Afghanistan Archives

A Mother Remember Her Son Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe

By Townie 76

From today's Sunday Telegraphhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/7434710/Mothers-Day-Today-will-be-hard-without-Rupert-to-bring-me-a-box-of-chocolates.html, a mother thoughts of her son killed in Afghanistan.

We were all so proud of Rupert. He was a wonderful son, brother, husband and father, though frantically untidy. In other ways he was very organised but his filthy jeans were always left on the stairs for mummy to pick up. He was also very good with people, which made him a very fine soldier. John and I hadn’t realised quite how highly regarded he was – as parents you don’t – until we read the obituaries, and heard the tributes at his funeral. General Dannatt called him “an outstanding commanding officer and a born leader”; Des Browne, with whom he had worked at the MOD, called him “the best of the best”.

5 Myths About Afghanistan

By Townie 76

From today's Washington-Posthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/11/AR2010031103394.html. Having been a Red Team Leader, this article represents the type of thinking Red Teams should be providing to their Commands, questioning assumptions.

Major John Moder '98-- Heard from Today!

By Lt Col P

The ever-vigilant Brother Rat BullNav, perched high up in a virtual crow's nest scanning the mil news wavetops, zapped this great piece of news to us:

MarSOC officer awarded Bronze Star

Staff report
Posted : Friday Mar 12, 2010 9:37:04 EST

The officer in charge of Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command’s assessment and selection received a Bronze Star with “V” device on Tuesday for his actions in Afghanistan.

On May 30, 2008, Maj. John A. Moder, 36, repeatedly exposed himself to Taliban sharpshooters and rocket-propelled grenades during a firefight in the Garmsir district of Helmand province. Then-Capt. Moder was serving as commanding officer of Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Over the course of a 14-hour fight, Moder “fearlessly” led his Marines from bunker to bunker, killing several insurgents with an M240G machine gun and an M4 assault rifle in support of Operation Azada Wosa.

“Calm and courageous under fire, he remained at the front of his company in constant contact with insurgent fighters,” according to the citation. “He was conspicuous throughout in his leadership and heroism. Capt. Moder’s resolute leadership and courage in the face of a determined enemy reflected great credit upon him and were in keeping with the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.”

Moder, who has deployed four times since Sept. 11, 2001, received his commission in 1998 after graduating from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va.

Well done, Marine. You make us proud!

Women of Hope

By Lt Col P

Here's a slightly late, but I believe wholly appropriate, nod to International Womens Day: the Women of Hope Project.

"The Women of Hope Project is an organization by women for women to restore hope and dignity to women who have been oppressed and denied personal freedom, health, opportunity, and respect. We hope to create a sisterhood to encourage and provide resources to help these women recover from the traumatic devastation of 23 years of war."

Sound a little too touchy-feely for us? You might think again, because I have seen the WoHP at work in Kabul, and I think it is one of the best NGOs on deck today, and also one of the most effective movements for positive change. If we want a stable, prosperous, functional Afghanistan, it will be organizations like Betsy's WoHP that effect the change, one family at a time. I used to chat with her every friday morning at the Camp Eggers bazaar, and became deeply impressed with how much she has done, starting from scratch.

"With the airline industry in limbo, Betsy took a year’s leave and made a trip to Afghanistan. She saw the plight of thousands of women and children who were left to fend for themselves in a male dominated society that was bereft of able bodied men to take care of them after 25 years of war. While she returned several times with donations to help the women, she knew that this was not going to fix the long term problem of helping the women to learn to support themselves. After many prayers and sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do, Betsy hit upon an idea that she thought might solve their problem. ..."

One of their signature projects is the bottle burqa, which is a great triple-poke in the eye for the Taliban. The folks at GOP Counterculture blogged about the one I sent to them-- yes, I'm the "good friend just returned from Afghanistan", and Mudville picked it up too:

Of course, this isn't the only thing they make and it's really a small part of their offerings, but it appeals to my sense of humor and defiance. Folks, if we want to win the campaign in Afghanistan and help them (re)build their nation, we will need to support organizations like WoHP. Betsy is doing things no military or governmental agency has done or can do. Visit her site, and give a little to the very best of causes.

A Governor, Governing

By Lt Col P

By way of ISAF's Operation Moshtarak site (which, by the way, you ought to bookmark), the Afghan government has begun to engage with Marjahns (Marjahnians? Marjoids?):

"Marjah, Afghanistan (Mar. 1) - Afghanistan's Second Vice President, Karim Khalili, and Helmand Governor, Mohammed Ghulab Mangal, today visited Marjah in Central Helmand to meet with local residents and Afghan security forces. This is the most senior visit of Afghan Government and NATO-ISAF officials since joint Afghan and international security forces commenced clearing the area of insurgents several weeks ago.

"This visit enabled the Vice President to engage with hundreds of local residents who gathered at the District Centre and to hear their views, hopes and concerns for the future..."

That's all good news, but some tough row-hoeing lieth ahead. NOT that it can't be done, simply that there is much hard work to do. The most interesting passage is this:

"... Many welcomed the improved security to the area and the recent deployment of the Afghan National Civil Order Police [now the Gendarmerie, I think] , but also expressed concerns over the previous behaviour and standard of the Afghan National Uniformed Police who will eventually be deployed to the District. In addition, residents were anxious to hear the details of how and when more concrete support from the Government would arrive to rebuild the community given the insurgents who previously controlled the area failed to do so. ..."

That contains the essential issue here-- Marjah will be won by the side that is seen to have done and be doing things FOR the people, rather than TO the people. Keep your fingers crossed that the government can be goaded, persuaded, convinced, chided, rebuked, or if need be forced or compelled to be on the right end of that contest. I'm actually betting that it can.

"Troops Clear Last Pockets of Resistance in Marjah"

By Lt Col P

Another step forward in Marjah:

"MARJAH, Afghanistan — Marines and Afghan troops cleared the last major pocket of resistance in the former Taliban-ruled town of Marjah on Saturday -- part of an offensive that is the run-up to a larger showdown this year in the most strategic part of Afghanistan's dangerous south.

"Although Marines say their work in Marjah isn't done, Afghans are bracing for a bigger, more comprehensive assault in neighboring Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taliban where officials are talking to aid organizations about how to handle up to 10,000 people who could be displaced by fighting."

Again, we say that the win in Marjah is not the elimination of Taliban fuckos (as fine a thing as that is) but the political, economic and social gains that can be made after it. And now that they're signalling another operation to the east in Kandahar, we can see how one battle shapes the next. I stand by my prediction that if these large-scale ops are followed by assertion of effective policing and governance, this time next year we'll be talking about a much changed Afghanistan.

Stay tuned.

"Did You Choose To Do This??"

By Lt Col P

NBC News captured some great footage of a Marine disarming an IED in Marjah:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Clarity" indeed!

Good work, Marine.

More on Marjah

By Lt Col P

This significant battle continues, step by step. The WaPo had a couple of interesting articles on the subject, as well as more of their excellent photography. One article reads, in part:

"But in purely military terms, sending 11,000 U.S. and Afghan troops to defeat a few hundred Taliban fighters in Marja won't change much in Afghanistan. The greater significance of the battle is in how it is perceived in the rest of Afghanistan and in America. ...

"The other group McChrystal wants to influence is the Afghan people and the Taliban, who saw the July 2011 withdrawal deadline as a sign of wavering U.S. will. "This is all a war of perceptions," McChrystal said on the eve of the Marja offensive. "This is all in the minds of the participants. Part of what we've had to do is convince ourselves and our Afghan partners that we can do this."

"A swift victory over the Taliban in Marja, followed with a robust development effort, could sway some Afghan fence sitters."

Not just fence sitters, so to speak, but the whole population; demonstrate to them that the government of Afghanistan is the sure bet, the safer bet. This means governance, services, the rule of law, effective policing. The lack of these things is what has enabled the insurgency to grow in the last few years. Good security and good governance will eject the insurgency from the population.

There's a lot riding on this operation. My own opinion is that while there's no doubt we can beat the Taliban militarily in, out, around and beyond Marjah, the bigger harder battle will be the reconstruction. If it goes well, Marjah will be a turning point. Nothing, especially in war, succeeds like success. Stay tuned.

"Stoner Cops"

By Townie 76

A friend sent me this link to a very interesting article from Mother Jones on the Afghanistan National Police. Given that the views of Mother Jones makes me look like a conservative, I hesitated linking the article to OP-FOR. However after consulting Lt Col JPP who provided some great insight into what the article said I am providing the link for your reading enjoyment. Here is the link to Mother Jones.

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Hard-Headed Marines

By Lt Col P

Glad to be back in the land of bloggage. I have had some horrendous internet issues, which prevented me from connecting effectively. To be honest I'm also enjoying my time with the boys before I have to go back to work.

Here's an amazing story out of Marjah, about a hard-headed Marine:

"MARJAH, Afghanistan — It is hard to know whether Monday was a very bad day or a very good day for Lance Cpl. Andrew Koenig.

On the one hand, he was shot in the head. On the other, the bullet bounced off him.

In one of those rare battlefield miracles, an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and he walked away from it with a smile on his face.

"I don't think I could be any luckier than this," Lance Cpl. Koenig said two hours after the shooting."

(Check out the photo; the look on his face is priceless. It's like he's quietly saying, "Fuuuuuuck...") The rest of the article's pretty good too.

Our boys continue to pound the shit out of the fuck-os, despite resistance. I am certain that all of this was expected and planned for. This op has been in the works for a long time.

Quick Update... The WaPo has more, and a very good photo gallery. (Yeah, ok, some of the captions are goofy, but the photos are outstanding.)

Vertical envelopment - leapfrogging into Marjah

By Richard S. Lowry

More than 10,000 Afghan, British and American soldiers, along with United States Marines attacked into Afghanistan’s poppy-growing heartland in the predawn darkness Saturday morning.

Third Battalion, 6th Marines leapt into combat, hopping over the maze of canals in 60 helicopters of the 40 Marine Air Group and Task Force Pegasus, the Combat Aviation Brigade of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. The Marines were on the outskirts of Marjah’s bazaar before any remaining enemy fighters could get their pants on.

Richard S. Lowry is the author of New Dawn, due out in bookstores in May.

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Marjah

By Lt Col P

It has begun.

The first wave of Marines and Afghan soldiers swooped into the farming community of Marja about 2 a.m. Saturday local time (4:30 p.m. Eastern), their CH-53 Super Stallion transport helicopters landing amid clouds of dust on fallow fields. As the troops, weighed down with ammunition and supplies, lumbered out and set up defensive positions, AV-8B Harrier fighter jets and AH-1[W] Cobra attack helicopters circled overhead in the moonless sky.

Two more waves of troops touched down over the following 90 minutes near other strategic locations in Marja. Insurgents mounted scattered attacks on the coalition forces in the initial hours of the operation, causing no significant casualties.

At sunrise, hundreds more Marines and Afghan soldiers entered the area by land, using mobile bridges to ford irrigation canals -- built by U.S. engineers more than 50 years ago -- that have served as defensive moats for the Taliban. Heavily armored mine-sweeping trucks and specially outfitted tanks worked to carve a path through a belt of makeshift bombs buried around the town.

(Not only Marines and Afghans, but I believe the Royal Welsh Regiment is also knee-deep in the fight, reprising an old partnership that dates back to the Boxer Rebellion.)

This battle will, as BGen Nicholson stated, be a turning point in RC-South. And if the Afghan government can seize the opportunity and exploit the gains we win for them, it will be a turning point in the campaign.

Go get 'em!

Feet Dry in CONUS

By Lt Col P

Am now in Charlotte Airport, waiting on the flight to Lejeune. I am freaking exhausted. And I stink.

But I have had beer.

SHORN

By Lt Col P

Shorn am I of two constant companions since mid-August of last year-- my 9mm and my M4. I turned both in today, duly cleaned (and with a small net gain of ammo, to boot). I feel oddly under-dressed without them.

I also removed the tourniquet and IBD that had been in my sleeve pockets for six months. Again, it doesn't feel quite right not to have them on board.

In about 24 hours or so I'll be airborne (!) back to the States, and this whole thing will be nearly done. That is the strangest feeling of them all.

The Clouds Parted

By Lt Col P

After two days of cold rain, the clouds finally parted here at Bagram. It was nice to see the mountains all covered in snow-- better news still for the local farmers, because it's been a dry winter so far.

I left Kabul on wednesday and am waiting here for my flight to Kuwait, retracing my steps of August last year. Instead of flying in, we drove. I was very much looking forward to seeing the countryside I hadn't seen, but I was thwarted by the rain and low clouds, and by the ever-muddier windows of the MRAP. (Neat piece of gear, that.)

So here I sit, having gone from sixty to zero in a matter of hours. This is all part of a necessary decompression, but I confess that I don't always wait well. Doc H preceded me by about two weeks, and is now in Kuwait.

I do have time to read, to PT, and to clean my weapons. And, thankfully, my rack doesn't squeak. :-)

Afghan Elections Postponed: One Big Step Backwards

By Lt Col P

Someone wearing a lot of stars or bearing ambassadorial credentials needs to bitch-slap President Karzai over this horrendous mistake. If there ever was a time to call in some chips, this is it.

KABUL -- Afghanistan's election commission announced Sunday that it is postponing scheduled parliamentary elections from May until September, bowing to logistical concerns, worries about potential voting fraud and the likelihood that the U.S. troop "surge" will lead to intensified fighting in parts of the country. ...

Some in the international community, as well as visiting U.S. lawmakers, had questioned the wisdom of holding the elections in May. They said it would have proven a distraction for American and NATO troops tasked with providing security for the balloting at the same time they are trying to retake areas from the Taliban.

I get the concerns, trust me I do. However, I'm not at all sure that the conditions causing those concerns will be gone by the time September rolls around. What would lead us to believe that? There will be fraud in some places; there will be violence in some places; there will be delays in some places. But the country as a whole must forge ahead with elections. Not possessing a tradition of strong and transparent governmental institutions, they need to start building some.

