Losing Small Wars: Why US Military Culture Leads to Defeat | Small Wars Journal

I never had an answer to why we were there so long - or why CENTCOM had no long range plan that said when we would leave. We wage a 20 year fight with plans that changed every 2 years or less and objectives that became lofty and no where near obtainable. What have we been doing for past three years there and why did we not have a CT force and outpost locked into the ground and not part of a discussion? If wee had kept it as was - it would not have been a staging ground for the future.. but we screwed that one being the war had shifted to other places already and we were still at the start points. Mission lost its meaning as corruption set in everywhere else. How much of the items purchased were lost on its way into Afghanistan in the past 10 years?
Our war there was over 2 years back - and yet we still had no plan to get out And if I had been the planner of the NEO that was such a CF -- would probably get my own brass plaque on a street lamp where the crowd would hang me. It was not even to the level of half ass - and i knew that when the embassy was evacuated first - before they called the NEO - and then when the POTUS and regime did not allow the NEO force to do the NEO - nor to hold daily briefings to give run downs. And when a NATO operation was suddenly everyone for themselves.

LTC Eric Udouj - Thank you.
I was not 100% sure it was a FUBAR until I read your post. That sealed it for me. But I sure could use some of that left behind gear and I bet a few individuals patrolling in Africa would too.
Regards,

Cpl Mark A. Morris - I think your right on the Africa part - expect we will be seeing the AQ organized elements start having alot of new US things in Africa to overpower opposition.. radios, NVGs, Anti-tank weapons, mortars. Yeah - good point Mark. Oh - and the funds as well - being AQ will get an operational cut of the stacks of cash we left - and use it where it is needed. I knew the game our regime was playing when they would not talk numbers - and yet the Taliban had a listout of all the US citizens - which means AQ had it a well. And we still have a DOS that will not give a ballpark number. Hold up there - an Embassy has a pretty accurate list of what they know - and that is your base number - companies know their numbers - organizations know their numbers --- and no one can crunch them and give the US people a ball park number? Only because they did not want to Because if they did - it would not match up with our cutting and running and leaving so many behind and not getting out the people wee went in to get out. CF - half-ass CF. Name me any NEO ever done when US forces secured an airhead - and told the American citizens to make their own way through a hostile city. Never has happened before.