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Responses: 20
We either need to go in strong or let it alone. The 100 troops here and there is not in our best interest.
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SFC (Join to see)
Agreed. There's no reason for suicide missions unless it's to bring MIA/POW home! Even then, red ants are there deadliest in large number!!! Even nature knows this!
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SFC (Join to see)
I agree but the only way to make it all better is to make that place a home to americans like in Germany or Korea because a little presense is not going to do anything. It would be a diffrent thing if it were a 2-3 years rotation for NCO's to just train the local forces. We need to show why it matters not just how to fight. This will not be achieved by only force and no connections or friendships forged with the local populase.
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PO1 Rodney Bracey
How long should we be a presence in any given theater? We've been in AFG for 15 years now. What is the end game? When can we realistically consider the war won and the mission accomplished?
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SFC Stephen King
PO1 Rodney Bracey - great question. I would say we have been Korea double that having served 3 hardship tours in various locations on the peninsula. The point is we the US Military are and will always be needed to help allies.
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PO1 Rodney Bracey
SFC Stephen King - After 15 years, are we helping AFG or just have too much invested to pull out and let nature run its course?
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A few thoughts:
1. Wrong question in the wrong order. The first question should not be "should we send more troops to Mosul?". Questions that should be asked/answer first include but are not limited to: What is our strategic objective in the Middle East? What is our operational objective within Iraq? What is our tactical objective within Mosul? After these are asked/answered then the question of should we send more troops to Mosul is easy to answer.
2. We would not be asking the question of sending more troops to Mosul in 2017 if we had not unilaterally pulled out of Iraq in 2011. What do Japan, Germany, and Korea have in common? US Troops are still there after 57-73 years.
3. Can we achieve our strategic, operational, and tactical objectives via means other than boots on the ground?
4. Is the US Government and the American people willing to do what it takes to win at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels? If the answer is no to this question then it should be no to the question of more troops.
1. Wrong question in the wrong order. The first question should not be "should we send more troops to Mosul?". Questions that should be asked/answer first include but are not limited to: What is our strategic objective in the Middle East? What is our operational objective within Iraq? What is our tactical objective within Mosul? After these are asked/answered then the question of should we send more troops to Mosul is easy to answer.
2. We would not be asking the question of sending more troops to Mosul in 2017 if we had not unilaterally pulled out of Iraq in 2011. What do Japan, Germany, and Korea have in common? US Troops are still there after 57-73 years.
3. Can we achieve our strategic, operational, and tactical objectives via means other than boots on the ground?
4. Is the US Government and the American people willing to do what it takes to win at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels? If the answer is no to this question then it should be no to the question of more troops.
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PO1 Rodney Bracey
Can we really compare Japan, Germany and Korea (very modern and civilized societies) to IRQ and AFG?
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PO2 Gerry Tandberg
I also say NO as long as our boots on the ground are hamstrung with ridiculous Rules of Engagement, substandard equipment, and have to take orders other than from our own command structure. If the IRQ and AFG people don't have the will to fight the tribal mentality that kills them then why should we fight another unwinable war?
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COL (Join to see)
Sir... appreciate the PHD level response... I was running a simple poll... trying to gauge the temperature in the RP room vs real time current affairs... Notwithstanding, thank you for the very informative Sr Service School block of instruction.
What you well describe is Theater Strategy and Campaigning... yes, for you this was the wrong question in the wrong order... because at your level, you are looking at the operational art and operational design of the problem... However, this would be a very challenging topic with a complex set of variables for a very binary poll... You clearly understand the 3 aspects of the operational design... 1) frame the operational environment; (2) frame the problem and; (3) develop an operational approach. These 3 items coupled with the 13 elements of operational design and its respective lines of efforts was not the question for our RP community...
Again, thx for the 5 ton load on my 2.5 ton truck!
Respectfully...
What you well describe is Theater Strategy and Campaigning... yes, for you this was the wrong question in the wrong order... because at your level, you are looking at the operational art and operational design of the problem... However, this would be a very challenging topic with a complex set of variables for a very binary poll... You clearly understand the 3 aspects of the operational design... 1) frame the operational environment; (2) frame the problem and; (3) develop an operational approach. These 3 items coupled with the 13 elements of operational design and its respective lines of efforts was not the question for our RP community...
Again, thx for the 5 ton load on my 2.5 ton truck!
Respectfully...
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