I think this electoral postponement is a huge step backwards. What the Afghan people need to see is their government staying the course in the face of danger.

One Word, Rhymes with "Jerks"

By Lt Col P

Someone here found this article on the 18 Jan suicide attack in downtown Kabul, and it deserves a few comments.

Taliban militants struck at the heart of old Kabul Monday in a brazen and coordinated assault that brought the beleaguered capital of 3 million people to a fearful, paralyzing halt.

It was also another bloody nose inflicted on both the central government's tenuous regime and international security forces, underscoring the vulnerability of a country edging toward internal combustion - just as U.S. President Barack Obama tries to stiffen resolve at home and abroad that the military mission in Afghanistan can
succeed.

Yet eight years after the American-led invasion that toppled the Taliban, and with an additional 37,000 U.S. troops now being deployed, the paramilitary insurgents have shown yet again they can attack at will, even penetrating the heavily fortified urban core of Kabul, causing mayhem with just a small number of grenade-tossing fighters and
suicide bombers.

Madam, please pull the plug on the hyperbole generator. "Brazen," yes; "coordinated," to an extent. But it didn't bring the capital to a halt. Yes, some stuff stopped, but life resumed pretty quickly. Good Lord. Thanks for being the Taliban's IO organ, lady! (The casualty figures are also wrong, but in all fairness it was an early report.) And the city is NOT heavily fortified; there is a significant presence, but "fortified" it ain't. And the bottom line remains unchanged-- Taliban gunmen MURDERED Afghan citizens going about their daily business. That needs to be stated clearly.

Unfortunately, there is also this, with my comments in [brackets]:

Worrisome as well was the apparent failure of [some!] foreign soldiers to come to the front-line aid of Afghans under siege. NATO officials said they had played an "advisory" role to Afghan security forces that finally managed, after six hours, to repel the attack and restore a semblance of order. [Believe me, there were other, more willing foreign soldiers in the fight.]

Turkey has the lead role with the International Security Assistance Force in protection of Kabul. But an interpreter who works for the Turks in their HQ said commanders had refused to involve their soldiers. "The commander said, `These are internal issues and you people have to deal with it yourself,'" the translator, who asked that his name not be used, told the Star. "He said, `We don't want to be involved in the war.'"

Turks here boast to me that they can move throughout the city without fear of attack. I always reply, "Yes, that's because you're not viewed as a threat. You don't count." The Turks could be an enormous force for positive change here, but apparently it's not something that interests them. Sorry, but the truth is the truth. The fighting, as usual, is going to be left up to the real allies.

The Man with a Plan

By Lt Col P

Tony-Sahib sent me this article from the WaPo: "Jim Gant, the Green Beret [sic] who could win the war in Afghanistan," and I strongly recommend it to all hands.

Please be sure also to read MAJ Gant's own article, linked at Steven Pressfield's blog.

In an unusual and unauthorized pact, Gant and his men were soon fighting alongside tribesmen in local disputes and against insurgents, at the same time learning ancient tribal codes of honor, loyalty and revenge -- codes that often conflicted with the sharia law that the insurgents sought to impose. But the U.S. military had no plans to leverage the Pashtun tribal networks against the insurgents, so Gant kept his alliances quiet.

No longer. In recent months, Gant, now a major, has won praise at the highest levels for his effort to radically deepen the U.S. military's involvement with Afghan tribes -- and is being sent back to Afghanistan to do just that. His 45-page paper, "One Tribe at a Time," published online last fall and circulating widely within the U.S. military, the Pentagon and Congress, lays out a strategy focused on empowering Afghanistan's ancient tribal system. Gant believes that with the central government still weak and corrupt, the tribes are the only enduring source of local authority and security in the country.

Go forth; read and heed. And thanks to the ever-bold Tony-Sahib for the heads-up. (And bon chasse to MAJ Gant!)

Busy Morning in the 'Bul

By Lt Col P

Never a dull moment here:

KABUL — Taliban militants struck at heart of the Afghan government Monday, launching attacks at key targets in the center of the city in a clear sign the insurgents plan to escalate the fight as the U.S. and its allies ramp up their own campaign to end the war.

Taliban spokesman [or "asshole"] Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press that 20 armed militants, including some with suicide vests, had entered Kabul to target the presidential palace and other government buildings in central Kabul. Explosions and the rattle of heavy machine-gun fire rattled the city.

I was in the MoD when it happened, and therefore fairly close. A pretty active firefight went on for quite a long time, and that plume of smoke drifted far over the city.

UPDATE-- You won't hear this in the press, but two facts stand out here on the ground. The fuck-os never penetrated the truly hard targets (MoD and Presidential compound), and the ANSF dealt with this well.

Stand By For Heavy Rolls...

By Lt Col P

... If you live in Marjah and you're one of the fuck-os.

"WASHINGTON -- The U.S. military is openly telegraphing a plan to clear out an insurgent haven in what may be the first major battle since President Barack Obama's expansion of the Afghanistan war, hoping that all but the most hardcore Taliban will sit out the fight.

U.S. military leaders have spoken bluntly in recent weeks about a looming assault on Marjah, a town in the southwest Afghan province of Helmand described as Taliban-owned and operated.

"It's been increasingly clear for weeks now about the need to clear out Marjah, so that's going to happen," Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen told reporters traveling with him in Afghanistan in December. "It's going to happen ... at a time and place of our choosing, but it's going to happen." "

We here aboard USS EGGERS (LHD-1369) heard all that and more from the very mouth of the 34th Commandant when he came through a few weeks ago. And I had it confirmed again the day before yesterday by one of the senior enlisted Marines in 2d MEB; he told me, "They [the enemy in Marjah] have three choices-- surrender and make piece with the government, fight and die, or try to run."

This is a well-planned and thought-out move, and it will put a huge dent in the Taliban's freedom of movement in Helmand. Stay tuned.

The London Conference: Watch This Space

By Lt Col P

The elite will meet in about three weeks in London to discuss Afghanistan, and the way ahead.

"The Prime Minister, who announced the London Conference at a press conference with UN Secretary-General [and internationally recognized idiot] Ban Ki-moon on 28 November, said the purpose of the conference is to 'drive forward our campaign in Afghanistan, to match the increase in military forces with an increased political momentum, to focus the international community on a clear set of priorities across the 43-nation coalition and marshal the maximum international effort to help the Afghan government deliver'."

Hidden in those last five words is monumental significance. The GIRoA has got to do what it hasn't been doing well (or at all) for the last few years. The good news is that it *can* do better; the bad news could be that the international community could very well lose patience. If we're all facing these same mushkilot this time next year, that'll be a very bad sign. If however we can collectively get things moving in the right direction, then the situation will be much different. Either way, the next twelve months will tell.

I believe that behind closed doors, Mr Karzai will have some explaining to do. Stay tuned.

More on Intelligence Changes Needed in Afghanistan

By Townie 76

There is a very interesting ongoing debate over failures of military intelligences. The debate was kicked off by the publication by Center for New American Security of the ISAF J2 Major General Flynn and two co-authors of a report entitled " A BLUEPRINT FOR MAKING INTELLIGENCE RELEVANT IN AFGHANISTAN." Over at the Smalls Wars Journal there are several interesting articles in reaction to Flynn et al's publication. I will have more to say on this later. Interesting debate worth the time to read the report and the commentary.

My Old Pal, Vitamin M

By Lt Col P

Just started P90X here aboard USS EGGERS (LHD-1369), which for me will be about P30X since I'm short, but as I've done bits and pieces of it courtesy of "P90Max" at 4th ANGLICO, I know what's in store.

So, I grabbed me some Vitamin M. I used it extensively in airborne school (!), even though I've previously never been into any sort of daily pain reliever, however mild. It made a big difference.

Ah, Vitamin M-- munch, munch, numm numm...

"We Are Going To Win"

By Lt Col P

Stars and Stripes has a pretty frank discussion with General McChrystal, sometimes known as Ka-Ka Stanley.*

U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan “are not winning yet, but we are going to win,” Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, told Stars and Stripes in an interview Friday.

But the general said it was not possible to say how long it will take to achieve victory, which he defined as a situation where “the insurgency is not an existential threat to the government or the people” of Afghanistan. He added that protecting civilians remains the goal of the allied counterinsurgency strategy.

“There’s no way to put an exact timeline on it, because as I’ve said, the Afghan people will decide [what victory is],” McChrystal said, speaking by phone from Kabul. “[But] I believe that over the next year to 18 months that we’re going to be able to decisively change the perception of momentum and gains by the insurgents.”

That's one of the best public descriptions I've seen yet of this operation. Although I wonder if "not an existential threat" isn't a misprint, because there are people who firmly maintain the opposite.

Read and heed!

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2009, etc. etc.

By Lt Col P

We here are on final approach to 2010, while those of you in CONUS have barely begun your descent from cruising altitude. Allow me to eulogize 2009.

What can we say about 2009? It was certainly not dull. We sustained losses in some theaters, we averted disaster in others (how much longer can we rely on dumb luck??), while we felt the sting of vile treachery in the homeland. On the personal home front there has been considerable sacrifice :-( including the untimely demise of my beloved cat, Mister Kitty.

Yet, we persevere. Real progress is being made, and there are expectations for greater gains.

Doc H has seen the completion of a long-term project, and I myself have seen some good works done. Concerning the latter, I must highlight the quiet but steady progress made by the Women of Hope Project-- home of the "bottle burqa"-- and by Sozo International. Those are two very worthy charities I have seen in action, and I strongly urge all to give a little.

And so as we hook up, check our equipment and prepare for the green light, allow me to extend best wishes to all, and especially to my comrades in arms, here and at home. Hoist one for me.

1 Jan Update: So far, at least around here, 2010 looks a lot like 2009. I'll keep you posted. MTF.

Devil-Dog-ettes On Point

By Lt Col P

Marine units in Afghanistan continue to task-organize in the quest to beat the insurgency:

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Dec. 29, 2009 – Throughout Afghanistan’s Garmsir district, Marines and sailors of 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, interact with key leaders and locals to learn the needs of local Afghan villagers.

However, there is one gap that is hard to bridge -- the interaction between Marines and Afghan women.

This is an issue that female Marines and sailors of the U.S. military engagement team worked to solve as they conducted patrols through the village of Tajik Khar Dec. 16 through 20.

With help from male Marines and members of the Afghan National Army, female Marines moved from compound to compound, hoping to speak to Afghan women to ascertain their medical and humanitarian assistance requirements.

“This is extremely important," said Marine 2nd Lt. Carly E. Towers, the officer in charge of the engagement team. “Our mission out here is to talk to and work with the locals to build cooperation and security.”

This is not new-- we used it with similar success in Iraq-- but it shows a continuing drive to win, and to use every tool at our disposal. Well, done!

Christmas 09 AAR

By Lt Col P

Well, that was Christmas. Aside from the slightly unsightly location and the pronounced lack of beer, I had a grand time. We had a great dinner (Turkish food, which isn't so odd when you consider that St Nicholas himself was born in what is now Turkey) and a gift swap that was a hell of a lot more fun than it sounded.

How did everyone make out?? New hardware? Ammo?

BTW, since we have a lot of time on our hands, we sat around rendering Christmas carols into spot reports and message traffic...

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Christmas Eve In Kabul

By Lt Col P

Here I am in Kabul on Christmas Eve, all giddy with anticipation. The powers that be have, in their bottomless kindness, granted us all day off tomorrow. And that is a good thing. Now if only we had beer.

So, until tomorrow, when I'll post more, I leave you with this classic Christmas scene:

Merry Christmas, folks!

Prison Visit

By Lt Col P

Brother Rat Doc H reports on a medical mission to a prison.

"Yesterday was an altogether wholesome and satisfying day. It always feels good to give or provide services to those with so little. At the end of a day it is a very good feeling when I can say that Afghanistan is better off because of what we did today."

Damn good stuff, and it's always motivating to read of an op where it was all steps forward and none back. Not only is Afghanistan better off, those folks will long remember what Americans did for them. It's all part of the effort.

They Deploy By The Horde

By Lt Col P

The long awaited (?) deployment of Mongolians to Kabul has occurred. For several weeks we had a handful wandering around, now we have what looks to be a company (check below the fold for more). We are certainly glad to have them, and their reception and integration has gone mostly well. However, on the second or third day due to an unfortunate mistranslation of the hours for the mess hall, they ate all the food, carried off everything of value, then burned the place to the ground. The new CG thanked them for the zeal with which they are applying themselves to the task at hand, but asked that they refrain henceforth from that age-old (and otherwise admirable) practice.

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OEF And The Future

By Lt Col P

Well, I think I can speak for most people here when I say we're glad to have seen it and heard it. I've said before also that people here are pretty much interested in winning, not quitting, so we've been waiting to get the word officially.

It is also true that the DoD has been leaning forward-- I hope everyone saw this article on the next wave of Marines to land in Afghanistan. (We heard about this straight from the Commandant.) Rough work ahead, but I can't think of any force better able to do what has to be done.

So there it is. Time to get on with it... because the one thing we ain't got it is time.

Thanksgiving AAR

By Lt Col P

Hope everyone had a zesty Thanksgiving, at home or far way. Here are a few thoughts on the Giving of Thanks, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

On a serious note, I can't say that I've ever been more grateful for what I have, and for what I've been given. The day after Thanksgiving, I went out on the force protection det to man the cordon around a refugee camp where volunteers from Eggers pass out blankets and clothes and little things for the kids. Lots of folks have it rough at home, I know, but we live like kings compared to these poor folks. We did what we could for them (and we made damn sure that the fuckos didn't interfere), but they need so much more. Our economy will recover (if it's allowed to by the professional tinkerers); theirs has a ways to go. If you can, dig deep and give a little, because a little goes a long way here.

