Official: 13 American troops killed in Kabul attack

CNN ^

[sodpoodle]

Our military is the last bastion of patriotism. The tragedy is that too few citizens have any connection to it since the draft ended.

My youngest son served in 1991 (Desert Storm) but did not re-enlist. Pride and terror - emotions that the families have to deal with every day.

God bless.

[rollo tomasi]

“Exactly!”

Let me know when we are fighting a war. Do you know we actually pay “civilians” NOT to plant IEDs? Is that how you fight a war? Do you know soldiers are not allowed to instantly take action if they see a civilian” actually planting IEDs? Do you know that many convoys are restricted by ROEs they become sitting ducks? And please don't give me this Obama excuse, these were Bush's “commands” as well. Is this effective warfare?

[A Navy Vet]

You make good points, but I don't believe Aftganis will ever want democracy. They are too ingrained in their political/economic/theological beliefs. Maybe in 20 years, but not now.

"I mean, what was the point of all the sacrifice, hard work and death if we give up before the job is done?"

The lost lives and limbs has kept those barbarians from another 9/11 for all these years. That alone is worth the sacrifice.

I'm sorry Dear Lady, but I just don't believe they will ever want Western ways, same as the so-called Palistians who once had jobs and a future in Israel until they decided to increase their cafe/bus/event bombings. They simply cannot comprehend what's being offered to them. Would you have us continue this for another 10 years? Or 8? Or 6? They are too tribal and don't want our way of life.

[xzins]

Our leadership has never devoted themselves to a winning effort in this war. We could have overwhelmed this country, but instead we heaped the responsibility on the backs of too few who are too far apart.

Our troops are awesome.

Our national leadership is gutless.

[simplesimon]

May God bless and keep your husband safe and out of harms way.

Please thank him, from the bottom....deepest bottom of my heart for his service ~

[unkus]

Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

---

In this instance, that’s uncalled for. You owe an apology.

[A Navy Vet]

Agreed.

[unkus]

Marie, thank you and your family for your sacrifice and service. Words cannot express the gratitude you are owed and deserve.

[Marie]

Here’s the frustration: We ARE making progress.

Loss of life, roadside bombings, etc have all dropped this year. By every measure, we’re making progress THIS YEAR.

We were asked to turn the Titanic. Then we weren’t given the surge resources that were requested for way too long. Most of our military attention was focused on Iraq until this year. Afghanistan has been a half-hearted afterthought.

We FINALLY have the surge, we’re finally making progress and now everybody is complaining that it’s taking too long and that the price is too steep.

Afghanistan has been a war on the back-burner until last friggin’ SPRING. It’s amazing that this ‘hopeless’ situation is actually starting to look doable now that we’ve made it a priority.

So we give it a serious SEVEN months then throw in the towel? Really?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Perdogg.

[MEG33]

The Lord bless and keep you and yours, Marie

.I am so grateful for your husband’s service and dedication. Our nation is fortunate to have those who will go in harm’s way.

Prayers for those who mourn and for the wounded.

[MEG33]

Prayers for your loved ones.
Amen

[richardtavor]

Thanks.

[Roninf5-1]

All the sacrifice. All the time lost. The years that my children didn’t have their father. The PTSD. The lives and limbs lost. Our friends blown up. My children’s classmates dead and wounded for life.

This is precisely why you and so many other Americans refuse to face the reality that we have been betrayed by our "leaders" and continue to be betrayed by them on a daily basis. It's too horrific. Its too horrible to learn that men like Henry "Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy." Kissinger are running the show.

But if we want to save whats left our country we have to stop with all the Pollyanna BS and act like adults with a modicum of intelligence and discernment. Its time to realize that ALL of our national institutions: political, financial, and military have been hijacked and usurped by a corrupt cadre of men that hate the traditional American way of life and want to literally destroy Western civilization and remake into their own twisted, hellish vision. The government and the military it commands is no longer ours and in fact works against us!

But if you want someone to blame, don't blame the American people. When was the last time this government truly represented their interests. Why don't you blame the men most directly responsible -

[frog in a pot]

Been there done that pal, and would have gone back in a heartbeat.

I did have reservations about the likelihood of Iraqi men, after centuries of fitting into tribal hierarchies, being able to quickly develop sufficient testosterone to stand up and be personally accountable for their destiny (there is a reason many of them and their culture in general treat their females and children as crap). What was apparent was that they needed time to evolve into the kind of patriots that stood up during our own revolution v England.

(IMO, our best hope was the children, who instinctively saw us as a better alternative. It doesn’t take much to imagine what a 6 year old barefoot boy is thinking as he stands on the side of the road waving at you in a rag dress, no in-door plumbing and probably one real bath a year. That goal, however, would have required a continuing presence similar to Japan and Germany post-WWII.)

You, in your upthread post, urge Marie to stop supporting the effort and by extension, in essence urge her husband to desert. Most of us here find that despicable on both counts.

