14
14
0
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
Hearing the names and seeing the faces of those 13 dead service members brings a lump in throat and a tear to the eye … but most it brings anger and bile knowing this did not have to happen.
(7)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
SFC Eric Harmon Sorry, leaving was a military decision. Phased drawdown, peaceful environment and an airfield that really wasn't strategically significant in that environment when we left. If you've ever had anything to to with developing a TPFDL you should understand that. Unfortunately the total collapse of the Afghani military and government was not something that anyone anticipated.
(0)
(0)
SFC Eric Harmon
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - It was anticipated and the decision was all political, and all wrong. Why would you abandon a strategically sound asset in order to make your nation less safe? We now have no control over terrorism in the region. We both know there is no such thing as Biden's fantasy of "over the horizon". This was the single worst foreign policy failure in our history and the repercussions will likely be felt for decades. It certainly ends America's leadership in the world.
(1)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
SFC Eric Harmon OK, do you understand the concept of withrdawal? Once the decision was made to do that, we knew we would have no control over terrorism in the region. Would you rather your grandkids or their kids get deployed there? Having served at HQUSCENTCOM before the days when satellite systems focused on the AOR I certainly do understand the concept of "over the horizon". Realistically we have saved more Afghani's than we ever could have from from Vietnam and the debuncle there didn't end our leadership in the world.
(0)
(0)
SFC Eric Harmon
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - Vietnam is a different situation. What we have done now is shown weakness on the world stage which has created a vacuum that nations like China are looking to fill. Notice the Chinese embassy in Kabul is still open. Would I want my children there? Well, my son is serving now, and if he were to have served at a stable Bagram, which is a thing that we had, it would have been no different than serving in Korea, of Italy, or any of the other places we have troops serving. The political decision was simply wrong. There was no reason for it other than a very weak executive. Afghanistan was not a "forever war" any more than Korea is. Without stable American leadership Afghanistan is simply going to be a giant terrorist training camp and no, we have no way to monitor or impeded their progress in any way. Drones take far to o long to fly from any place we could put them.
(1)
(0)
The big question is what is the endgame? Is all of this just mistake or is there something bigger in play?
(7)
(0)
SFC Eric Harmon
Lt Col Charlie Brown - There is a good chance you are correct and that is simply terrifying.
(6)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
The end game is that Afghanistan will go back to what it has been for thousands of years. A region ruled by various tribal factions. They simply do not want any part of western style centralized government.
(1)
(0)
MSG George Hernlen
Its hard to believe that even an incompetent Biden could fuck this up this bad unless this is what they wanted. Then you have to ask to what end? All conclusions are bad for our future.
(3)
(0)
200+ days to implement an exit plan that could have gone a lot smoother.
Got to wonder how many people fumbled the ball in this disaster.
Got to wonder how many people fumbled the ball in this disaster.
(6)
(0)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Got to agree, but as a former joint military planner I can't argue with the results. There's a fine line between a hero and a fool snd there's lots of heros in this operation.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next