I also spent some time re-reading some of the Thanksgiving entries from Cooper's Commentaries. The man knew whereof he spoke. Take this one, from Thanksgiving 2001:

Now involved in what may turn out to be a very long, holy war, we should all be very thankful that we were born on the right side of this conflict. We had nothing to do with this individually, but that does not prevent our being truly thankful for the circumstances. We did not choose this war, but we must now proceed to fight it with determination and will - and naturally to ultimate victory. That may take longer than we prefer to think, but we have no choice now. As President Bush put it, the alternative to victory is a world killing-zone in which every population center is a target for mass murder. This is a daunting prospect - the most daunting that this nation has ever faced, and probably the most daunting that Christendom has faced since its inception.

All hands, man your battle stations!

Never a dull moment in that man's life. Nor, I daresay, a wasted one.

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"Don't Leave Too Soon"

By Lt Col P

Interesting article on 1st Battalion, 5th Marines from the LA Times:

Reporting from Nawa, Afghanistan - It was at the end of a recent after-lunch meeting, with the two sides sitting cross-legged on a tattered rug, exchanging pleasantries and enjoying sweet tea and stone-baked bread.

Haji Mohammed Khan, district administrator for Nawa, a government bureaucrat with three decades' experience in war and shaky peace, had something he wanted to ask the Marines, some of whom will soon return to bases in the United States.

"Please," Khan said in a low voice, his sad eyes looking directly at his guests, "don't let us be here alone. You used your young people, your vehicles, your helicopters to help us. Please don't turn around and leave unfinished your business here."

We've read it before and said it before-- COIN is slow and painstaking, but it has to be given time. It looks like what we're doing is having an effect, finally. Let's finish it.

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Part II

By Lt Col P

President Karzai began his second administration today. As we have noted before, the election that got him to this point wasn't all that it could be, and the run-off that wasn't certainly didn't make things much clearer.

Karzai was sworn in to a second five-year term by the head of the Supreme Court during a ceremony attended by hundreds of Afghan and foreign dignitaries from more than 40 countries. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and British Foreign Minister David Miliband were among them. Heavily armed soldiers stood beside armored personnel carriers at the gate to the palace.

Yet, it has to be reckoned a step forward. Afghanistan now has the beginnings of a record, tenuous perhaps, of peaceful transitions of power. Let's hopethis is the first of many. And let's hope he comes through on his pledges.

Stepping Out Smartly

By Lt Col P

A very good article in the WaPo on the French units operating near Kabul. (Excellent photos as well; and note please that it's Marines and Legionnaires!)

TAGAB VALLEY, AFGHANISTAN -- Hundreds of French and Afghan troops on Sunday pushed into a hostile valley in eastern Afghanistan where militants launch quick attacks and then disappear into hillside villages. The mission: Secure the area for a planned bypass road around the Afghan capital to move supplies from neighboring Pakistan.

About 700 French troops, joined by 100 Afghan soldiers, moved into the Tagab valley before dawn with more than 100 armored vehicles. U.S. and French attack helicopters roared overhead as insurgent snipers fired from the roofs of houses onto the advancing column of vehicles, according to a reporter for the Associated Press who was traveling with the French troops.

I have not accompanied any French units into combat, but I can say with perfect candor that I have found every French officer here to be absolutely professional, capable, and dedicated to the cause. Bon chasse!

And on a related note, let's make it a Gallic Gun-Day Monday with a nod toward the French FAMAS. I'm going to try to fire one before I leave.

USMC Birthday Ball 2009

By Lt Col P

I attended the celebration of the 234th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps last night at the Embassy in Kabul. I had heard several times before that in the more remote capitals of the world, the annual Birthday Ball was quite the event for the diplomatic community. It's 100% true. Wow. From beginning to end, it was a memorable evening, quite possibly the best I've ever attended.

At least five VMI grads there too-- 82, two 91s, 94 and 89. Of course, we will all get together next week for Founders Day, and I'll have pics for that.

Tell Us Something We Don't Know

By Lt Col P

A little Gun-Day Monday action for you.

Shh! The word's getting out-- the 5.56mm round ain't all it's cracked up to be!

The study, co-written by Nicholas Drummond, a strategy consultant and ex-Welsh Guards officer, described British soldiers' rifles as "not much more useful than a peashooter".

Taliban marksmen use powerful 7.62mm ammo for their AK47 machine guns, according to a report of the study in The Sun.

Aside from obvious errors in that last sentence-- AKs ain't machine guns and they really should qualify "7.62mm ammo" as being not exactly the same as the 7.62mm NATO cartridges-- there is much to be said, but little that hasn't already been said.

We've known this for a while. The accuracy is not in question. The power of the round is.

Change 2 to Plan B

By Lt Col P

OK, if you're looking for ME to explain this, I'm sorry to have to disappoint you. We're scratching heads, too.

KABUL -- The top challenger to Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced Sunday that he will not take part in a runoff election scheduled for Saturday because he did not think the vote would be fair, but diplomatic gestures by both camps suggested the move would not trigger a new political crisis in the tense and war-torn country.

Or so we all hope.

No matter how a new government is formed, analysts said the withdrawal by candidate Abdullah Abdullah will inevitably lead to Karzai's de facto victory. But without a clear electoral mandate, they said, Karzai would begin his new term with lingering doubts about his credibility and reliability as a partner in the U.S.-led battle against Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents.

What this country needs is not, necessarily, a mandate but a clear decision one way or the other. I'd say we're still scanning the passes for it, to use a Great Game phrase. And the sooner it comes into view the better, otherwise we might all face a winter of discontent.

Gun-Day Sunday: The Straight-Pull Ross

By Lt Col P

Courtesy of resident gun-sleuth Tony-Sahib, we bring you a particular variant of the straight-pull bolt action Canadian Ross rifle.

Originally chambered in a proprietary caliber for the Canadian Army, the rifle had a checkered history. It was by all accounts a very accurate rifle, and it did well on the range. (There was a good article on it in American Rifleman sometime earlier this year.) However, it was not well-suited to the demands of trench warfare, and was quickly superceded by the .303 Enfield, unofficially at first by acquisitive (and smart) Canadian soldiers.

Now, the one shown below was captured or seized here in the recent past, and was handed down by various occupants of our office. Tony-Sahib did a little checking and found that a whole lot of them was made for the British Army in 1915, chambered in .303. This is one of them. Overall it's in good condition, but somehow the bolt was put together improperly, so that you can't pull it back all the way, thereby rendering it ineffective. A good illustration of why it wasn't a successful fighting rifle. How exactly it got here, none can say, but I bet it could tell some tales.

Here, you can see the straight-pull bolt:

Here, the whole thing, borne by a true rifleman.

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Taps: Sgt. Dale R. Griffin '03

By Lt Col P

Sad news from Afghanistan:

VMI alumnus Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, was killed by a roadside bomb while on duty in southern Afghanistan Tuesday, Oct. 27. His remains were among those of 18 Americans who died in Afghanistan that were received at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Wednesday night.

Griffin matriculated with the Class of 2003, and attended VMI for three semesters. A wrestler, he won his weight class in the 2000 All-Academy Wrestling Championship, and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.

RIP, brother.

Feline Friday

By Lt Col P

OK, since Friday here is our weekend-in-one-day, I'll go for something a little different, a little more relaxed. Lord knows we need it.

Those who know me know that I'm a cat person. Yep-- it's true. I like cats. So whenever I go over to ISAF HQ, I enjoy some quality cat time. What can I say? It makes me think of home. And these are hunting cats too-- the only tactical creatures at ISAF.

Enjoy.

PS: Gun-Day Sunday will be back with an interesting entry courtesy of Tony-Sahib.

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A Tale of Two Marines

By Lt Col P

By now everyone has heard of Matthew Hoh, a former Marine and Iraq vet who loudly and publicly resigned from his post as the senior Foreign Service official in Zabul Province.

I'd like you to meet Gunnery Sergeant D, who has also recently left Zabul Province. Left, that is, after successfully completing a tour of duty attached to SF and EOD units. He's been put in for the Bronze Star (the real kind, for combat), and for the Soldier's Medal for saving a man's life. Part of his fitrep-- not written by Marines-- reads, "His leadership, decision-making, and recommedations to the supported commanders within the province is [sic] sought out and relied upon. His leadership is of the highest caliber and he is the Marine that everyone wants to work with. In an environment where he is the senior Marine within the province, he has surpassed expectations of those he worked with and set the bar for all that follow."

So, I suppose that if you have the luxury of quitting, you can just fucking quit. But if that's not an option, you figure out a way to win. Gunny D is truly no better friend and no worse enemy. The other guy? I think he's the opposite.

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INCOMING

By Richard S. Lowry

Here are the details of the Firefight at COP KEATING

It began at dawn on Saturday, October 3, 2009, at an isolated outpost in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The Taliban had been harassing the troopers at COP Keating for months, attacking them three or four times a week. Most attacks consisted of a few bursts of small arms fire and a lobbed mortar round or a single RPG; nothing like what the Bravo Troop soldiers at Keating were about to experience.

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"Hardly Mission Impossible"

By Lt Col P

Max Boot goes to Afghanistan and reports back in The Weekly Standard:

Lieutenant Colonel Tom Gukeisen, the hulking commander of the 3-71 Cavalry Squadron (equivalent to a battalion), explains that the worst fighting is over here. His troops cleared out the Taliban this summer and established a "security bubble" around Baraki Barak. Now they are implementing what they call an "Extreme Makeover," using CERP dollars (Commander's Emergency Response Program) to build projects requested by local villagers. All such projects are designed to provide employment for young men so that they will not be tempted to accept the Taliban's money to plant IEDs. At the same time, Gukeisen is running his own radio station and handing out hand-cranked radios to get out the message that the Americans are here to help and the Taliban aren't. He is publicizing statistics showing that more Afghans than Americans have been wounded in Taliban attacks.

The results have been dramatic. Attacks are down 62 percent and intelligence tips are up 80 percent since August, Gukeisen tells me, adding, "We're not just baking cookies. We're regularly shwacking bad guys based on good intel." But Gukeisen is part of a new breed of Army commanders who know that you can't kill your way out of an insurgency. While it's important to kill or detain insurgents, even more important is to provide durable security and some prospect of a better life to the population. And that's just what he's doing here in cooperation with more than 150 Afghan soldiers and police officers.

He goes on to say:

Yes, winning will be difficult. Tremendous obstacles abound, ranging from the resilience of the Taliban to the ineptitude and corruption of the Afghan government. But it is hardly mission impossible. In areas such as Baraki Barak, U.S. soldiers and civilians have been making impressive progress ever since this summer, when the U.S. troop level in Afghanistan hit 64,000--up from just 32,000 in 2008. (There are now 68,000 troops with the arrival of another brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division devoted to training Afghan soldiers in the south.) But there are still far too few U.S. soldiers here to roll back years of gains by the Taliban in the south and east of the country.

He's right-- it ain't easy but it's not impossible either. But as we have pointed out (and tens of thousands of good men on the ground are proving every day), it's straightforward. Give them the right tools, the right guidance, and good solid leadership and turn them loose. They'll win every time.

In the same vein, and also from TWS, the father and brother of a Marine say "It's time to make a decision on Afghanistan."

Tankette

By Lt Col P

New Op-Forian and Eggers comrade "Tony-Sahib" uncovered a neat little piece of history, an Italian L3 "Tankette" from the WWII (and pre-war) era.

He wrote, "[An] Afghan officer told me this was a UK tank. However, it is an Italian L-3 made by Ansaldo circa 1935-42. It held a two (small) man crew and mounted two 8mm machine guns. My best guess is that the British captured it during the North African Campaign and brought it to the Indian frontier to eventually make it through the Kyber Pass to Kabul."

Strange things we see out here. Tony-Sahib has a keen eye for the historical, and is a damn good guy to work with!

More From The "No Shit" Category

By Lt Col P

My fellow Marines continue to lead the way down in Helmand:

Before a battalion of U.S. Marines swooped into this dusty farming community along the Helmand River in early July, almost every stall in the bazaar had been padlocked, as had the school and the health clinic. Thousands of residents had fled. Government officials and municipal services were nonexistent. Taliban fighters swaggered about with impunity, setting up checkpoints and seeding the roads with bombs.

In the three months since the Marines arrived, the school has reopened, the district governor is on the job and the market is bustling. The insurgents have demonstrated far less resistance than U.S. commanders expected. Many of the residents who left are returning home, their possessions piled onto rickety trailers, and the Marines deem the central part of the town so secure that they routinely walk around without body armor and helmets.

"Nawa has returned from the dead," said the district administrator, Mohammed Khan.

It hasn't been easy, not at all, but from the point of view of COIN operations, this is straightforward. Emplace yourself among the population, secure the population, gain the trust of the population; then, you can begin the rebuilding. The displaced enemy will have to fight you to retake the ground, and will have work uphill against their own evil and improvident ways. Then you transition and move on.

Nonmilitary reconstruction efforts have also begun to gather momentum. The battalion's two civilian advisers are working with a team of U.S.-funded contractors to provide agricultural assistance to farmers, the Obama administration's top priority for Afghan reconstruction. The contractors plan to hand out shovels, gloves and even tractors over the next few months. They hope the goods will increase prosperity and jobs and reduce the number of disaffected young men who want to fight for the Taliban.

"Everyone makes promises to us -- the Americans, our government, even the Taliban," said Mohammed Ekhlas, a snowy-bearded elder of the Noorzai tribe. "If the Marines and the people in our government are true to their words, then there will be peace in Nawa. If not, there will be fighting again."

Note, please, that this is in the heart of Pashtunistan, the Taliban's front and back yards. The loss of one town and the inability to take it back is a significant set-back for them, and a victory for us. Our men on the ground are obviously willing to stick it out. Are we?

When "T" Turns to "P"

By Lt Col P

Yesterday over at the MoD, we were on our way back to USS EGGERS (LHD-1369) when we got diverted to swing by another office to pick up some documents. I had just been to two meetings, which works out to two or more cups of tea. The chai was well advanced on the journey to its inevitable destination by that time. I made a quick assessment that I couldn't take a third cup without significant discomfort. However, the porcelain conveniences at the MoD are notoriously primitive.

I turned to my 'terp and said in Dari, "R---, where is the bathroom?"

