jclalor 12 #1 April 27, 2011 Afghanistan is now nothing more than a bad joke. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-pilot-20110428,0,3114785.story Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kennedy 0 #2 April 27, 2011 It's more like an Irish bedtime story- there are no happy fairy tale endings. "Death of Empires" strikes again?witty subliminal message Guard your honor, let your reputation fall where it will, and outlast the bastards. 1* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andy9o8 2 #3 April 27, 2011 We're at the point where we're really only still there out of pride. I've been alive long enough to have seen it before; and I know it when I see it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #4 April 27, 2011 The lesson here (and the Germans found it out the hard way too) is don't piss off an Afghan. Their veneer of civilization is way thinner than ours. Argue with or insult him, and the Afghan will kill. mh ."The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 62 #5 April 28, 2011 QuoteAfghanistan is now nothing more than a bad joke. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-pilot-20110428,0,3114785.story My neighbor is due back in the CONUS within the week. As soon as I can get it, I want his first hand account on whether we should stay or leave.Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhaig 0 #6 April 28, 2011 will probably say same thing some of my friends have told me after their return. There is some good being done by our presence. But we're not getting enough benefit to offset the damage and casualties. The intel we're getting could be had through other channels if certain unnamed government agencies had a bit more operational leeway (including budget).-- Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 62 #7 April 28, 2011 Quotewill probably say same thing some of my friends have told me after their return. There is some good being done by our presence. But we're not getting enough benefit to offset the damage and casualties. The intel we're getting could be had through other channels if certain unnamed government agencies had a bit more operational leeway (including budget). He reenlisted while in Afghanistan. I believe he will have some very definite opinions. I am leaning in the direction of your response.Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgoose71 0 #8 April 28, 2011 QuoteQuoteAfghanistan is now nothing more than a bad joke. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-pilot-20110428,0,3114785.story My neighbor is due back in the CONUS within the week. As soon as I can get it, I want his first hand account on whether we should stay or leave. Been there, can answer it easily. Time to go."There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RonD1120 62 #9 April 28, 2011 QuoteQuoteQuoteAfghanistan is now nothing more than a bad joke. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-pilot-20110428,0,3114785.story My neighbor is due back in the CONUS within the week. As soon as I can get it, I want his first hand account on whether we should stay or leave. Been there, can answer it easily. Time to go. Thank you for your service and your reply. Are you still in the military?Look for the shiny things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. They only last for an instant but it is a Holy Instant. Let your soul absorb them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgoose71 0 #10 April 28, 2011 Quote will probably say same thing some of my friends have told me after their return. There is some good being done by our presence. But we're not getting enough benefit to offset the damage and casualties. The intel we're getting could be had through other channels if certain unnamed government agencies had a bit more operational leeway (including budget). Ding, ding, ding.... And this is why. The witch hunt of the CIA killed our most effective weapon in this war. No it's not drones. What has always made America the greatest military power on the planet is it's Communication, Intelligence, and Command and Control capabilities. Look no further than Libya to see what happens if you don't have those items in place. What a cluster fuck. The big green machine that is the Army is really good at fighting wars, but that is not what Afghanistan is now. Combine that with the corruption that is running amok in the Afghan government, and it's time to pull out, even though we know that we will have to go back in again in the near future. It's a tactical retreat to allow the snakes to come out of their holes again so we can whack them with our sticks....."There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jgoose71 0 #11 April 28, 2011 Quote Quote Quote Quote Afghanistan is now nothing more than a bad joke. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-pilot-20110428,0,3114785.story My neighbor is due back in the CONUS within the week. As soon as I can get it, I want his first hand account on whether we should stay or leave. Been there, can answer it easily. Time to go. Thank you for your service and your reply. Are you still in the military? Yes, and will probably wind up back in Afghanistan.... again. Sometimes we can be our own worse enemy...."There is an art, it says, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Life, the Universe, and Everything Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #12 April 28, 2011 Why aren't soldiers in a country at war armed? