Our overall aim is to defeat the insurgency which means we must gain and then maintain the support of the Afghan population,
No, it means you must close with and destroy the enemy. Civic Action is one thing, patroling is another. If you’re in an area where you need to be carrying a weapon, it needs to be ready to use. Having to take time to charge your rifle means that you’ve given the enemy time to empty an entire magazine at you.
This foolishness is going to result in dead G.I.s.
“This foolishness is going to result in dead G.I.s.”
They had better hope and pray that it is not my son that gets killed for their stupidity. Or anyone else’s son for that matter.