OK. Now, turning to more modern times, how often has Afghanistan been conquered and by whom? (Since the advent of firearms in the hands of the Afghans.) The Brits couldn’t; the Soviets couldn’t; WE aren’t gonna be able to do it, especially the way we’ve been going about things. So what to do? I say it’s long past time to get our folks out of the target zone and get ‘em home. (That, by the way, is ALSO the feeling of a lot of mid-level and senior staff NCOs that I’ve talked with who are just back from there. They are not allowed to win and so there’s no reason to paint one more bullseye on one more American troop for no good purpose.)
The major fallacy to your statement is assuming ae are trying to conquer Afghanistan, we are not there to conquer them.
Yes, many enlisted, NCO’s at all levels and even officers don’t want to be there, but they keep returning.
Guess what? We didn’t want to be in Viet Nam, Korea or even Europe of the Pacific Islands in WW2 either.
But, like during Viet Nam, when there are so many denigrating the mission, morale plummets as the Troops are left feeling as if no one supports them any longer.
The old “I support the Troops, but not the war” doesn’t cut it.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/26/troops-hope-sacrifices-not-in-vain/
If you feel the need to rail against anything, rail against the ridiculous ROE’s that tie our Troops hands.