Recently, I had a guest speaker at CGSC who asked to explain the narrative for Afghanistan. What would you say?

It's a clusterf*ck.

I would say that Afghanistan needs to look beyond the confines of it's past to solve the problems of the present to get a brighter future. My tour there showed me parts of the World that most people in CONUS would never grasp let alone wish to live it. They are a hearty people with a lot of scars and lot of potential for greatness.

Afghanistan is a geographical and geopolitical pivot and will be the foreseeable future. A stable and reliable ally with Western influence maintains a check on Russian and Iranian influence in the region. It provides a wall from future CASA possible southern expansion; while acting as a control against Indo-Pak aggression.

In effect, Afghanistan is a chock block. Keeping moving parts from moving.