Ep 226 The Fog of War and Humanity with Richard Acritelli and guest Marcelle Leis P2 on hmTv

Episode 226 (Part 2) – The Fog of War and Humanity with Marcelle Leis

In Part Two of this moving conversation, host Richard Acritelli continues with Marcelle Leis, a 24-year veteran of the Air National Guard and Suffolk County Veterans Services leader.

Marcelle shares her experience deploying to Kuwait in the immediate aftermath of 9/11—one of the first groups of American service members sent overseas. She reflects on the numbness the nation felt, the challenges of leaving family behind, and the realities of serving under Force Protection Delta lockdown with limited communication and supplies.

As First Sergeant, Marcelle focused on morale, checking on airmen who were still processing the trauma of 9/11 while adjusting to a new era of military service. She recalls the powerful support of her community back home, from her young children drawing daily flags to local schools sending messages of gratitude.

This episode explores not only the shift in America’s military mission after 9/11, but also the enduring bond between service members, veterans, and first responders—and the way communities came together in the face of tragedy.

Transcript

The Fog of War and Humanity – Episode 226 (Part 2)

Host: Richard Acritelli
Guest: Marcelle Leis

Richard Acritelli:
Hello, this is Rich Acritelli here on hmTv. We’re back with Part Two of The Fog of War and Humanity with our guest, Marcelle Leis.

Marcelle, in our last episode you shared your recollections of 9/11 and how soon after, you deployed to Kuwait. Now you’re overseas—one of the first groups to go. Tell us what you were feeling at that moment.

Marcelle Leis:
Thanks again for having me back, Rich. Yes, it was surreal. We were still numb as a nation from 9/11, and now we were leaving our families in an uncertain time—maybe the most uncertain we had ever known in our generation.

When we arrived in Kuwait, everything felt different. Force Protection Delta was in effect, which meant we were on lockdown. No one could leave base, no one could come in. Even the international workers who ran the small BX weren’t allowed inside. Supplies were limited, mail was restricted, and communication back home was almost nonexistent. It was isolating.

Richard:
That numbness you describe reminds me of what’s written in Seal of Honor, the book about Navy SEAL Michael Murphy. On 9/11, he and his classmates were watching the attacks unfold during training, and someone said, “This means we’re at war.” For Murphy, it wasn’t abstract—he had friends and neighbors in danger in Manhattan.

Marcelle:
Exactly. For all of us from New York, it was deeply personal. When I finally arrived in Kuwait, I remember walking the base as First Sergeant, checking on morale. One airman told me he felt safer there, surrounded by Patriot missiles, than he did in his own home back in the States. That struck me—and I’ll never forget it.

Richard:
And you had your husband and two small children at home. That must have been incredibly hard.

Marcelle:
It was. On 9/11, my daughter was in her fifth day of kindergarten, and my son was in nursery school. They were too young to understand, but they knew something was happening. My husband kept them strong—he even had them draw an American flag every single day I was away. When I came home, the windows of our house were covered in their flags. That was my welcome home.

Richard:
That’s powerful. And when you were in Kuwait, it wasn’t just about the mission—it was about making sure your people had what they needed.

Marcelle:
Yes. As First Sergeant, my role was to check on the welfare of the troops—making sure they had food, supplies, phone calls home when possible, and emotional support. Even little things, like a letter from home, were crucial for morale.

Richard:
And all of this was happening in a military that was shifting rapidly. You joined at the end of the Cold War, served through Desert Storm, and by 2001, the mission had changed dramatically.

Marcelle:
Absolutely. When I enlisted, Air Force basic training was only six and a half weeks. By the 2000s, they extended it to eight and a half weeks and added Warrior Week—because airmen needed skills to operate in combat zones. The Total Force concept after Desert Storm meant Guard members like us were no longer just weekend warriors—we were fighting side by side with active duty.

Richard:
And here on Long Island, that became very clear. Westhampton Beach, with its pararescue jumpers and air rescue missions, has been critical—supporting the Space Shuttle program, long-range rescues like during The Perfect Storm, and national defense.

Marcelle:
Yes, and we’ve fought to keep that base open because of its strategic importance. Suffolk County today has the largest veteran population in New York State. The Guard and Reserve community here is massive, and they deserve resources and recognition.

Richard:
You came home from Kuwait after less than a month, but the experience stayed with you. How did the community treat you when you got back?

Marcelle:
It was overwhelming. After 9/11, people were more aware, more patriotic. You couldn’t even buy a flag at Walmart—they were sold out. At my daughter’s school, her kindergarten class made me a flag book thanking me for my service. The gratitude was incredible.

But it was also a time of change. We were told not to wear uniforms off base anymore—suddenly, we were considered soft targets. The world felt different, but what didn’t change was the bond among service members, veterans, and first responders. That bond only grew stronger.

Richard:
And that’s really the heart of this series—understanding not only the fog of war, but also the humanity and community that emerges from it.

Marcelle, thank you for sharing your experiences in Kuwait and your reflections on 9/11. We’ll continue this journey in Part Three, where we’ll talk more about your later service and your current work supporting veterans here at home.

Marcelle:
Thank you, Rich. It’s an honor.

Richard:
And thank you to our audience for joining us on hmTv. This has been The Fog of War and Humanity. Stay tuned for the next part of our conversation with Marcelle Leis.

[Music fades out]