Originally Posted by
jimcav
When we 1st remained in Afghanistan, after the initial search and destroy actions against Al-Qaeda, I thought about my college class in low intensity conflict. I shared beers with some FMF corpsman (marine medics) who were there early, and it was just so much wild west stuff. Corruption, entire truckloads of supplies disappearing, so called "intelligence" turning out to be a version of an Afghan Hatfield leader providing "intel": ie using the US to exact revenge on an Afghan McCoy. There was too much similarity for my liking in things I'd read in "A Bright and Shining Lie", and Joe Galloway's (may he RIP) book, whose title sadly escapes me now, for that class.
I served my country another 14 years after we invaded, but by luck and effort (positioning myself whenever I could to be needed elsewhere), I did not deploy there. I'll be honest, I did not want to. They can brand it GWOT, OIF, OEF, etc, to me there was always a disconnect of policy level talking points/marketing and the reality I heard from those who had been there. That forced my wife to move more often, but I felt it was worth it (maybe just to me) to not deploy there. So many had no way to not deploy, and they did it with honor, courage, and commitment (not just a slogan).
The distance from where I sit in SoCal to that sandbox is a good metaphor for the gap between a plan(s) on some desk at the Pentagon or CentCom, and the reality on the ground; and the gap between the simplistic ideas of "they will welcome us with parades" and "spreading democracy" versus the centuries of a very different cultural reality in a land that really defines "foreign" with respect to what is normal for us (in so many aspects of comparison).
This has been an interesting thread to read. The SIV process was obviously a clusterF for several years, and it is easy to post-hoc see the errors. I can ask from now until 2050 why a SLOW, CALM, STEADY evacuation of US, allied, and SIV personnel didn't start the DAY AFTER the administration announced a May 2021 withdrawal date, or, barring that, commencing on 21 January; but it simply didn't. How big a crisis can they manage before things slip. It is pretty easy to say, IF I was president, I'd have managed COVID, the economy, AND figured out the Afghanistan problem (go back 4 presidents and the problem might be defined differently, but our last two had it as leaving).
From what I heard of the tribalism, given the number of casualties (collateral and direct) whose leaders/families want retribution, I'm honestly amazed we've evacuated as many as we have, as cleanly as we have thus far. I hope the rush hasn't been so chaotic as to allow any of the 5k released terrorist/prisoners or other hardliners to "mix in", nothing worse than a "long-con" scenario involving such types. I also hope money continues to talk there, so that anyone who isn't out by the 31st will be smuggled out for King Dollar--I'll donate to that cause sooner than to a political campaign. If I hadn't sold our other house last year, I'd have signed it up as an AirBnB refugee host home.
As I told my wife whenever the specter arose (this is now past-tense for me): I take the check; I volunteered; so I wear the uniform with pride; obey lawful orders; and, just as my parents raised me to do, I do my best, even when I don't like the task. Heck, even if I think it is the wrong way to do something (not to be confused with wrong), I do it and do it well.
In the service, we learn to do the mission. From simple stuff like PMS on equipment, finishing some ship's husbandry work before liberty can commence, or standing at attention in a parade for a change of command or some dignitary when it is 95 and 95% humidity, whatever. It all adds up to a remarkable machine that does hard, difficult, dangerous, and too-often thankless things. At least now a "thank you for your service" is common at Home Depot or wherever, and sincere.
This thread makes me say this: BZ to all who have served, whether back in the 'nam as they say, or in OEF etc. Kudos to all those who ask the hard questions of the policy makers (these are not mutually exclusive groups). I hope answers come. I hope the next generation considers the answers, and even considers if the right questions were/are asked, and does a better job not repeating mistakes.
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