"Sir," he replied in a tone he might have used to prevent me from walking up to an IED, "can't you wait??"

"Neh. It cannot be denied."

"If you must, it is there--" indicating a dank room off the corridor. As if the smell didn't give it away. "Please be cautious. It is not good."

Mustering more courage than I thought I possessed, I proceeded. The effluvium, the vapors, the entire scene staggered me. Yet, I persevered. Stand steady, I said to myself, and think of the mission.

And they ask me why I drink.

Change 1 to Plan B

By Lt Col P

I must say I didn't give our allies enough credit for being able to grunt out a short-notice runoff-- apparently they're on it like crosshairs on a Kennedy:

Afghanistan's election commission Tuesday ordered a Nov. 7 runoff in the disputed presidential poll after a U.N.-led investigation voided thousands of fraudulent ballots, dropping incumbent Hamid Karzai's votes below 50 percent of the total.

Karzai accepted the ruling by the commission "legitimate, legal and constitutional," agreeing to a second round vote.

The announcement came two months to the day after the first round vote and follows weeks of political uncertainty at a time when Taliban strength is growing.

The chairman of the Independent Election Commission, Azizullah Lodin, said the commission, which organized the Aug. 20 vote, did not want to "leave the people of Afghanistan in uncertainty" any longer.

Hell, I'm pleased to retract my previous opinion. But I'll stand by another one-- whatever happens, it won't be dull! STAND BY FOR HEAVY ROLLS WHILE THE SHIP COMES ABOUT...

Start and Stop

By Lt Col P

More and more on Afghanistan--

I wrote below that this whole bit in Afghanistan is about to get more interesting, as well as more exciting, and not necessarily in the good way. (Interesting and exciting in the good way over here is when I get to see one of those Air Force lieutenants in PT grear.) Today I would like to offer a few points of discussion from my vantage point, treading lightly as always around terrain that is not mine.

We have here a conundrum: sorting out the clear and fair winner of an election, according to the law, is of course the proper thing to do. However, we also need to recognize the practical consequences and understand what is probably going to happen in the interim. In my view, the runoff is going to put the brakes temporarily on strategic progress. The loss of time and momentum will, we hope, be worth the tradeoff if the process and the result is seen as putting a lid on an open question. In another country, the stability of institutions would be enough to carry the people through the period of uncertainty; here, it don't work that way. Not yet.

Also, nothing happens quickly in Afghanistan. Nor should we expect it to. Honestly, could we squat down and shit out a do-over election on any level above the local, in a matter of weeks? I don't think so. These folks can't either. I've seen one news report that hoped for a run-off "before winter sets in." Ha! Forget it. Talk about a "winter of discontent..."

The end result is that we've got a problem. Our proper and correct insistence on a clear and fair process will have an unintended, perverse (hopefully short-term) effect on the stability and security of the people for whom we are seeking the clear and fair results. That calls for leadership and unwavering firmness. As for the latter, I believe that every man on the ground here is ready to keep at it. If you are too, make your voice heard. A lot is at stake.

Updates...

Showdown Looms Over Afghanistan Election

White House: No Troop Decision Until Afghan Election is Resolved

More on Afghanistan

By Townie 76

From the New York Times Magaizne "Stanley McChrystal's Long War." Long article, written Dexter Filkins who writes on foreign affairs for the New York Times.

And Now It Gets Interesting

By Lt Col P

This is so late breaking I only heard about it when I read the headline:

Runoff Expected in Afghan Election

An investigation of allegedly fraudulent ballots in Afghanistan's troubled election has reduced President Hamid Karzai's portion of the vote to about 47 percent, an outcome that will trigger a runoff between him and his closest competitor, according to officials familiar with results. ...

The findings have major implications for the Obama administration's ongoing deliberations over Afghanistan war strategy and could eventually help remove the cloud of illegitimacy hanging over its partner government there. But a new election could also make a difficult situation worse, particularly if fraud is once again alleged or if the vote has to be delayed because of the onset of winter.

Indeed. Buckle up, this is going to get interesting. I'll try to pass on what I can!

More Steps Forward

By Lt Col P

"Advancing Marines Test New Afghan War Doctrine:"

BARCHA, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Winning ground is one thing. Convincing Afghan villagers you will not leave, abandoning them to a vengeful Taliban, is a bigger challenge for U.S. Marines advancing deep into southern Helmand province.

The Marines, part of a 10,000-strong force sent to Afghanistan this year, have pushed south into hostile terrain, winning ground and pledging to build the long-term trust and security needed to prevent insurgents from returning.

A day after taking over the former home of a local doctor which had been used as a post by the Taliban, the Marines were building it into a base and trying to win over local people.

"You have to make a decision, please. You want to work with us or you want to work with the Taliban?" the clean-shaven young Marine Captain Junwei Sun asked a wizened and bearded village elder at the first "shura" -- or meeting -- with local people.

Although the title says "new," this ain't anything new. This is COIN 101, what the higher leadership should have been pushing since Day One. Security comes first; mutual trust follows. Believe me, it works.

MRAP It Up, I'll Take It

By Lt Col P

Took my first ride in an MRAP a few days ago. NICE. PIECE OF. GEAR. Me like. It's got a nice comm package, and with the headphones I could listen to the convoy freq as well as the convoy's freaks. Because Kabul is the famous kite-flying city (if they ever figure out how to rig a bomb on a kite, we're fucked) this particular unit begins each run with some poor SPC getting tapped to belt out a stanza from the let's-go-fly-a-kite song in Mary Poppins. I shit you in the negative, I heard with my own two ears and I laughed my ass off. Good troopers, and dialed in too.

As we were rolling down the roads of greater metropolitan Kabul, it occurred to me that the MRAP would make almost the perfect bug-out vehicle for the well-prepared civilian. Hmmmm... I wonder if MDL would go in with me, 50/50? :-)

My Rant of the Day: the Over-Use of "Under-Resourcing"

By Lt Col P

OK, while we wait [drums fingers on table] I might as well unload. (And I must add, none of this has anything to do with the boys on the ground, who are doing everything they can, day in and day out. Nope, this has to do with leadership.)

We often hear that the war effort in Afghanistan has been "under-resourced" for too long. Undoubtedly, it took a back seat to Iraq for several years. But I'm beginning to get more than just a nagging suspicion that the "under-resourcing" line doesn't tell the whole story.

What other enduring campaigns in history have been under-resourced? There's the Pacific Theater in WW2-- by definition under-resourced versus the European Theater. That didn't stop MacArthur and Nimitz from doing the best with what they had.

Let's see, who else... Oh yeah. The China-Burma-India Theater. VASTLY under-resourced versus the Pacific Theater. That certainly didn't stop Slim; he did with what he had, and he won. And the XIVth Army prided itself on that. When the CBI Theater did get a heap of men and equipment, it went mostly to the Chindits.

Oh, one more: Greene's Southern Department in the American Revolution. So under-resourced as to be non-existent. Yet, Greene took his unclothed, unfed, unsupported, twice-beaten force and skillfully drew the ever-victorious Cornwallis right out of the Carolinas. Not bad for an under-resourced supporting effort, led by a gimpy little self-taught renegade Quaker.

So, here in Afghanistan, yes, we've been short-sheeted for years. From my view-- and granted I've only been on a deck two months-- I'd say that some senior leadership from previous years need to be asked some hard questions. Lots of young (and old) men have been doing some hard work, and paying the price for it. We ought to have more to show for it eight years on.

COP KEATING

By Richard S. Lowry

I just received an email from a good friend this morning.

Troops Survive Destruction of Base In Afghanistan With Only Clothes On Backs - Need Our Help!

"56 members of Bravo Troop 361 Cavalry have had their entire forward base – Combat Outpost Keating – destroyed, along with all of their belongings, except for the clothes they were wearing when attacked by insurgents in Afghanistan. Worse, they have lost some of their unit members and others were arilifted out for treatment of wounds. Many others continued to fight, despite their wounds and blood transfusions were made from soldier to soldier during the fight as help could not get in to the base."

http://burnpit.legion.org/2009/10/the-battle-for-cop-keating-and-how-to-donate-to-help-the-troops-of-361-cav/

Please help me get the word out to help these soldiers and let them know that we support their efforts.

Military Bloggers - Link to this post.

Afghanistan: Yes, We "CAN"

By Lt Col P

While BFQs shout "Quit!", the foolish try to look wise, and the fuck-os set off human bombs, good men wearing Maple Leafs are moving forward:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — It's one of the basic tenets of counter-insurgency, and it's being deployed aggressively in the dangerous regions southwest of Kandahar city: drive out the enemy, make the area safe for the locals, and then stay there as long as you can.

Creating a base of operations and making it secure is considered one of the first major rules in defeating groups like the Taliban. As part of the Afghan effort, Canadian forces have cleared a handful of villages in the Dand and Panjwaii districts in recent months and simply moved in.

The hope is that as that military "footprint" continues to grow, the effect of marginalizing insurgents will grow with it.

"At the end of the day, the approach that we took is pure counter-insurgency," said Lt.-Col. Joe Paul, 42, the commander of Canada's battle group in Afghanistan, known as Task Force Kandahar.

So it really works, huh? You bet it does. You can bet your next cup of Tim Hortons it does.

We've said many times before-- this war is ten steps forward and nine back. But the tenth step is the one that counts, the one that sticks.

Now What I Think--Rant of the Day

By Townie 76

Unfortunately like Ackerman her words are nothing more than banal mutterings from a rather ineffectual Speaker of the House and a intellectual lightweight whose views do not reflect those of a majority of American’s be they Democrats or Republicans.

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The Anglosphere: It Must Be Preserved

By Lt Col P

Today's random thought-- Coalition ops are great, except when they're not. The coalition at its best gives you a huge range of capabilities as well as the great intangible-- the manifest political will of many nations, arrayed against one foe.

Except that is, when some of the many nations aren't arrayed against thefoe. When some of the many nations are doing fuck all. When one or two of the many nations aren't doing much more than eating chow and filling up shitters.

However, it's an undeniable fact that the Anglosphere-- the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand-- is the backbone of this coalition. Some of the other shitheads, the real BFQs, we can do without. But go it alone without our fellow English speakers? No way. There are too many cultural links, too many unspoken understandings, too much common history and common interest. A coalition built around the Anglosphere, with some other countries, willing and able ones like the Poles, thrown in as well is pretty well unbeatable on the field of battle.

We need them, now and in the future. I hope our elected and duly appointed leaders understand that, and pay particular attention to the maintenance of this grand alliance.

Condition White

By Lt Col P

Gunsite grads and like-minded folk know what Condition White is-- " Relaxed, unaware, and unprepared. If attacked in this state the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy and ineptitude of your attacker. When confronted by something nasty your reaction will probably be, "Oh my God! This can't be happening to me." "

Sometimes I wonder about the US military...

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Is McChrystal Guilty of Insubordiantion?

By Townie 76

There is an interesting article in today's Washington Postby Yale Law School Professor Bruce Ackerman who is of the belief that General Stanley McChrystal remarks in a speech in London were insubordination. The professor said in his opinion piece, that:

McChrystal was almost cavalier in dismissing this point. After praising his superiors for encouraging straight talk, he laughingly suggested that "they may change their minds and crush me some day." This is precisely backward: Generals shouldn't need to be told that it is wrong to lecture their presidents in public. Perhaps McChrystal was misled by the precedent set by Gen. David Petraeus, who strongly supported President Bush's military surge in Iraq in 2007. Though Petraeus publicly endorsed the surge, this happened only after Bush made his decision. Petraeus was backing up his commander in chief, not trying to preempt him.

The question I pose, is Professor Ackerman right or in giving the speech General McChrystal did nothing wrong and his action are in keeping with the accepted professional conduct of the United States Armed Forces? I would recommend reading some of the comments left on the Washington Post site before responding--your choice.

Coming Back Up For Air

By Lt Col P

Hello, all. Chutoor hastee?

Sorry for the absence, been busy. I seemed to have been silent during an interesting time, but fear not-- I have plenty to say on the [redacted] assessment, various BFQs, and a whole host of subjects.

The Making of Sausage and Strategy Should Not Be Watched

By Townie 76

If one has ever been around the making of sausage, in particular old fashion country sausage, one would know it is not for the faint hearted, an article in today's New York Times reminds me that the behind the scenes debates in the formulation of Strategy is also not for the faint hearted.

FB Ali on Afghanistan

By Townie 76

Over at Sic Semper Tyrannis, there is an interesting perspective on the war in Afghanistan and General McCrystal.

A Very Bad Mistake

By Lt Col P

I couldn't believe this when I read it-- "Army Tells Dad His Soldier-Son Killed in War ... But He Wasn't" -- and I still don't fully understand it. Can someone explain it to me?

LtCol P's Update:

Thanks, everyone. I truly could not makes heads or tails out of this.

And thank you, Paul Hirsch, for making sure that this heroic soldier's name is properly known to all.

Two Articles Worth Reading

By Townie 76

In the current on-line edition of the New York Review of Books are two articles worth reading as they provide great insight into what is happening in Afghanistan and Africa. For those not familiar with the New York Review of Books, it is an intellectual journal where leading intellectuals present their thoughts on books about a common subject, or write extended essays. While much of what is written is typical of the Upper East Side, East Coast intellectual group-think, nevertheless some is worth reading as it offers a different perspective.

Time to Deal in Afghanistan

By Townie 76

From today's Washington Post, another perspective on Afghanistan, a counter argument to George Will by Fareed Zakaria.

Mushkil

By Lt Col P

The Dari word we advisers/mentors/trainers/LNOs hate to hear, the word we wince at, the one word we love to hate, is "Mushkil."

"Problem."

Mushkil rarely is the opening gambit. Mushkil creeps up on you. Mushkil is a sucker punch.

It goes like this... "Khoob!" ("Well!" or "OK!" as if to signal the end of an otherwise successful and pleasant meeting.) And then you hear what amounts to, "Dari dari dari dari dari dari. Dari dari. Dari dari dari,dari! Dari. Dari, dari, dari, dari, dari... Mushkil."

