What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?

The young man's Vietnam. I watched one on the television and pretty much lent my overt assistance to another, but the similarities are neary identical.

Well its sad how it came about. When I was there 14 years ago we were still in the early stages of training them. The Northern part was under the government and the Southern part was under several drug lords. While I was there I was blessed to serve with fellow men and women to get together and pray to OUR LORD and SAVIOUR while we there during that time. The group I was with were called PRT teams and as quick as we helped the locals the Taliban would attack and move across the border into Pakistan so we couldnt retaliate. Its like the lives that were lost from us and NATO were the unsung heroes. We got recognized and went through our struggles. I felt we would someday leave and they be trained enough to hold their country. After coming home my faith in GOD only increased and appreciating what I had had here. Those of u still going through things remember YOUR LORD has a plan for u. The enemy may rule down here and its frustrating seeing them do what they do to innocents, they will get theirs in the end times

Retired LS1 Bronka

Best article I've found that reflects my thoughts on the topic. We all knew that a tribal Afghanistan would not become a modern nation in less than a couple generations. In a messy world there are no perfect solutions and sometimes there aren't solutions within our power to impose. The beef I have is the way the last couple months of withdrawal have been handled. Bagram should have been held until everything else had been settled and all Americans were out. Now we're trying to secure a civilian airport at the capitol instead of using an already secure military airbase.

https://www.danielgreenfield.org/2021/08/the-afghan-army-didnt-surrender-it.html

I knew this was going to happen from the got damn get-go. the ana and the leaders are yellow-bellied cowards and ran with their tails tucked between their manginas. I am angry as fck and I can't tell anyone at home because they won't understand and I don't want to drag them down with my anger about this situation.
20 years of our time and money and lives spent and wasted on a country that was never going to take charge of their own peoples and government. Our top leaders failed us because they couldn't get their heads out of their behinds. Noses up in the air and make a clear-cut mission as they did back in ww2.
I am just sick and tired and 1 day or 1000 they were never going to take control. We did what we came to do and if the ana wanted to play dumb and just be there for the paycheck so be it but even the boot could tell you the higher-ups were useless no plan having asses. fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuk!
All the brilliant minds in the pentagon and yall came up with hearts and minds really?! Ok I'm done I just........................

While I have did not serve in country, I know of many shipmates, classmates and other fellow service men and women who have. They all paid a price in some way or another and unfortunately, a few paid the highest. To have this be the end result really saddens and frustrates me, not for myself, but for all their sacrifices, pain and effort in that area of the world. This seems to such an abysmal failure on how this withdrawal of troops has turned out. I definitely put the blame of this fiasco on the top levels of leadership both military and civilian. Those who have served and the small number currently there, working the final efforts to withdraw, have done their jobs and worked their missions to their best. They served with honor and I am proud of their work. Unfortunately, it has been tarnished by the poor strategy and direction that led to this failed state.

us armed forces shouded never ever pulled out of afghanistan,its to late now ,taliban took over control of 80% of country stay out

This sad situation was predictable. After 20 years, the Afghani government and military could not figure out how to win the people over and generate enough hope to overcome the fear of the Taliban. It was time to pull out of this country. Too much money and resources has been expended on a people that we (the US govenrment) never really understood. The worst cost is the men, women and children that have lost their lives, and will continue to lose their lives.

While Pres Biden will shoulder most of the blame, there is plenty to put on former Presidents Bush (43), Obama and Trump and the policy hacks of each respective Presidency. We need to remember that we screwed over the Muj fighting the Russians in the 80's. Our policy failures in Afghanistan started long before 2001.

How do I feel? Sick to my stomach at the ruined lives, the waste if trillions of US dollars and the loss of an ally.

The one thing I understand is that those above me .... direct me. Those below me under my supervision are guided by me. One thing for sure .... I'm not in a pay grade or have the authority to second guess or voice my opinion to cause a disturbance among my fellow troops and pier's. I am very pleased in what ever action my superiors direct. Their dicissions are established by a team effort to strengthen our great country. I am always supportive of my great leaders. All their actions are made with a process that follows up on every step. There may be 5 steps that follow the initial first step. Therefore I should watch and learn and be assured that strategic moves are being made. Again, i salute my government and proudly stand and fight, if asked, and always be supportive to their decisions. Thankyou for allowing me to voice my opinion and allegiance.
1971 Vietnam veteran. Proudly served.

We should have bombed ALL of their cities after 9/11 with ample warning so the multitudes could evac. not s sneak attack like they did. Our focus should be on our country and our allies, not the whole world. We repeated Viet Nam all over again. Semper Fi to all my warrior brothers!

I'm hurt, saddened, and frustrated by the news and the images that are pouring out of Afghanistan. Images of the Taliban walking around with US made and paid M16 rifles is a wild juxtaposition. Seeing Afghan citizens cling to the outsides of US cargo planes and fall from the sky reminds me of some of the men and women trapped in the Twin Towers on 9/11 who jumped rather than face the fires.
I wish I could have a crystal ball to see what the decision making process was like years ago when the US decided to stay in Korea and why it was so different this time in Afghanistan (I know one is an enemy with borders and the other is an enemy without, but still). When the required reading in my battalion was "How to Eat Soup with a Knife" and it talked about the successful counter insurgencies taking 30 years and we only gave Afghanistan 20 is like my military soul screaming. Trump and Biden saying "20 years is long enough" doesn't make sense to me, nor does putting dates on the calendar publicly. For years it's been about "when the conditions on the ground are right" and while I truly hope the conditions were improving, clearly they didn't have the staying power that the people of Afghanistan and the USA were hoping for. All of the projects the military undertook, to build schools, irrigation and drinking water, and other infrastructure projects were wonderful marks for the goodness that can come out of conflict, but will the schools stay open? Will women and girls be allowed to attend? Or was life simply improved for the Taliban?

I'll strongly recommend watching an animated movie called The Breadwinner. My daughter turned it on one day because it was the story of a little girl. Turned out it's the story of a little girl living underneath Taliban rule. My daughter was in 1st grade at the time, and reflecting upon her questions she had while we were watching just made me more thankful and appreciative of the privilege we enjoy of growing up in America. "Why do the women have to cover their faces, why can't she work, why does she have to pretend to be a boy?" and several times she responded with "that's not fair!". It ends in a beautiful, terrible, but wonderful way.