So he was there. Twice. That's nice. I predicted this was going to happen 20 years ago. Nobody listened then either.
Retired SF. Between 2002 and 2020, I spent a total of seven years of my life, boots-on-the-ground time in AFG. I was there almost from the beginning.
As long as it was a temporary special operations based short term incursion, with a narrow limited objective, there was a chance of achieving some measure of success out of it (regardless of the initial reasons for the operation in the first place, which are known to be highly questionable, at best). Go in, kick the mortal shit out of everything that even looked like it needed a good kicking, then leave a sign on the door of the presidential palace. "Get your shit in one bag, or we'll come back again." Then leave the Northern Alliance guys in charge.
The day they made the decision to expand the mission objectives into "nation-building", to "conventionalize" it, and bring in large numbers of regular forces of all services, and started pouring concrete, I said, "This has now officially become a money-sucking boondoggle, and it will end badly."
Every time I deployed after that, every time I found myself standing in the middle of some new facility or structure that the US had paid to build (to include the rebuilt King's Palace and the new Afghan Ministry of Defense buildings), I would always ask the same question of whoever was in charge. "What do you think the Taliban are going to do with all of this after we leave."
And I always got the same answer. A knowing smile, a shrug, and a head shake.
tHaNkS fOR yOuR sErViC€!¡
In the mouths of some people that phrase is clearly a pro-forma thing, clearly mandated by their manager. I know it sounds trite but believe it or not, it is nice to hear if it is heart-felt. Then I think about the real reasons behind some of the things that we've been ordered to do in the name of the American people, and I feel a vague sort of embarrassment. Like, "Dude, if you only knew..."
To be real thats why i wrote it like a faggot. i mean no disrespect to you. You seem awake.
Its just so fucking incredibly sad that men like you, with the sheer strength and will to go through literal hellfire to make the world better, are put in situations that inevitabely make the flames hotter. Tricked to do the devils work, while being told you go with God.
I can not fathom what it is like, but its great to know that even with whats behind you, youre able to see the light/truth. Quite astonishing.
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