Fuck.

You shoot a glance at the interpreter, who knows very well that you know what word is floating in the air. Before you even speak, he's asking back, in effect, "What, pray tell, is the problem?"

It's usually something significant, on the verge of urgent. Like this example, from my meeting just this morning: "Vehicles [that is, up-armored SUVs] were given out two days ago by the Americans. I did not receive mine, but General ______ got four and he only deserves two. Colonel ______ gave them to him!" You can almost hear the "thwock!" of the ball being swatted into our court. A pregnant pause ensues.

"That is disgraceful, General," we reply, "and it is a gross affront to you." (All of which is true.) "Colonel ______ is in league with the devil, and General ______ is a dishonorable thief. You sir, however, are an honest man and unfortunately you are suffering the consequences of being an honest man." All of this too, is true. Knowing some of the background we continue: "We cannot produce a vehicle for you, much less two or three or four. However, we can assist your aide in filing the right request, so that at the next MoD conference we can produce the documents which have had no action taken, and confront General _____ and his lapdog Colonel ______, and uncover their fiendish plot."

There's more to it than squabbling; buried in there are strands of face, influence, prestige, authority and power. This is very important, and while it seems trivial and tiresome, it's worth paying very close attention to. Besides, possession of an armored SUV can mean the difference between life and death here, especially for the senior officers. But we have to walk a fine line between getting them something ourselves and gently chiding them into making their own system work.

Mushkil-- it's all in a day's work.

More On Afghanistan

By Townie 76

A very interesting and thought provoking article over at the Small War Journal. The author comments and more importantly the comments which have been submitted regarding the article reflect the wide variety of views on our role in Afghanistan. This is a healthy debate, as a debate such as this helps define the left and right limits of what is possible.

Now That's More Like It

By Lt Col P

This goes a long way to calming my elevated blood-pressure.

Winning the war in Afghanistan—creating a stable and legitimate Afghan state that can control its territory—will be difficult. The insurgency has grown in the past few years while the government's legitimacy has declined. It remains unclear how the recent presidential elections will affect this situation.

Trying to win in Afghanistan is not a fool's errand, however. Where coalition forces have conducted properly resourced counterinsurgency operations in areas such as Khowst, Wardak, Lowgar, Konar and Nangarhar Provinces in the eastern part of the country, they have succeeded despite the legendary xenophobia of the Pashtuns.

Poorly designed operations in Helmand Province have not led to success. Badly under-resourced efforts in other southern and western provinces, most notably Kandahar, have also failed. Can well-designed and properly-resourced operations succeed? There are no guarantees in war, but there is good reason to think they can. Given the importance of this theater to the stability of a critical and restive region, that is reason enough to try.

That's the spirit.

Ahoy, From U.S.S. Eggers

By Lt Col P

Quiet couple of days here, from the flight deck of USS Eggers. Ever since I got here I've had an odd sense of familiarity-- but not at all like Patton in the Roman ruins of North Africa. No, this was much more real.

I finally figured it out-- I might as well be at sea. The base is tiny, and it has one long main street. I go from billeting to work space to chow hall to gym and back again. I catch glimpses of the outside world , and I get off every now and then but only in full gear (and no beer). And there are a lot of sailors here too. And most of the rules are stupid.

If you took everything that is now on one plane, divided it up and stacked the pieces three or four high, you'd have an amphib, complete with a flight deck. And that's where I am-- the U.S.S. Eggers, LHD-1369. No wonder I felt resigned to a familiar fate.

Afghanistan A Failed Nation State or Tribes at War Over Who Shall Be the Big Chief

By Townie 76

We desire that Afghanistan look like the Western nation-state, unfortunately Westphalian Myopia prevents us from understanding from whence our own society comes. What we view as our form of Government did not spring forth the moment the settlers arrived in Jamestown in 1607 or for that matter spring forth the moment King John signed the Magna Charta. What we call representative democracy in both the United States and the United Kingdom has evolved over hundreds of years and will continue to evolve. Sometimes in our rush to impose our will we forget our own history and how our institutions developed. The absences of historical memory combined with Westphalian Myopia are dangerous combinations that threaten the health of our republic.

Read More »

Time to Get Out of Afghanistan

By Townie 76

George Will, who is the very embodiment of establishment conservatism writes in today's Washington Post that the United States should revise it strategy in Afghanistan and rather than fight the war from inside the country fight the war from outside of Afghanistan. Will points out,

The U.S. strategy is "clear, hold and build." Clear? Taliban forces can evaporate and then return, confident that U.S. forces will forever be too few to hold gains. Hence nation-building would be impossible even if we knew how, and even if Afghanistan were not the second-worst place to try: The Brookings Institution ranks Somalia as the only nation with a weaker state.

How to Lose in Afghanistan

By Townie 76

Anthony Cordesman writes in today Washington Post that

". . .Yet they can win only if they are allowed to manage both the civil and military sides of the conflict without constant micromanagement from Washington or traveling envoys. They must be given both the time to act and the resources and authority they feel they need. No other path offers a chance of a secure and stable Afghanistan free of terrorist and jihadist control and sanctuaries. . ."

Section Training

By Lt Col P

We do section training here every saturday at 1700. Today, a very keen LCpl of the Royal Engineers took us through an oh-fuck-we-got-hit-by-an-IED evolution. The objective was to rehearse the actions of reporting, securing, defending, evacuating the wounded, destroying any gear left behind, and bugging out. And we did it in full "kit'. VERY VALUABLE TRAINING.

So, one of us played the wounded guy, two young Sappers played the drivers; two more officers got to make the initial contact report, and then haul the wounded guy out of his vehicle and into the other one. That's a bitch; it's hard enough to lift a guy in full gear, then his vest got hung up on something, and so on. It was not a pretty scene.

Lesson learned. Practice, and practice realistically. The real thing will be considerably less pretty.

The Care & Feeding of the Military Chaplain

By Lt Col P

Read this; good article.

All hands, no matter what denomination or inclination, need to pitch in to take care of the chaplain. That guy bears the weight of the battalion on his shoulders; he carries people's confidences, their most-guarded secrets, and most serious problems. Most of the bad stuff and not too much of the good stuff gets dumped on him. Put another way, who goes to the chaplain and says, Hey-- I'd like to grab a half-hour with you to tell you in detail how great things are, and how problem-free I am??

Take care of your chaplain. He's worth his weight in gold.

Disbursing Humor

By Lt Col P

Cashed a check this morning, on my maiden voyage to disbursing. Above the heavily barred window was a sign proclaiming, "____th Financial Management Company, Det 2".

And below, in small print, "We're in Debt Too".

It took me a minute.

HA! I'm glad they're maintaining a cents of humor... (Yes, two can play at that game. But even I, an artilleryman, must yield in this case to superior punnery.)

Minor Annoyances

By Lt Col P

I discovered this morning, as I rolled out of the fart sack, that I had left my deodorant and small liquid soap squeeze bottle in the head, some 12 hours previously. I hurried in to scrape my face, hoping that some kind soul had left them in situ. No such luck; this ain't VMI. The deodorant I replaced easily, the squeeze bottle I'll have to get reach-back support for... it was the perfect size and shape, approx 3 ounces. Know the kind I'm talking about?? Hellfire and damnation!

Update: Thanks all, for the suggestions and offers to help, however Most Honorable Wife will mail me a replacement presently. It does illustrate the old saying, "Gear Adrift Is A Gift."

A Sensible Plan for an Afghan Air Force

By Lt Col P

The WaPo reports on an entirely sensible and feasible plan to field an Afghan Air Force.

"Our goal is by 2016 to have an air corps that will be capable of doing those operations and the things that it needs to do to meet the security requirements of this country," Brig. Gen. Walter Givhan told Pentagon reporters recently in a teleconference from Kabul, the Afghan capital. Even then, the Afghans will not be able to perform functions other air forces do, he said, adding, "The long-term goal beyond that envisions a continued partnership."

Read the whole thing-- it's a modest, realistic plan. We want them to be able to fly Mi-17s, Mi-35s, and turboprop cargo planes. Those are the essential things they need, and will have the capability to employ and maintain. I saw no mention of high-performance fighters. Why? Because we will fill in that blank for them.

Right now, this is the right plan to fit the circumstances. I'm not an airman, but I think I know a workable, reasonable structure when I see one. Tell me if I'm wrong.

Read More »

The M.O.D. Squad

By Lt Col P

Made my first visit to Ministry Of Defense (MOD) today, to see the route in and get familiar with the layout. The meeting at which I was to have been introduced to my counterpart was cancelled at the last minute, so I tagged along with two others and sat in on their meeting. Can't report too much on the content of the meeting, but I will say it was illuminating, and I remember well all the stories I'd heard from Marines (and others) about the crucial value of the interpreters. We can't do this without them.

On the walk from base to MOD (yes, we can walk, but it's in full gear), we got to see two gruesome landmarks. The first was the iron rings driven into a stone wall, across from the presidential palace, where the Taliban used to shackle victims. The second, right across the street,was the streetlight pole they hung Najibullah from. (Apparently it's stoutly built, because he was a big fat fuck, and it didn't appear at all bent.) I didn't take pics of either site, because I was informed that it this is a particularly unwise spot for casual photography.

Anyway, things are progressing here and I will soon be knee-deep in my primary duties.

More Troops for Afghanistan

By Townie 76

Interesting piece in the New York Times on the need for more troops.

Never Set "Patterns"

By Lt Col P

At least, don't set patterns that don't work.

The Army is considering a switch over to Multi-cam from the current ACU.

Since I'm not in the Army and don't have to live with the current pattern (or deal with a switch), I'll only ask the question-- how much money is it going to cost to swap out all the deuce gear, the packs, the holsters, and so on?? Ouch.

Election Day, Afghanistan, Part II

By Lt Col P

Results are not yet known, but from the local point of view, we had braced for considerable violence and chaos and thank God we got nowhere near as much as we had feared. That is good.

On the other hand, turnout appears to have been lower than expected. Again, final results will tell. The WaPo has reporting and photos. David Wood, whom I have referenced before as as a straight shooter and solid reporter, has more, and he strikes a chord. (In a very strange coincidence, Mr Wood was standing at the bottom of the stairs as I climbed down from the C-130 a couple days ago; I hadn't seen him in years.)

My take-- We'll have to wait, of course, for the results and the numbers, but the fact remains that the election has come and gone. Imperfect? Probably. Violent? In some places but not so in many others. But, it's good enough for this round. The fact that there was an election is a big step forward, and hopefully it will begin to set a basic expectation of regular self-governance. This unfortunate land could use a hefty dose of that.

(And yes, I can see the blimp.)

Election Day, Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

Today's the day here in Kabul, and across the country.

If you're the praying sort (and I hope you are), ora pro nobis-- for the brave folks who will stick their necks out to vote, to work the polls, to protect the polls, to clear the roads, to watch the crowds, to do their utmost to make sure that it's a fair, clean and quiet process.

Keep your fingers crossed.

O2BN... AFGHANISTAN!

By Lt Col P

Greetings to all. I have landed in Central Asia, and while not yet at my final destination I am very very close. I have every expectation of getting there soon.

I was pleasantly surprised by the weather. It was hot today, but not the ennervating 29 Palms-like heat I thought it would be. And then, even before the sun went down, it got nice and cool.

Needless to say I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. More to follow.

Almost Forgot... We rode in on a C-17. Today's strange fact is that it was my SECOND C-17 ride, but only my FIRST C-17 landing.

Update... Am sitting in the Pat Tillman Memorial USO at Bagram, waiting for further transport. This is a nice place, you can tell that a lot of thought and work went into it. The USO is a great organization, and well worthy of whatever change you can spare.

Marines Field All-Female Unit in Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

Drawing undoubtedly on similar, successful ad-hoc units in Iraq, 2d MEB has formed an all-WM "Female Engagement Team."

The all-female unit of 46 Marines is the military's latest innovation in its rivalry with the Taliban for the populace's loyalty. Afghan women are viewed as good intelligence sources, and more open to the basics of the military's hearts-and-minds effort — hygiene, education and an end to the violence.

"It's part of the effort to show we're sensitive to local culture," said Capt. Jennifer Gregoire, of East Strasburg, Pennsylvania. She leads the Female Engagement Team in the Now Zad Valley of Helmand province, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency.

Absolutely brilliant idea, and perfect case of round "Pegs" in round holes.

(And BTW, for everyone's edification and especially any young males out there who might be looking for a challenge-- the armored vest, with plates and ammo and water and all sorts of stuff, tips the scales at 45 pounds easily. Think you're up to it? Only one way to find out!)

Potentials and Pitfalls in the Afghan Election

By Lt Col P

Fox News has a good summary on what's at stake in the upcoming Afghan election. (Seems like I'll arrive at a dramatic moment!)

U.S. officials stress that the elections are being run by Afghans, hoping the country will embrace the results as homegrown rather than the result of foreign fixers. However, that could leave the Afghan government holding the bag if voters see the results as illegitimate.

Duplicate registrations, suspiciously high registration figures and other problems ahead of the election suggest possible fraud.

I know that US and allied forces will be pulling out the stops to make sure things proceed on the level; let us hope they succeed to the greatest degree possible, for a good election will be a heavy blow to the Taliban. And a launching pad for greater successes.

Marines Continue to Press Gains in Dahaneh

By Lt Col P

Fox News reports from Helmand Province:

The Marines are going house to house, they’re going compound to compound to make sure that there are no militants remaining and they’re doing it while the Taliban that the Marines didn’t kill yesterday try to kill these Marines today.

(Good pics at that link, and others.)

According to almost all reports I've read, this is a town and an area where Timmy Taliban hasn't been opposed by coalition troops much, if at all. Well now, it's nice to see that change. We mourn the losses of our brothers, and we feel for the boys taking it to the enemy wearing several dozen pounds of gear in hideous heat. Yet, it must be done, and the sooner the better. Go get 'em, Marines!

