a video with the first live gameplay footage of this game. There have been online advertisements, as well as an ''EndWar'' website at Endwargame.com

Downloadable Content

Since release, Endwar has received the "Escalation" downloadable pack on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace which contains three new unit upgrades (one per faction) and four new maps playable in skirmish, as well as additional achievements/trophies. Another set of upgrades were released, entitled the "Faction Elite pack" which included six new unit upgrades (two per faction) and three new battalions (one per faction). Also, announced on March 13, two new missions on two new maps will be available for free. They are assault on Russia’s Cosmodrome and conquest on the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Richton, Mississippi, USA.

Trailer

The first ''EndWar'' trailer shows an overhead map of Western Europe with only Spain and half of France under US control, while the Russians occupy the rest of the continent. The camera then zooms to an ongoing battle in Paris, where a local Joint Strike Force commander, Major General Smith, directs the action from a mobile headquarters vehicle by using an interactive holographic map display. Outside, U.S. soldiers armed with assault rifles similar to the XM8, along with advanced IFVs, DPVs, and M5A2 Schwarzkopf tanks, attack Russian forces holding out at the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre museum. Eventually, the US troops call in air support in the form of AH-80 Blackfoot attack helicopters and V-25 transports, forcing the Russians to fall back. However, the assault is short-lived, as in addition to a mechanized counterattack, the Russian forces launch several Tu-3 UCAVs that shoot down the helicopters right on top of the soldiers. Realizing the desperate situation, General Smith issues voice attack commands to a Kinetic Strike satellite hovering over Europe. Russian soldiers surround him as he emerges from his command vehicle.

Just before the Russians take him in as a prisoner of war, the general says, "''Now.''" The satellite fires at least three kinetic rods down on his position, obliterating himself and the Russians, as well as large sections of Paris. Smith's death would be mentioned in passing in the ''EndWar'' novel.

The trailer depicts several major cultural icons from Paris, including the Eiffel Tower and a heavily damaged Luxor Obelisk.

The music used in this trailer was composed by Michael McCann and can be found at his website. The music of a different trailer is The End of the World by Skeeter Davis

Novelization

''Endwar'' was published as a novel, on February 4, 2008 in paperback form. The back cover says "Based on Ubisoft's bestselling game, ''Tom Clancy's EndWar''", despite the game not yet having been released at that time.

Reception

''The Guardian'' gave the game a 4/5 It was praised for its "Highly addictive solo play...the game comes into its own with the massively multiplayer online Theatre of War." while being docked somewhat for "occasional voice recognition blip". The website www.gametrailers.com gave ''EndWar'' a 9/10 saying that it was "Console strategy done right." IGN rated ''EndWar'' as an 8 out of 10 taking marks away for the "Uninspired single player campaign" but still saw it as a more than solid RTS. Game Spot's Kevin VanOrd rated the PS3 version of ''EndWar'' as a 7.5 out of 10 praising its "Innovative voice command mechanic" and stating "Persistent online campaign makes matches feel meaningful" but berated it for its lack of story and "simple rock-paper-scissors skirmishes". 1Up and Electronic Gaming Monthly both gave the game a C.

Xbox 360 Beta

A private beta test version was playable among Xbox Live Gold members. It included three maps and both 1v1 and 2v2 matches. The beta test began June 16, 2008 and ended July 9, 2008. Participants were placed under non-disclosure agreement until the game's first commercial launch.

Demo

The VIP demo for Xbox 360 users who pre-ordered the game was released a little more than a week late on October 11. The demo features one single-player story mission, one map that is playable in Skirmish mode with either 1 vs. 1 or 1 vs. AI, and a Voice Command Trainer.

The VIP demo has a campaign mission at Kennedy Space Center. The Skirmish mode features the European Federation versus the United States over the Kennedy Space Center in Conquest mode. The demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on October 15, and on the PlayStation Store on October 30.

There is also a special code that appears when the user exits the demo, which is used to unlock a special Spetznaz battalion for use in the full game.

Sequel

A sequel to the game was confirmed to be in the early stages of development by Ubisoft's creative director Michael De Plater in an interview with Videogamer.com. A small team from Ubisoft Shanghai is in charge of the development, he said, and "is concentrating on two areas of improvement - single-player story and depth." He could not, however, place a date as to when more information on the sequel would be released. On February 8, 2010, it was announced that the development of the sequel was put 'on hold'.

References

''The Guardian'' review.

"IGN" Release Date

External links

Official Game Homepage at ubi.com

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