In March 2003, reporter Evan Wright was in central Iraq with a Marine special forces unit that was leading the charge toward Baghdad. The Marine First Reconnaissance Battalion's task was to go in "ahead of the main Marine invasion force, and... seek out enemy ambushes by driving into them."
The experience led to "The Killer Elite," this year's winner of the National Magazine Award for Excellence in Reporting. "The Killer Elite" was the first in a three-part series that ran in Rolling Stone Magazine in the fall of 2003, and is an almost photographic account of his time with the Marines.