Sketchpad Warrior Back from Afstan

By Lt Col P

It's been a while since we visited the extremely few and awfully proud, the Marine Corps Combat Artists. I recently got an update from one of them, Sgt Kris "King Of" Battles from Sketchpad Warrior, who is recently back from Afstan (sic, in Torch lingo).

Here's one of his latest, on Echo 2/8; be sure to read the accompanying post:

(Also, don't forget about CWO2 Mike Fay at Fire & Ice!)

Will We Support?

By Townie 76

I appreciate the view of the General Sir David Richards the head of the British Army, but I have to wonder if the citizens of the US, UK, and the other NATO countries have the stomach for a forty year slog.

Range Time: Table III

By Lt Col P

Had a decent session on the range this morning. That is, I shot pretty well...

That's the target after two runs on the Table III course of fire, and then about fifty more rounds on top of that, and then two magazines from a 9mm. The low flyers are all 9mm, double action from 15 meters; the high-and-to-the-left flyers are 5.56mm, offhand at 25 meters or on the move. On the qual I put four (4) out of the kill zones, to earn me a score of 96 and a tie for second place. (First place was a 97, by a Major from 2d MLG.) Had to grit my teeth through one hot brass incident during a fire-while-moving string, but that was the only hitch. Well, that and four flyers that cost me a perfect score.

All shooting is good shooting, and better still when it's in full gear with combat weapons. That's today's takeaway-- if you plan on taking the field in any sort of harness or vest, I recommend that you practice as much as possible in that outfit. It changes your cheek weld, sight picture, and point of impact to name just a few.

The Dangers of Making Everything a COIN Fight

By Townie 76

At the end of the Vietnam War, based on the bad taste of that experience, the United States Army undertook a deliberate expulsion of Counter Insurgency Doctrine from the collective psyche of the conventional force. Any discussion of Counterinsurgency doctrine was relegated to the soldiers who comprised the Special Forces. It was their raison d’être and the Conventional Army as a whole focused on waging General War against either the Soviets or the North Koreans.

Read More »

I Feel Kinda Like St Sebastian

By Lt Col P

St Sebastian-- coincidentally the patron of Marines around the world-- is usually depicted as hog-tied to a pillar and stuck with arrows. And not looking too happy about either. (I remember well his statue in Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Montclair NJ. And poor St Lucy with her eyes on a plate.)

His modern incarnation, especially with regard to his charges in digital pattern uniforms, could well be a Marine stuck with multiple hypodermic needles.

I thought I was in good shape, immunization-wise, but NO-- I needed the smallpox booster, the third 'thrax shot, and the good old PPD. Plus a blood draw. But I think the good saint was looking out for a dirty little sinner, because they were all remarkably painless.

Getting Ready

By Lt Col P

Got a mountain of gear the other day, including the new vest. "Stoutly built" is the description that springs to mind. "Heavy" might also work. My hat's off to the men (and 'men) who are wearing these 24/7 with all the ammo and water thereunto pertaining, in hideous heat.

Seriously, we're getting some very good kit these days. I regaled the folks at the CIF with tales of the gear that 1stLt P was issued back in 1990, such as the mythical "shelter half," and received looks of disbelief in return. I'm still messing with this thing.

News From Mazar-i-Sharif

By Lt Col P

Two items out of Mazar-i-Sharif:

First-- Doc H gets out and about. The first thing that struck me was that his description of the women and children's wing of the prison is right out of A Thousand Spendid Suns.

Second-- Swedes and Finns put the fear of God into Taliban punks. Good work, boys! (Sgt Sven Hestrand, USMC: If you're reading this, you should be proud!)

Gen McChrystal's Tactical Directive

By Lt Col P

Our commander in Afghanistan has issued a new tactical directive, laying out how he wants units on the ground to conduct their operations.

I encourage all hands to go read Uncle Jimbo's comprehensive commentary at B5.

The Trouble With 'Terps

By Lt Col P

I've seen this article in more than one place today, under several different titles-- "Ill-prepared translators struggle in Afghanistan".

NAWA, Afghanistan - Josh Habib lay in a dirt field, gasping for air. Two days of hiking with Marines through southern Afghanistan's 115-degree (46-Celsius) heat had exhausted him. This was not what he signed up for.

Habib is not a Marine. He is a 53-year-old engineer from California hired by a contracting company as a military translator. When he applied for the lucrative linguist job, Habib said his recruiter gave no hint he would join a ground assault in Taliban land. He carried 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of food, water and gear on his back, and kept pace — barely — with Marines half his age.

U.S. troops say companies that recruit military translators are sending linguists to southern Afghanistan who are unprepared to serve in combat, even as hundreds more are needed to support the growing number of troops.

OK, this is obviously not good. On the one hand, there is a significant shortage of Pashto speakers-- the article goes on to say only 7,700 were noted in the 2000 census-- but we've got to be able to do better than this. Also, one can't make any of these people go back home and interpret for us. So even if we have half again as many Pashto speakers, or Dari speakers, or what have you, the ones suitable for this duty might represent only a third of that number at the most. (I distinctly recall the scramble for Somali speakers back in 93/94; what we got was a mixed bag of men and women, many of them DC-area postal workers if I remember correctly.)

However, on the other hand, this is not our best foot forward, especially after eight years of war. We have to do better. The bright side is that VMI'S CLASS OF 89 IS LEADING THE WAY. The contracting company VP cited in the article is (I'm certain) Marc Peltier '89, former US Army (MI). I think he's more than capable of handling the press and the problem.

More From Helmand Province

By Lt Col P

OK, we like to skewer the WaPo and the rest of the MSM when they do stupid shit, but never let it be said that we don't give them ready thumbs-up when they do good work.

One such instance is the generally good writing and reporting from Ann Scott Tyson, along with some superior photography. The last few posts we've done on Afghanistan have, I think, been on her reporting. She has an embed blog, which is packed with extras, like video. As in, ths one--

The war goes on. Stay tuned to her, and to us.

"Livin' The Dream, Sir"

By Lt Col P

Michael Yon hits the X-ring again with a dispatch from Central Asia:

... One Marine commander told me that during the early part of this war, his men didn’t even shower for three months. We talked for a couple of hours and he was proud that his Marines didn’t need a shower for three months, and that his Marines killed a lot of Taliban and managed to lose only one good man. That’s the Marines. They’ll show up in force with no warning, and their reputation with U.S. Army and Brits who have fought alongside them is stellar. A NPR photographer who just spent more than three weeks with the Marines could not praise them enough, saying he’d been with them in Iraq, too, and that when Marines take casualties, their reaction is to continue to attack. They try to stay in contact until they finish the enemy, no matter how long it takes. Truly they are animals when it comes to the fight. Other than that, great guys. Tonight at dinner, a young Marine Lance Corporal sat in front of me at the crowded dining facility. “Good evening, Sir,” he said. I asked, “Are you living like animals out there?” “Livin’ the dream, Sir!” They are fantastic.

On a more serious but no less realistic note, operations continue apace. (Be sure to check out the photo gallery, especially the caption for #11.)

UPDATED 8 British Soldiers Return from Afghanistan

By Townie 76

There was a very moving picture in the Washington Post of the procession of eight hearses passing through the village near the RAF Airbase where they were brought in by a I believe USAF C17. I could not find the pictures, but I did find a video account. I have added a link to the Economist's article on this subject.

Operations Continue in Southern Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

2d MEB and our allies press on in Helmand Province. Enemy action continues to take a toll. (WaPo has a good photo gallery of Marines paying respects to their fallen brothers.)

B5 has secured great footage of action at one of the many fortifications left by Alexander The Great in Afghanistan.

Ops continue.

"First Mission"

By Lt Col P

Brother Rat Doc H has reached his destination after a series of hops, skips and jumps-- read the whole series of recent posts-- and has even treated his first patient.

Looking forward to the rest of it.

Marines, Mules, Mountains

By Lt Col P

Good story in the LA Times about the Marines' mulepacking course at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport CA.

Opened in 1951 to train troops for Korea, the center -- with its administrative buildings, barracks, corrals and an enormous tent for visiting troops -- is set on 47,000 acres of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, where serrated peaks above 10,000 feet are the perfect terrain to teach high-altitude combat skills.

Five donkeys, 24 mules and five sergeant trainers are stationed at the center for the course, which is given eight times a year to Marines, Army soldiers, Navy SEALs and some foreign troops.

Humvees and even helicopters are of limited use in Afghanistan's mountains. There are few roads and the air is thin. But a 1,000-pound mule or 400-pound donkey can easily carry a load one-third its weight -- or more, if necessary.

Now, Our Beloved Corps has been doing this for years. We tend to cling to proven methods, no matter how arcane they might seem.

Operation KHANJAR

By Richard S. Lowry

Today, nearly 4,000 U.S. Marines and Sailors of Task Force Leatherneck, partnered with Afghan National Security Forces and supported by Task Force Pegasus, the Combat Aviation Brigade of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division, conducted a near-simultaneous heliborne and surface insert into the central and southern Helmand River valley. These efforts, combined with closely coordinated UK and Danish operations to our immediate north, will dramatically change and positively impact the security of the Afghan people living in this long-held Taliban heartland.

Richard S. Lowry is the author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and The Gulf War Chronicles.

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Strike Of The Sword

By Lt Col P

Marines wield their terrible swift sword in Helmand Province:

WASHINGTON — U.S. Marines and Afghan security forces moved into Taliban-infested villages Wednesday evening in one of the Obama administration's first major military operations in the previously forgotten war in Afghanistan. ...

Dubbed Operation Khanjar, or "Strike of the Sword," the military push was described by officials as the largest and fastest-moving of the war's newest phase. British forces last week led similar missions to fight and clear out insurgents in Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

Looks like they're aiming for the right objective:

"Where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces," Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson said in a statement.

Good luck, Marines. It's the first step in a long march.

Haze-Gray, Underway, and HEARD-FROM-TODAY

By Lt Col P

Got a nice note this morning from Brother Rat Doc H, saying that he's finally headed outbound for Afghanistan.

It'll probably be a few days (or more) before he posts again, but go leave him a comment and wish him well.

A VMI grad, former Marine, Navy doctor, wearing ACUs... He's a one-man joint operation.

Reading and Taking Care of Family

By Lt Col P

I've been silent most of this week, but not without good reason. I've been busy at work-- QDR season, you know-- and for the last few days I've been taking care of Honorable Sons One and Two (4 years and 1 year, respectively) while Most Honorable Wife is out of town. Wow-- That's a job and a half. We've been having fun, but it's tiring. I've managed to make progress on several little projects, but only by stealing a few minutes here and there, mostly in the early morning.

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"Fix Bayonets"

By Lt Col P

From today's Washington Post Magazine, a portrait of 2d Battalion, 7th Marines-- "2/7".

The problem was, Karell didn't know what to expect. He was from Arlington. He'd traveled the world. This place, though, was like nowhere he'd ever been. The 2nd Battalion of the 7th Marine Regiment had deployed to Afghanistan last spring to train Afghan police. But when Karell's platoon arrived in Now Zad, the largest town in a remote northern district of Helmand province, they'd rolled into a ghost town.

The Afghans who used to live here, more than 10,000, had been gone for several years, their abandoned mud-brick homes slowly melting into the dusty valley. Insurgents were using the place for R&R. At night, all you heard were the jackals, ululating like veiled, grieving women. The fact that Now Zad had no civilian residents, much less any police, had somehow escaped the notice of the coalition planners who had given the Marines their mission.

A true "What now, Lieutenant?" moment. Good article, go read. The author'll also be online tomorrow for a Q&A.

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2d MEB on Duty

By Lt Col P

2d MEB is on deck in Afghanistan in force.

These fine young men (and women) will put thousands of boots on the ground and establish that all-important, patient, persistent, presence. Good news for the population; bad news for the bad guys.

Got get 'em, boys.

3 SF SOLDIERS WOUNDED IN LARGEST OPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN SINCE 2001

By Richard S. Lowry

The fight is heating up in Afghanistan and the Marines of Task Force Leatherneck are arriving daily. American and Afghan forces recently seized fifteen metric tons of drugs, forty metric tons of bomb-making chemicals and they killed thirty-four enemy fighters during a 96-hour operation against a southern insurgent stronghold.

More details are flowing in. I will put them all together and tell the complete story soon. Remember, you heard it here first on OP-FOR.com

Richard S. Lowry is the author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and The Gulf War Chronicles.

Gun-Day Sunday: PTP Lead-Slinging

By Lt Col P

I'm a little time-late here, but Brother Rat Doc H has THIS and THIS on his pre-deployment weapons training.

It harks back to the good old days, when he and I spent hour upon hour, hellishly good fun, at this place. He usually bested me on the trap range, with the Remington 870s we both bought for something 200 bucks at the Havelock Wal-Mart. A big fat breakfast at the Bear Creek Cafe (not there anymore, I don't think), hours and hours at Flatwoods; yes, that was an era unto itself.

On a separate but related note, Michael Bane tells us that Ruger is now in the AR market. From the spec sheet it looks like it's ready to go right out of the box, which is a good thing. I look forward to hearing how it holds up.

Oh, one more thing...

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Doc H Marches On

By Lt Col P

Been following Brother Rat Doc H? You should be.

"I was sorely nostalgic for those good old days when things were simple and you could talk no further than 5 kilometers on a good day with a PRC-77." ...

The Navy Cross and "The Sweetest Deal Ever"

By Lt Col P

Two amazing items-- or possibly not, if you know The Corps-- out of Afghanistan.

The first, out of Golf Company 2/7, is about LCpl Brady Gustafson, all of 21 years old:

“Sorry, guys, I can’t keep going.”

Those were the words of Lance Cpl. Brady A. Gustafson to the Marines in his vehicle as he was pulled away from his smoking machine gun minutes after his platoon was ambushed July 21, 2008, by withering enemy fire in Shewan, Afghanistan.

Nobody blamed Gustafson, 21, an infantryman with 2nd Platoon, Company G, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, for not being able to continue the fight, since the opening volley on the Marine mounted patrol included a rocket-propelled grenade that pierced the shell of the mine-resistant armor-protected vehicle in which Gustafson was manning the turret gun.

