quote:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan |The sirens blared as a Taliban rocket attack rattled troops across Kandahar Air Field for the second time last week.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Teresa R. Coble and other members of her unit at the base's media-support center hit the floor, lay flat on the dusty cement and protected their heads with their hands. Later, the unit moved to cement-reinforced bunkers until the all-clear sounded.

While the Obama administration debates whether to send tens of thousands more U.S. troops to Afghanistan and Afghans prepare to vote for president for the second time in four months, some of those already braving rockets and bombs worry that their mission has lost the support of the U.S. public and that their sacrifices - and those of their fallen comrades - have been in vain.

"What about the troops who died giving their lives for this mission?" Sgt. Coble asked as she waited for the rocket alert to finish.

By next August, Sgt. Coble, 27, from Germantown, will have served more than 30 months combined in Iraq and Afghanistan, far from her only child, five-year-old Troy Davis.

"We would not be honoring the lives of the troops who died if we left here without finishing our mission, and many troops are concerned that the American people have forgotten why we came here to begin with," she said.

<snip>

Others interviewed by The Times were less supportive of the eight-year war and less certain that adding more U.S. forces would defeat a tenacious and growing Taliban insurgency or reduce corruption in the Afghan government. Several asked not to be named so that they could voice their opinions candidly without retribution from their superiors.

"I used to believe in what we were doing here," the soldier said. "I'm not too sure anymore. It's just we don't know what the endgame is. We've been getting hit hard out here. What are we here to win? I have to believe that what Gen. [Stanley M.] McChrystal is doing is going to work.But who knows how long that will last before someone else decides to change the game plan again? I mean, do the people in Washington even remember we're here?"

<more>

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/26/troops-hope-sacrifices-not-in-vain/#

quote:

Originally posted by NSNN:
You don’t let-up do you? I love all this new found (Eight years latter to be precise) heartfelt concern for the mission in Afghanistan. As they say, better late than never. Right?

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:

quote:

Originally posted by NSNN:
You don’t let-up do you? I love all this new found (Eight years latter to be precise) heartfelt concern for the mission in Afghanistan. As they say, better late than never. Right?

No ... I don't let up. I didn't let up while I had a daughter doing rotations in Iraq ... and I don't let up while I've a son-in-law in the hopper for Afghanistan having done his time in Iraq. Since this war will still undoubtedly be going on next year when my second daughter is commissioned, I'll have that oar in the water as well. What's your dog in the fight, maestro?

quote:

Originally posted by NSNN:

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:

quote:

Originally posted by NSNN:
You don’t let-up do you? I love all this new found (Eight years latter to be precise) heartfelt concern for the mission in Afghanistan. As they say, better late than never. Right?

No ... I don't let up. I didn't let up while I had a daughter doing rotations in Iraq ... and I don't let up while I've a son-in-law in the hopper for Afghanistan having done his time in Iraq. Since this war will still undoubtedly be going on next year when my second daughter is commissioned, I'll have that oar in the water as well. What's your dog in the fight, maestro?

I was in uniform in Iraq; back when nobody gave a flying **** about “our morale”, cuz it was considered simply week and dissent.....well that was just outright treasonous; now back in the region as a civilian. That's my dog in the fight......

quote:

Originally posted by KoRnAdvocate:
Our primary concern should be leaving Afghanistan in a state whereby the likelihood of its soil being used as a haven to plan attacks against the West is drastically reduced. A functional, stable Afghan government goes a long way in achieving at least some of those goals, but we cannot continue to drive Taliban forces from certain areas, withdraw, and allow them to come right back in.

quote:

On a personal note, my gravest concern is that a Tribal Engagement strategy in some form will indeed be adopted and implemented, but that the US may eventually again abandon Afghanistan—and the tribes to whom we have promised long-term support will be left to be massacred by a vengeful Taliban.

This is by far the worst outcome we could have.

It is immoral and unethical to ask a tribe to help us and promise them support and then leave them to defend themselves on their own. If our forces do withdraw from Afghanistan, we should decide now to arm the tribes who support us with enough weapons and ammunition to survive after we leave.

http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/wp-content/themes/stevenpressfield/one_tribe_at_a_time.pdf

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:

Having spent 8 years on the playing field, one doesn't just walk away ... not with any kind of honor at least.

quote:

Originally posted by KoRnAdvocate:
Our primary concern should be leaving Afghanistan in a state whereby the likelihood of its soil being used as a haven to plan attacks against the West is drastically reduced. A functional, stable Afghan government goes a long way in achieving at least some of those goals, but we cannot continue to drive Taliban forces from certain areas, withdraw, and allow them to come right back in.

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:

Having spent 8 years on the playing field, one doesn't just walk away ... not with any kind of honor at least.