We controlled the center of the board in that region for awhile and that was important for our national security. It is one thing to dispute the silly ROE and the way the political weanies in Wash, DC mandate we pursue our goals. But is it possible you think it is in America’s interest that patriots do not respond to the call of their government?

You can have the last word.

[sand88]

Thank you. After 12 years of FReeping this is the first thread that’s ever actually made me cry.

Marie, God bless you and God bless your husband. Your posts have been thoughtful, heartfelt and informative.

Your husband is bravely defending our Republic. Please give him my thanks.

[huldah1776]

Dear Marie, As a very proud Marine mom, I feel your pain and frustration. I was hoping that Petraeus in his respected position and recent recommendation to listen to the boots would bring about a smoother running joint operation. Like Nam (my brother died there), the danger is in DC. There is a good book out called “This Time We Win: Revisiting the Tet Offensive” which is about “losing” there because of Congress defunding the war. THAT is the only reason we will not succeed.

This war is a spiritual war and no American who was wounded or Killed or served in any capacity will ever be forgotten for they fight the enemies of the One True God of Israel and the King of Kings. Israels enemies are God’s enemies.

Do not cry because of the spewing from the mouths of the weak and blind. They see what they want to see.

Gen. Allen is right in putting more boots on the PAK border to shut down what I call the “terrorist trail” into Afghanistan. And the guys around Sangin are doing a wonderful job out there but we don’t hear that in the MSM.

Whether we lose one or one hundred, the pain is there and each one is precious. Prayers for those wounded physically and internally, for the families of our lost and for the families of our allies and the 2 children also killed.

Prayers for the Australian families who lost loved ones, too, and for the brothers-in-arms who face this additional tragedy.

I am a member of a couple of Marine parent groups and we all support each other. Do not let anyone, anyone, veteran or active, get you down. God Bless your family and let me know if you want me to add your hubby to my prayer list. There are millions of us praying daily. By the way - Free Republic has a daily call to prayer for our American Heroes. It is good (under Religion.)

[Steel Wolf]

First off, prayers up for the 13 KIAs, the wounded, and anyone else still downrange.

I spent the lion's share of the last ten years in Iraq and Afghanistan, and I could write a book on pretty much every paragraph you wrote in post 19. I've been to almost everywhere we had a footprint in Iraq, and almost all of RC-E in Afghanistan. I spent most of my time traveling to small FOBs, teaching, or advising senior leadership in my discipline, so I saw things from a variety of angles, in a number of locations.

We're very good at the little things. Individual tasks. Collective tasks. Using technology to adapt to problems. Year after year, we modify our vehicles to react to threats. CIED jamming becomes more complex to react to threats. The old intelligence cycle moves into F3EAD to react to threats. Multimillion dollar weapons, comms packages or supporting systems are tested, evaluated and adjusted.

Cultural understanding, that rare, delicate thing, is built years too late, by people who are then rotated into different jobs based off of what their career progression dictates. It's a new war every 12 months and hopefully your predecessor took good notes.

In other words, we keep very busy at the day-to-day of military operations, but we're so deep in our lanes we have missed the larger point of warfare itself. Getting our way. Breaking your opponent's ability to resist is not a substitute for breaking their will. When you wonder how it is Iraq and Afghanistan are ending like Vietnam and not like Japan and Germany, here's why:

- In Iraq, we did not change the basic narrative of the culture.

- In Afghanistan, we did not change the basic narrative of their culture.

Any major war the U.S. has ever fought was won or lost based off of that consideration. How is it that post-WWI Germany and post-WWII Germany wound up so differently? Or Mexico. Or Panama. Or the Philippines. Or the Sioux.

We have noble goals and the ability to enforce them, but not the will.

As far as the U.S. military is concerned, Afghanistan is not a war, it's a live-fire JRTC rotation. A set of tasks to be performed in accordance with set standards and conditions. Every unit that rotates in wants to do a good job, compared to the unit that is leaving and the one that is rotating in after them.

Individual Army units performing magnificently doesn't challenge the basic premise of Afghan society, which is, "Powerful enemies invade us, but we endure and drive them out."

Our aims are limited to good metrics. Their aims are to resist us physically and culturally until we leave.

That's not just the Taliban who resists us. That's the whole population. Even the ones that smile at your few words of Dari and drink tea with you don't really want you in their country. They resist quietly, because they expect to wake up one day and hear that you have packed up and gone home.

Anyway, we did do some good while we were there. A lot of bad individuals and groups were taken down, and that's never a bad thing. But it was always destined to end like this.

[jazusamo]

Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

Though an apology to Marie from you is overdue it's not too late, Doofer.

Marie...My thanks go to your husband, yourself and your family for the service and sacrifice you've all made. You've lived this for years, God Bless you all.

Thanks for the ping and your excellent post, Chappy.

[rollo tomasi]

“But is it possible you think it is in America’s interest that patriots do not respond to the call of their government?”

What is the interest, to drain our resources by emulating Einstein’s definition of insanity?