That RPG severed Gustafson’s right leg, and yet he had the presence of mind to locate the enemy positions and place well-aimed machine gun fire on them, providing cover fire for the Marines in his platoon.

Read the whole thing. Good work, young man; when you walk into a room, general officers ought to get on their feet. And since he's 21, someone needs to buy that man a beer. Or two.

Next, meet Cpl Sean Conroy:

On the ground, far from the generals in Kabul and the policy makers in Washington, the hour-by-hour conduct of the war rests in part in the deeds of men this young, who have been given latitude to lead as their training and instincts guide them.

Each day they organize and walk Afghan Army patrols in the valley below, some of the most dangerous acreage in the world. Each night they participate in radio meetings with the American posts along the ridges, exchanging plans and intelligence, and plotting the counterinsurgency effort in the ancient villages below.

In Corporal Conroy’s war, two Marines train Afghans in weapons, tactics, first aid, hygiene and leadership. They keep the firebase supplied with ammunition, water, batteries and food. They defecate in a rusting barrel and urinate in a tube that slopes off a roof and drains into the air. Fly strips surround them. They have no running water; their sleeping bunker stinks of filthy clothes and sweat.

Go read that too.

Bogus Awards Claims

By Townie 76

The Sunday Telegraph reported that a British Major, a member of the Royal Artillery, who was attached to the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, was arrested for falsifying his accomplishments in order to be awarded a Military Cross.

There has been concern about so-called “medal inflation” creeping into the Armed Forces, under which units have ended up with a larger haul of medals for actions in Helmand than they would have received under similar circumstances in previous conflicts.

Read More »

British Failures in Afghanistan

By Townie 76

From the Sunday Telegraph comes a very sober assessment of the failures of the United Kingdom in Afghanistan.

Almost wholly unreported until yesterday’s Daily Telegraph, there has been a dramatic change in Taliban tactics in Helmand, where some 8,500 British troops are stationed, with their headquarters in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital. On four occasions since April 21, including three in the past week, US air power has had to be called in to take out heavy machine guns, ZPU-1s and ZPU-2s, that the Taliban were installing around the town. Their purpose, as the British in Lashkar Gah are painfully aware, was all too obvious – to bring down the Chinook helicopters on which the British rely for transport and re-supply.

Given the British History in Afghanistan, they had their arses kicked twice in the 19th Century maybe this is not a surprise at all.

Dutch Operations in Afghanistan

By Townie 76

Found this commentary at the "Unreligious Right" regarding Dutch Operations in Afghanstan which was linked to an article in Wall Street Journal. It would appear that the Dutch are having some success in their Area of Operations in Afghanistan.

"Asked" or "Tasked"??

By Lt Col P

It's one good deal after another these days.

Military reservists may be asked to volunteer to fill many of the hundreds of additional U.S. civilian positions in Afghanistan called for in the Obama administration's strategy for that nation and neighboring Pakistan, officials said yesterday.

"Asked" is a polite word. I wonder if they'll tack a "t" on the front end of that verb. Wouldn't surprise me at all.

And THIS is a very bad idea-- "The State Department, officials said, wants the reservists to dress in civilian clothes and to report up a civilian chain of command reaching to an overall civilian coordinator who would supervise all nonmilitary U.S. programs in Afghanistan." And this too-- "State has also asked the Pentagon to consider a flexible rotation schedule that would allow for assignments longer than the several months that mark many reserve tours. Officials said that it was not yet clear whether any of the State Department's requests were possible within military reserve rules..."

But I have a GREAT idea. Hey, all you crackerjack smart Ivy Leaguers, dedicted to national service, all of you agronomists, engineers, accountants and other experts-- here's your chance. No uniforms, no awful evil guns, none of those boring state university types barking orders at you in their frightful provincial accents. Can I get a show of hands?

Didn't think so.

Doc H Preps for Afstan

By Lt Col P

Go to [Brother Rat] Doc H's International Adventure and catch up on his ongoing pre-deployment training. Leave a comment or two while you're at it.

(But why the ACU uniforms and gear?)

Excited about this...

By John

Though I can't figure out when it's supposed to release --

Friday Night Lights director Peter Berg writes, directs, and produces this true-life tale of survival set in Afghanistan and involving a Navy Seal whose entire squadron was killed in a Taliban ambush. Marcus Luttrell was a Navy Seal who led a team of soldiers into Afghanistan on a dangerous mission to kill a Taliban leader. One day, while preparing for their mission on the side of a mountain, the team was surprised to encounter an Afghan man, a farmer, and a young boy. Subsequently struggling with the decision whether to kill them and violate the military rules of engagement or to let them go and risk blowing their cover, the team took a vote and found themselves deadlocked at an even split. As the leader of the team, it was up to Luttrell to make the final call. Determining that the three were simple civilians, Luttrell made the call to release them. An hour later, his entire team was wiped out by dozens of heavily armed Taliban. When the smoke cleared, Luttrell was clinging to life -- the sole survivor of the brutal ambush. In the following days Luttrell would use his military experience to stay alive in a hostile landscape and avoid detection by the Taliban.

Peter Berg did an amazing job with The Kingdom, in that he refused to inject his opinion on US foreign policy during the film. Kept true to the story, which I admired. Plus, The Kingdom was just damn well done. If Berg handles Operation Red Wing with the same care and attention to detail that he's treated previous works, this film should kick a US Navy SEAL level of ass.

By the way, if you haven't read the book -- you should.

Medical Monday: Doc H Mounts Out

By Lt Col P

Check this out and book-mark it: Doc H's International Adventure. A Navy physician, former Marine officer, and '89 Brother Rat heads out the door to prep for a mission to train medical personnel in Afghanistan.

Visit often, leave comments, spread the word.

Good luck, BR. Keep your scalpel sharp and your senses sharper!

Afghanistan Strategy

By Townie 76

From today's Washington Post commentary on the President's Afghanistan Strategy by a variety of voices.

LtCol P Comments on the Commenters:

Ricks: As close to censure of the media's Chosen One as we're going to find these days. He gets a thumbs-up for throwing down some specifics, though.

Bacevich: Mexico, over Afghanistan?? Yes, they're both silly, ignorant, backward, dangerous, unstable, and altogether pitiful, but Mexico has had (and continues to have) a fine example of responsible self-government right next door. Afghanistan does not. Therefore, Afghanistan needs a helping hand; Mexico needs a kick in the ass.

Kucinich: God help us.

Chayes: Lady, calm down. Do you need newspaper under your chair?? Although in fairness she does have a point of about civilians doing for the civil government what ETTs have been doing for the ANA. However, where are we going to get them? If I remember correctly, State Dept types were none too pleased about being sent to dangerous posts against their will.

Dorronsoro: Nice bucket of cold water.

Douglas: You have some points, but you lose them quickly. We'll see in time if the "no quarter" threat has teeth-- do you think that the administration that wants to close Gitmo and let some of those fuckers loose in the US will really go "no quarter" on Al-Qaeda? Nice try. You and Chayes should get a room.

Nagl: Good points, no heavy breathing.

Johnson: RIGHT. ON. TARGET.

Natsios: Also good analysis.

O'Sullivan: She's on to something here. You have to isolate and protect the population, otherwise you are pissing up a rope.

2nd MEB Preparing for Afghan Deployment

By Richard S. Lowry

So far, the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2-MEB) is composed of four infantry battalions and one LAR battalion in Regimental Combat Team – 3. RCT–3 assumed responsibilities for operations in Afghanistan as part of the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force – Afghanistan (SP MAGTF-A) last November and is now being made part of the MEB. Task Force Leatherneck will grow into a MEB on steroids by the end of this Marine Corps surge. Plans are to build a two-regiment MEB. But currently, it consists of RCT-3, MAG-40 – a Marine Air Group consisting of CH-53s, COBRAs, F/A18s, airborne refuelers, UAVs and its own logistics element, the Brigade Headquarters Group and a Combat Logistics Regiment.

Richard S. Lowry is the author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and The Gulf War Chronicles.

Read More »

Afghanistan Round-Up

By Lt Col P

The Torch continues to have some of the best Afghanistan coverage (and coverage of the coverage) of any blog, IMHO.

Like this: Unbiased Journalism

And this: The 'Stan vs The 'Raq

And this too: Afghanistan and Canadian Domestic Politics

Firing for effect, with every round...

Yes, We Can

By Lt Col P

Saw this yesterday at work, but being at work and therefore unable to post, I had to put it off til now.

The answer is, YES.

I had a fine list of reasons why this is so, most of which would come as no surprise to this community, but since Uncle J beat me to it, I'll save a minute and point you his way.

Everyone say it with me now, YES WE CAN. We know how, and have forces to do it. Let's hope the folks at the top are as committed to victory as the troops on the ground.

TASK FORCE LEATHERNECK

By Richard S. Lowry

On Monday, March 9, 2009, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson officially took the reins of the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade - Task Force Leatherneck. He and his soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines will soon be writing the next chapter of United States Marine Corps history.

Richard S. Lowry is the author of Marines in the Garden of Eden and The Gulf War Chronicles.

Read More »

SHORT NOTICE

By Richard S. Lowry

I will be speaking about the Marines' new commitment in Afghanistan on Andrea Shea King's BlogTalkRadio program, tonight at 9:30 Eastern. TiVo "Grey's Anatomy" and tune in to join our conversation.

SEND IN THE MARINES – 2d MEB ORDERED TO AFGHANISTAN

By Richard S. Lowry

Today, the 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade was ordered to Afghanistan.

Read More »

Close, But Not Quite

By Lt Col P

BZs to Anne Applebaum for coming very close to scoring a direct hit on the strategy for Afghanistan. She has, however, made two errors.

First, it'll need to be the Afghan police, not the army, that ultimately wins the war. A counterinsurgency is at heart a police matter, even if it's military units that might appear to be in the lead from time to time, or indeed for much of the time. For a properly constituted police force, of whatever form, is drawn from and has the trust of the people it lives and works among. A policeman's primary weapon is his badge (or equivalent), which represents the moral authority of the government. (The soldier's primary weapon is his weapon.) A competent and clean police force is, at any rate, the ideal and the goal, and it ought to be pursued as the ultimate security enabler.

Second, the real objective of the US and NATO is V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. Not simply an exit, but a clear-cut win. If we win, the exit becomes a simple matter. If we don't win outright, the exit is just lipstick on a pig.

AQ On The Gim??

By Lt Col P

Good article in LWJ on the re-appearance of organized AQ/Taliban formations.

Not to make light of a serious situation, but when I saw this photo and the shoes they're wearing, one thought immediately popped into my head...

Read More »

Keep The Torch Lit

By Lt Col P

Attention on deck:

We have about 24 hours to chip in the last 150 bucks to help The Torch's Damian Brooks settle the bill for his trip to Afghanistan as an embedded blogger. He sent back fantastic posts; let's give him a hand.

(Look on the right hand-hand column.)

Speaking of Damian, check out his latest, a post that is sure to make you smile and wish you were a little boy again.

Good one!

Docs on Skis

By Lt Col P

Due to ops in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in California is fast becoming the new Twentynine Palms. Among the training events there is the Cold Weather Medicine course.

MARINE CORPS MOUNTAIN WARFARE TRAINING CENTER BRIDGEPORT, Calif.-Petty Officer 3rd Class Salvador Bautista, a corpsman with Company I, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, maneuvers through the snow at Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport, Calif., near the Goose training area to set up a warming station during a Cold Weather Medicine Course Jan. 14, 2009., Cpl. Nicole A. LaVine

This is smart training, but no surprise to Marines who know how much emphasis the Corps has put on mountain and winter ops. Not to be invidious, but I've often thought it was a substantial error not to deploy more Marine units to Afghanistan from the get-go, since they had so much experience with battalion-level mountain operations.

Bridgeport is the one training evolution I've really wanted to do, but I've never had the chance. Maybe I'll be able to rectify that one day soon. (Reader and frequent commenter Neal did the winter package waaaaay back in the Old Corps, maybe we can get him to cough up a story or two.)

Reporting From Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

We hope you've been following Damian's reporting from Afghanistan-- great stuff. The latest is here. (The full list is on the right-hand side, with a button to donate to help defray the costs of the trip.)

One sample from the latest-- one of many-- that captures the bizarre side events:

Two ANP with dirty blue-grey uniforms and wild hair walked up to me. Neither looked to be out of his mid-teens yet, although one was on the big side for his age. The kid extended a dirt-encrusted hand, which I dutifully shook, and nodded a greeting to him. He spoke one word to me: "knife." What? One of the soldiers assigned to make sure I didn't do anything stupid caught my bewildered look and explained "He wants your knife. They're not shy asking for what they want." I turned back to this "policeman" and shook my head: no. It seems that was the answer he was expecting. His mien didn't change one iota as he turned and walked away. I made a mental note not to snack on the energy bar in my pocket on the way home: I wasn't putting anything in my mouth without washing and sanitizing my hands thoroughly first.

I could quote all day. Instead, you shoud go read.

Torch-Bearer Headed to Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

Again, apologies for the tardiness, but I am pleased to report that our friend and colleague Babbling Brooks at The Torch is headed to Afghanistan as an embed.

Read the post, give a little for a good great cause. As he points out, this is a first. Help speed him on his way.

Yon On Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

NRO did a quick Q&A with Michael Yon yesterday on Afghanistan. It's short but worth your close attention.

LOPEZ: What’s your best assessment of “Bush’s legacy” vis-à-vis Afghanistan?

YON: That Afghanistan is more akin to Jurassic Park than a modern country is not the fault of President Bush. I sounded the alarm from Afghanistan in 2006 that we were starting to lose the war, but at the time, Iraq was going so poorly that we did not seem to have the assets or attention span for the growing problems in Afghanistan. I would have blamed President Bush if we failed in Iraq, but we are succeeding. Afghanistan will be up to our new president — which is fitting enough, since Obama has expressed his opinion that that war is the one we should be fighting. Obama will have the troops at his disposal, and he’s already made a wise decision by asking Secretary Gates to stay on. So we’ll see. But Afghanistan will be Obama’s baby.

