During the first year of my transition from military service to staffing US Senate leaders on Capitol Hill, I began working on how to counter acts of terrorism. The year was 1996, and I had served on active duty as a Surface Warfare Officer in the US Navy since 1988. I understood important military concepts such as the capabilities of various Russian-made weapons systems and the impact of Tomahawk cruise missile technology on air superiority. Still, my experience did not help me comprehend how to tackle suicide terrorism.