On NPR recently, I heard a Twitter type talk to several GIs in the
101st Airborne who are about to deploy to Afghanistan. They are
playing soldier in a mock situation, probably back at Fort Campbell
where part of the exercise means playing an Afghan soldier. We had the
same thing during Vietnam. These mock villages where we were suppose
to kind of "get" the process of war. It didn't happen for us as we
viewed the mission as search and destroy always. It is what war is.
It was almost comical listening to young soldiers from the 101st.
Soldiers acting out what they thought Afghans would do. I think they
"get" it--at least what they are suppose to be doing. However, even
in these "play like" situations, making this work is like impossible,
not to mention stupid. Soldiers have rules before they can fire, etc.
For instance, they can't go into a suspected insurgent house where
possibly civilians are without an Afghan soldier with them. I can
understand in a way: the military wants to avoid what happened with
the 101st in Iraq, now a book called, Death Squad, where soldiers
experience a massive breakdown of the chain of command and killed an
innocent family. Sad and could have been prevented, possibly. War is
hell.
What the powers that be simply either don't get themselves or are in
denial. A strategy of unconventional warfare and in this case, counter
insurgency will work, given enough time. How much time? Years and years. In Afghanistan, I would say ten more years minimally. Are we willing? No, I don't think so. Our political system will not allow for it.
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