Indeed.

Getting away from it all (not really)

By Bull Nav

So, on Saturday morning, my son and I headed out into the wilds of Michigan (really only 4 miles or so from the house) for a Webelos II campout with Boy Scouts. The whole purpose was to get trained for the Outdoorsman Activity Badge. Pretty cool, except for the 40F temps, and the 40 mph wind gusts.

Oh, well, character building and all that.

When we got back, I figured I did not miss jack.

'Course I was wrong.

My friend Joel has stomach cancer. Drop him a note, say a prayer. Cancer sucks. I have known Joel for over 10 years, and this...sucks.

On the other hand, the SEALS kicked ass, as usual:

“One option was for the money to arrive and be ransomed,” the 61-year-old engineer from Ohio told Military Times, speaking on the condition that he remain anonymous. Another was “that they’d just get tired of me and let me loose.” A third was “some kind of military intervention,” he said. “In my mind I’d given a military intervention a one out of a hundred chance. Not that they couldn’t do it, but they’re busy and I’m not that important a fellow.”

On an airstrip many miles away, however, several twin sets of Chinook helicopter rotor blades were starting to turn as about 60 of America’s most elite troops prepared to prove him wrong. Members of a task force that Military Times agreed not to name, the commandos had been hunting for the businessman since soon after he went missing. Now they were ready to act.

Wherever you are, where ever you go, we will hunt you down to the ends of the earth.

Read the article and heed.

FOAD.

Media Coverage?

By Charlie

Usually media coverage of air strikes targeting terrorist HVTs in Afghanistan have a headline that reads: "US AIRSTRIKES KILL 18 CIVILIANS." Now, we are getting some.. nuance that lays bare the actual tactics that have been used by the Taliban for quite a while: "US official: Taliban sought wedding party deaths"

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban fighters held a wedding party captive and fired on U.S. forces in an attack designed to draw U.S. airstrikes on civilians and stoke anti-American sentiment, a U.S. official said Friday citing "firsthand" reports.

The official declined to give further details of the reported events leading to the U.S. bombing Monday in the southern Afghan village Wech Baghtu, where dozens of civilians and insurgents were killed.

I like this line in the article:

Insurgents have always used populated areas for cover in conflicts such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

They have?? Really?? Why, all this time I thought that.. well, never mind. It will be very interesting to see how our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could be portrayed if we had the media on our (America's) side for once.

Another (This Time Classified) Navy Cross

By Bull Nav

There is a report in Navy Times about a Navy Medical Officer who was awarded the Navy Cross last year.

Somewhere out in the fleet, there’s a Navy medical officer who earned the Navy Cross during vicious, hammering combat five years ago.
And he’s not authorized to wear the award — second only to the Medal of Honor.
That’s because the 2003 mission, during which the officer fought like a demon and put himself in the line of fire to save several wounded American and Afghan comrades from al-Qaida and Taliban forces, remains classified.

In my time on active duty, I had heard of awards given to folks who were not allowed to wear them. I have also seen awards that are somewhat vague on specifics (then you have the PARCHE).

This is the first time I have heard of a Navy Cross awarded in which the recipient is not allowed to discuss or wear it.

Brenton said the information in the citation is unclassified but the officer’s identity remains undisclosed because “the mission was sensitive.” He was awarded the Navy Cross in April 2007. “His name has been redacted to protect the individual, as well as the individual’s family,” Brenton said.

A copy of the citation, with name redacted, is available on the Navy Times website.

To the unnamed LT, my hat is off to you.

Danke... NOT!

By Lt Col P

Hotel Tango to The Torch for this article:

They came, they saw, then left the Afghan war without a single mission

GERMANY has admitted its Special Forces have spent three years in Afghanistan without doing a single mission, and are now going to be withdrawn.

More than 100 soldiers from the elite [by what measure?] Kommando Spezialkrafte regiment, or KSK, are set to leave the war-torn country after their foreign minister revealed they had never left their bases on an operation.

HO-LEE SHIT. Three freaking years, no action.

But Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the foreign minister, admitted they had not been deployed "a single time" in the last three years, despite a desperate shortage of Special Forces units in the country.

Troops from Britain's Special Boat Service and the SAS work round the clock, across Afghanistan, alongside US [N]avy Seals and Delta Force, to target terrorists, arrest drug lords and rescue hostages.

Not to mention the non-Tier 1 SOF units, either, or the Canadians, Danes, Australians, Poles, New Zealanders. All the coalition SOF units have been in the fight, day-on/stay-on. No, wait, sorry-- ALMOST ALL. Never mind.

Go home. Leave. Get the fuck out.

In a possibly related development, AIM Surplus is selling German bulk 7.62mm NATO ball ammo. Why not? They apparently don't need it. (Good price too.)

The Cost Of War-- Literally

By Lt Col P

Damian at The Torch breaks down the numbers on Canada's stalwart contribution in Afghanistan. Hie thee hence and read it.

I'd have to agree. It's money well spent.

Tora Bora Revisited

By Bull Nav

I am sure everyone has heard the story of Tora Bora in December 2001 where we came close to killing bin Laden. The conventional story has been that US led Afghan forces cornered him and we bombed the whole area back into the stone age. It was a huge victory but we were never able to determine whether or not we had gotten our man.

Now along comes Dalton Fury.

Shortly after 9/11, the Pentagon ordered a top secret team of American commandos into Afghanistan with a single, simple order: kill Osama bin Laden. It was America's best chance to eliminate the leader of al Qaeda. The inside story of exactly what happened in that mission, and how close it came to its objective has never been told until now.

The reason for his story?

Why would the mission commander break his silence after seven years? He told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley that most everything he has read in the media about his mission is wrong and now he wants to set the record straight.

I think it is great to get this story out there, although I kind of question the timing. Yet another book to add to the slowly growing list of Delta exploits (not too many books about Delta out there; this, this, and this). He sounded sincere, and I hope his version of events is true from his end.

Check out his website. Buy the book (yet another one to add to the list; I am certainly looking forward to reading it). The proceeds are going to Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

The Press: Taliban's Air Defense

By Charlie

How do you stop America's complete ownership of Afghan air space? Shoot down US air support with psyop!

Sayeth Air Force MG Charles Dunlap:

The Taliban are keenly aware that if they can cause enough casualties or, ideally, take American or NATO prisoners as they swarm over the often sparsely manned positions, they will achieve a tremendous victory on the battlefield of public opinion.

What is frustrating them? Modern U.S. and coalition airpower. Relentless aerial surveillance and highly precise bombing turn Taliban efforts to overrun the detachments into crushing defeats. And the Taliban have virtually no weapons to stop our planes.

Instead, they are trying to use sophisticated propaganda techniques to create a political crisis that will shoot down the use of airpower as effectively as any anti-aircraft gun.

It makes sense. Every time there is an airstrike, claim hundreds of civilian casualties. No one in the press challenges these claims (or seems to locate the Taliban press emissary putting out these lies) More:

In truth, no force in the history of warfare has ever worked harder or spent more time and resources to limit civilian casualties than has the U.S. military and its coalition allies. Moreover, so long as they are not excessive under the circumstances, international law tolerates the tragedy of civilian deaths. Why? If attacks were forbidden simply because civilians are present, the message to warring parties would be to surround themselves with civilians to create legal “sanctuaries” — exactly the behavior the law of war wants to prevent.

We must not reward the Taliban for deliberately putting civilians at risk; it will only encourage them — and others — to make increasing use of innocents as defensive shields. The world will become an even more dangerous place for the truly blameless.

MIke Yon and the Allies

By Charlie

A great report from Michael Yon while embedded with Allied troop in Afghanistan:

I tried to fall back asleep, but the shade was evaporating as the sun rose, and every time sweet dreams started, they were interrupted by a firefight, so I climbed down the precarious ladder to sit with Dr. Lalani. Soldiers have great respect for medical doctors who can justifiably stay on base, but instead push into combat. If the doctor is there during those first minutes after a soldier is wounded, there is a far greater chance of survival.

At about 1106, the enemy initiated contact on one of the forward positions. It was so loud that I thought our guys were firing from the roof. Rockets were blasting away. About 40 seconds after contact, the 81mm mortars were firing straight over our heads and crashing down on enemy positions about a klick to our front. Thousands of rounds were being fired, though the guns all around me were silent.

The elements up front were fighting while I just listened to the gunfire and explosions while eating one of the MREs the Danes had given me. Up front in the fight, Lance Corporal Alex Fraenzel was hauling a Javelin missile. Fraenzel and Private Richard Lloyd ran forward. While Fraenzel set up for the shot, Lloyd began firing his SA-80 rifle into suspected enemy positions to provide cover.

Awesome.

Warriors

By Bull Nav

You know, when I normally think of our everyday, run-of-the-mill warriors, I think of Marines. The guys who are ready to take it to the enemy on a moment's notice.

Not to say us folks in the Navy aren't warriors, because we are. Just not in the hand-to-hand, hardcore combat sort of way.

Except there is this kind of separate part of the Navy, the part that is true Warrior, almost psychopath. It takes a lot to kill them, a lot to put them down. They don't go down willingly, and I am convinced they don't know what pain is, not in the normal sense to the 99.99999% of us that inhabit this planet.

So bow your head, and say a prayer of thanks that these Michiganders were on our side.

Two highly decorated local Navy SEALs died Thursday night from injuries sustained in fierce fighting against insurgents in Afghanistan, according to the Navy.

Senior Chief Petty Officer John Marcum, 34, and Petty Officer First Class Jason Freiwald, 30, died in a battle with heavily armed militants, the Navy said. The men were deployed from the highly selective Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck Annex in Virginia Beach.

A Senior Chief and a Chief Select. SO1 Freiwald was to be promoted to Chief on Tuesday.

Read about it here and here.

God Bless their families.

Fair winds and following seas, Senior Chief and Chief. More will follow and finish...

News From Afghanistan

By Lt Col P

Two items of interest on the very hot campaign in Afghanistan. The Torch has a GREAT round-up on a smashing success by the coalition, including a good bloodying of the Taliban, a well-crafted hoodwinking, and a real step forward for the government and people of Afghanistan.

British commanders estimate that more than 200 Taliban were killed as they tried to prevent the convoy of 100 vehicles from getting the machinery to Kajaki hydroelectric dam where it will provide a significant increase in energy for up to two million Afghans.

The operation has been described as the biggest of its kind since the Second World War.

For the last five days the force has fought through the heart of Taliban territory to push through the 220 tonne turbine and other equipment that included a 90 tonne crane to lift it into place.

With a third turbine fixed at Kajaki it will mean that the extra electricity could double the irrigation output allowing farmers to plant two crops of wheat a year. With a dramatic rise in world wheat prices this could crucially mean that it becomes more profitable than producing opium which would deprive the Taliban of a major source of revenue.

Escorted by attack helicopters, armoured vehicles and men of the Parachute Regiment, the trucks trundled into Kajaki.

For the first 50 miles of its journey from the southern city of Kandahar the convoy was protected by American and Canadian troops [emphasis added]. But for the second 50 mile leg through Taliban strongholds more than 3,000 British troops were needed to fight off the insurgents.

Go to the link, and follow their links to the various articles. Priceless stuff.

The other item is from the Baltimore Sun. Reporter David Wood has been keeping the homefires burning for 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, alone and unafraid, with many of its far-flung units in a vicious daily fight. I like Dave Wood; I met him in 92 when he embedded with the 24th MEU SOC for our work-ups and subsequent deployment to Somalia. He's a good guy, a good reporter, and a straight shooter. You might not like everything he says, but the man has integrity and a real love for the boys in uniform. Bookmark that site.

Barry McCaffrey’s Afghanistan Assessment

By Townie 76

Forwarded to me my a good friend in Savannah, the attached file is General Barry McCaffrey's report on Afghanistan. Interesting read, and disheartening. I have highlighted the document, as it focuses my interest.

Heard From Today

By Slab

From Herschel Smith at The Captain's Journal comes an update on our Marines in Helmand Province. After the heavy fighting in Garmsir, the Marines of Battalion Landing Team 1/6 (sort of a misnomer since the battalion did not deploy aboard ship) are logging damage complaints from the villagers and paying to repair the damage.

Just two days after the main Taliban force was routed, Lt. Bechtel put aside his weapons and opened what amounts to a wartime complaints desk in a mud-brick hut. The lieutenant and his men spend their time cataloging the destruction and issuing vouchers to compensate villagers for their losses, whether caused by U.S. missiles or Taliban grenades.

24 MEU moved into Garmsir in late April. The British has previously been unable to control the district, but the MEU provided fresh manpower and awful lot of firepower to get the job done. Interestingly, I have heard (but not yet confirmed) that the MEU was allowed to retain all of its organic assets, including the AV-8B Harriers from the Air Combat Element (ACE). Typically, when a MEU shows up to reinforce a joint or coalition command, one of the first things that the joint command tries to do is pull the MEU's aviation assets under the joint air component and use them to provide additional sorties to the rest of the forces in theater. While I can understand their reasoning, there is a remarkable synergy that comes from the close relationship between the ACE and BLT on a MEU, and that is lost when the ACE is used to support CFACC missions elsewhere.

Back to Garmsir:

The fighting sent civilians fleeing into the surrounding desert. After the violence ebbed, the villagers returned, in many cases to homes cracked open by artillery, bombs, missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Soon they were lined up at Lt. Bechtel’s door, testing the Marines’ ability to shift gears on the fly, from combat to the struggle for popular allegiance. Winning over the locals has always been a goal; now, it’s happening in double-quick time.

Fortunately, Lt Bechtel was educated at one of the finest institutions in the land:

At the second meeting, the Marines tally up the cost, using data on an Excel spreadsheet that the lieutenant, who majored in mechanical-engineering at Virginia Military Institute, compiled using prices gathered from the local market.

Heard from again.

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