Acclaimed writer joins MilitaryWeek.com

Author-journalist W. Thomas Smith Jr. will write a bi-weekly column, "Beyond the DropZone," for MilitaryWeek.com beginning March 31, 2005.

(PRWEB) March 28, 2005 -- Author-journalist W. Thomas Smith Jr. will write a bi-weekly column, "Beyond the DropZone," for MilitaryWeek.com beginning March 31.

A former U.S. Marine and paratrooper, Smith will offer an insiders look at ground combat forces, paramilitary and special forces; past, present, and future.

"MilitaryWeek.com is very pleased to announce that W. Thomas Smith, Jr. is joining us in our ongoing efforts to explore the roots of military conflict and provide our readers with easy access to on-line, conflict-related articles from throughout the world," says Leroy Woodson, publisher of MilitaryWeek.com and a former editor and war correspondent for National Geographic magazine and The Washington Post. "Mr. Smith will be providing us with his unique insights in his own column, 'Beyond the DropZone'."

Other columnists at MilitaryWeek.com include LtCol Karen Kwiatkowski (U.S. Air Force, ret.) and Janine di Giovanni, a war correspondent and contributing editor to Vanity Fair.

W. Thomas Smith Jr. has written four books, edited two, and penned hundreds of pieces for a variety of publications including USA TODAY, George, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, The New York Post, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. His work appears frequently in National Review Online.

Smith is a graduate of the University of South Carolina (USC). He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as an infantry leader, paratrooper, and shipboard counter-terrorist instructor. Following his service in the Corps, he served on a special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team in the nuclear industry.

As a journalist, Smith has reported from combat zones in the Balkans and the Middle East, as well as covering the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist attacks from ground zero in New York. He is an adjunct professor of journalism at USC and a military technical advisor for FactChasers, an international research service.

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