We walked away after 16 years in Nam with over 58,000 dead. So what's so special about leaving this one behind after only 800 deaths (US) and over 1300 total for the coalition. You wanting this war to be a new record or something?

By the way, we who served in Nam might not have liked it when our government decided to run but we did and we still do have honor for serving. Want to know something, people will get over it sooner or later.

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by KoRnAdvocate:
Our primary concern should be leaving Afghanistan in a state whereby the likelihood of its soil being used as a haven to plan attacks against the West is drastically reduced. A functional, stable Afghan government goes a long way in achieving at least some of those goals, but we cannot continue to drive Taliban forces from certain areas, withdraw, and allow them to come right back in.

Very likely for that to happen. This is a religious war, not political. Kill daddy Mohammed and in ten years we'll be killing Mohammed Jr.

quote:

Originally posted by NickBrand:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by KoRnAdvocate:
Our primary concern should be leaving Afghanistan in a state whereby the likelihood of its soil being used as a haven to plan attacks against the West is drastically reduced. A functional, stable Afghan government goes a long way in achieving at least some of those goals, but we cannot continue to drive Taliban forces from certain areas, withdraw, and allow them to come right back in.

Very likely for that to happen. This is a religious war, not political. Kill daddy Mohammed and in ten years we'll be killing Mohammed Jr.

We could always turn it into a big sheet of glass where its unihabitable except by savage cannible mutants....

quote:

Originally posted by NickBrand:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by KoRnAdvocate:
Our primary concern should be leaving Afghanistan in a state whereby the likelihood of its soil being used as a haven to plan attacks against the West is drastically reduced. A functional, stable Afghan government goes a long way in achieving at least some of those goals, but we cannot continue to drive Taliban forces from certain areas, withdraw, and allow them to come right back in.

Very likely for that to happen. This is a religious war, not political. Kill daddy Mohammed and in ten years we'll be killing Mohammed Jr.

We could always turn it into a big sheet of glass where its unihabitable except by savage cannible mutants....

quote:

Originally posted by rayld2:

quote:

Originally posted by NickBrand:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by KoRnAdvocate:
Our primary concern should be leaving Afghanistan in a state whereby the likelihood of its soil being used as a haven to plan attacks against the West is drastically reduced. A functional, stable Afghan government goes a long way in achieving at least some of those goals, but we cannot continue to drive Taliban forces from certain areas, withdraw, and allow them to come right back in.

Very likely for that to happen. This is a religious war, not political. Kill daddy Mohammed and in ten years we'll be killing Mohammed Jr.

We could always turn it into a big sheet of glass where its unihabitable except by savage cannible mutants....

Nuke em. The last refuge of internet toughs, people with NO ideals, people with nothing real to say and bigots.

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:

Having spent 8 years on the playing field, one doesn't just walk away ... not with any kind of honor at least.

We walked away after 16 years in Nam with over 58,000 dead. So what's so special about leaving this one behind after only 800 deaths (US) and over 1300 total for the coalition. You wanting this war to be a new record or something?

By the way, we who served in Nam might not have liked it when our government decided to run but we did and we still do have honor for serving. Want to know something, people will get over it sooner or later.

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:
YOU gained plenty of honor for your service in VietNam ... our country gained none and in fact lost much ... IMHO.

From your comment, it is apparent that you don't give a rat's behind about Afghan casualties ... ]

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:
YOU gained plenty of honor for your service in VietNam ... our country gained none and in fact lost much ... IMHO.

From your comment, it is apparent that you don't give a rat's behind about Afghan casualties ... ]

Our country went right on surviving and I am concerned about casualties in our present wars 'until' someone makes a lamebrain comment about comparing Vietnam to them. There is no comparisons....period!!!!!!

Maybe I'm more concerned about casualties than you are, those that have sacrificed everything are gone, it's the many more to come that I'm more afraid of.

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:

quote:

Originally posted by SignalSgtWilliams:

quote:

Originally posted by I_M_Qwerty:
YOU gained plenty of honor for your service in VietNam ... our country gained none and in fact lost much ... IMHO.

From your comment, it is apparent that you don't give a rat's behind about Afghan casualties ... ]

Our country went right on surviving and I am concerned about casualties in our present wars 'until' someone makes a lamebrain comment about comparing Vietnam to them. There is no comparisons....period!!!!!!

Maybe I'm more concerned about casualties than you are, those that have sacrificed everything are gone, it's the many more to come that I'm more afraid of.

With due respect, YOU are the one that dragged VietNam into it, not I. I made no comparison to or mention of VietNam except in response to YOUR bringing it up. My comments dealt exclusively with Afghanistan.

My comments stand.