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrokenR1 0 #13 April 29, 2011 Quote Why aren't soldiers in a country at war armed? Most were although not carrying loaded while in/on base. The contractor was probably not as dirty filthy contractors cannot be trusted with weapons. Wait for May 1st through the 3rd to see how much more interesting it gets. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #14 April 29, 2011 Ok, I'll rephrase, why aren't soldiers in a country at war armed with loaded weapons? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SpeedRacer 1 #15 April 29, 2011 Hmmm, yep, when it comes to Afghanistan, the phrase "polishing a turd" comes to mind. Speed Racer -------------------------------------------------- Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrokenR1 0 #16 April 30, 2011 QuoteOk, I'll rephrase, why aren't soldiers in a country at war armed with loaded weapons? Because there is generally no need on base. While it just happened to be an Afghan guy that went postal it's happened elsewhere even in the US. I don't believe it was as much culturally generated as it was stress. This was a trusted individual, not an outsider. Having soldiers walk around loaded would create much more harm and danger than the off chance of needing to be loaded. Even with supposedly cleared weapons I've seen a negligent discharge by an idiot that luckily was into a clearing barrel. This guy had just been walking around and sitting next to someone with the barrel pointing at him. Not everyone is special forces, infantry, etc. There are alot of people that still cannot handle a weapon correctly even with qualifying yearly etc. Now this is on a fairly large base. When you go out to the smaller FOBs I'm all about keeping everything loaded as there is little to no buffer zone outside the fence line. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
solodude59 0 #17 April 30, 2011 I'm working in a prison at a FOB right now, where ANA soldiers almost outnumber the american forces. These guys are, for the most part, little kids that smoke pot. They run around chasing each other, play little games, they are loud and obnoxious, no military bearing, and bring hashish and other narcotics into the compound. These are the people that will soon take over control of a multi-million dollar facility. Here's the perk. We have to check our weapons before we come into the prison, so if anybody ever got a weapon into the facility, the only thing available is pepper spray (extremely weak, at that) which the cell guards have. We would be, for lack of a better word, fucked. Everything that happens here is highly classified, but if the general public could see what happens in one day here, the government would soon be remnants of a bloody coup.In freefall, you have the rest of your life to figure out what's wrong. -Joe, AFF Instructor Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tkhayes 348 #18 April 30, 2011 time to leave - way overdue actually.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
virgin-burner 1 #19 April 30, 2011 “Some may never live, but the crazy never die.” -Hunter S. Thompson "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -Yoda Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,465 #20 May 2, 2011 QuoteBecause there is generally no need on base. While it just happened to be an Afghan guy that went postal it's happened elsewhere even in the US. I don't believe it was as much culturally generated as it was stress. This was a trusted individual, not an outsider. Having soldiers walk around loaded would create much more harm and danger than the off chance of needing to be loaded. Even with supposedly cleared weapons I've seen a negligent discharge by an idiot that luckily was into a clearing barrel. This guy had just been walking around and sitting next to someone with the barrel pointing at him. Not everyone is special forces, infantry, etc. There are alot of people that still cannot handle a weapon correctly even with qualifying yearly etc. If you can't trust soldiers with guns, why would you trust the general public with it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrokenR1 0 #21 May 3, 2011 QuoteQuoteBecause there is generally no need on base. While it just happened to be an Afghan guy that went postal it's happened elsewhere even in the US. I don't believe it was as much culturally generated as it was stress. This was a trusted individual, not an outsider. Having soldiers walk around loaded would create much more harm and danger than the off chance of needing to be loaded. Even with supposedly cleared weapons I've seen a negligent discharge by an idiot that luckily was into a clearing barrel. This guy had just been walking around and sitting next to someone with the barrel pointing at him. Not everyone is special forces, infantry, etc. There are alot of people that still cannot handle a weapon correctly even with qualifying yearly etc. If you can't trust soldiers with guns, why would you trust the general public with it? "Every" Soldier is required to carry, not everyone in the general public is. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rap is to music what etch-a-sketch is to art. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
