Comments on: Following the Marines Through Helmand III http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/27/following-the-marines-through-helmand-iii/ News & Commentary on Warfare, Policy and Counterterrorism Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:31:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Aercdr http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/27/following-the-marines-through-helmand-iii/#comment-25755 Aercdr Sat, 31 May 2008 03:33:23 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/?p=1113#comment-25755 The joke that we used to make in Brussels is that NATO stands for Needs Americans To Operate. The fact that the EU has deployed more forces to Kosovo than Afghanistan is unfortunate. The good thing is that the Brits, Canadians and others have begun traveling to Regional Command - East, which comes under CJTF-101. In RC-E we have found the right formula of using kinetic operations to separate the enemy from the population and then use our expertise in governance and reconstruction to enable the Afghans to start managing things on their own. A good example is the success we have achieved in Nangarhar and Khost provinces, or the success that we are achieving in Konar, the most dangerous place in Afghanistan. (God Bless the Marines, but say a prayer for the Sky Soldiers of the 173rd ABCT - Task Force Bayonet under Col. Chip Preysler, or the Band of Brothers of TF Currahee under Col. Pete Johnson at FOB Salerno in Khost .) By striving for the right balance across all lines of operation including civil-military Provincial Reconstruction Teams, we have made a profound difference. We don't get much press, and that press that we do get focuses on the effects of the terror tactics that our enemy (the term Taliban has less meaning, particularly in the east) have been forced to employ. That said, 20 years from now, people won't discuss COIN in terms of the Malaya Emergency, but what the US has done right in the east. Pakistan remains a problem. Having been rocketed from the other side of the border I can tell you that we need to engage Islamabad more closely on a wide range of issues. Unfortunately, the Administration has long taken a pro-Musharaff stance that destroyed what little credibility that we had in Pakistan in the first place. The joke that we used to make in Brussels is that NATO stands for Needs Americans To Operate. The fact that the EU has deployed more forces to Kosovo than Afghanistan is unfortunate. The good thing is that the Brits, Canadians and others have begun traveling to Regional Command - East, which comes under CJTF-101. In RC-E we have found the right formula of using kinetic operations to separate the enemy from the population and then use our expertise in governance and reconstruction to enable the Afghans to start managing things on their own.

A good example is the success we have achieved in Nangarhar and Khost provinces, or the success that we are achieving in Konar, the most dangerous place in Afghanistan. (God Bless the Marines, but say a prayer for the Sky Soldiers of the 173rd ABCT - Task Force Bayonet under Col. Chip Preysler, or the Band of Brothers of TF Currahee under Col. Pete Johnson at FOB Salerno in Khost .) By striving for the right balance across all lines of operation including civil-military Provincial Reconstruction Teams, we have made a profound difference.

We don’t get much press, and that press that we do get focuses on the effects of the terror tactics that our enemy (the term Taliban has less meaning, particularly in the east) have been forced to employ. That said, 20 years from now, people won’t discuss COIN in terms of the Malaya Emergency, but what the US has done right in the east.

Pakistan remains a problem. Having been rocketed from the other side of the border I can tell you that we need to engage Islamabad more closely on a wide range of issues. Unfortunately, the Administration has long taken a pro-Musharaff stance that destroyed what little credibility that we had in Pakistan in the first place.

]]> By: trollsmasher http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/27/following-the-marines-through-helmand-iii/#comment-25738 trollsmasher Thu, 29 May 2008 00:35:04 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/?p=1113#comment-25738 Gentlemen et al. The Marines know leaving this are will be a mistake the NATO commander should be pushing forces forward but will not or cannot. This will be a shame. The Marines will kill Taliban until the cows come home but what good will it do? NADA Zip Zilch. As Churchill said we put them on the beach expecting a wildcat and got a cow or something to that effect. I just do not think that our NATO allies with exceptions of course want to risk it. Leave it to the bloody American's. Sorry this topic really gets me going. Regards Gentlemen et al.
The Marines know leaving this are will be a mistake the NATO commander should be pushing forces forward but will not or cannot. This will be a shame. The Marines will kill Taliban until the cows come home but what good will it do? NADA Zip Zilch. As Churchill said we put them on the beach expecting a wildcat and got a cow or something to that effect. I just do not think that our NATO allies with exceptions of course want to risk it. Leave it to the bloody American’s. Sorry this topic really gets me going.
Regards

]]> By: Herschel Smith http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/27/following-the-marines-through-helmand-iii/#comment-25736 Herschel Smith Wed, 28 May 2008 15:23:25 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/?p=1113#comment-25736 I would like to do more maps, and others have recommended this same thing. Frankly, the multimedia aspect of blogging is the most challenging (in terms of time). For instance, it looks appealing to the eye and informative to see a map of a certain area in Pakistan or Afghanistan aligned left, caption underneath and text beside it, and so on. All of that requires putting the right coding into the post, along with finding good maps. Finding good maps of Pakistan has been difficult. Also, when I do include maps or pictures, there is always the fight to get the right actual size (and file size) so that it doesn't look grainy. In short, it's a lot of work compared to simply blogging. I can write four or five paragraphs (or even an entire post) in the time it takes to work through some of the issues. Also, compare that with the fact that I would like to drop more articles out on the web site, and it becomes a competition for time. It would be fun and I would certainly do it if I could make a living at this, but since I have a day job .... I would like to do more maps, and others have recommended this same thing. Frankly, the multimedia aspect of blogging is the most challenging (in terms of time). For instance, it looks appealing to the eye and informative to see a map of a certain area in Pakistan or Afghanistan aligned left, caption underneath and text beside it, and so on. All of that requires putting the right coding into the post, along with finding good maps. Finding good maps of Pakistan has been difficult. Also, when I do include maps or pictures, there is always the fight to get the right actual size (and file size) so that it doesn’t look grainy. In short, it’s a lot of work compared to simply blogging. I can write four or five paragraphs (or even an entire post) in the time it takes to work through some of the issues. Also, compare that with the fact that I would like to drop more articles out on the web site, and it becomes a competition for time. It would be fun and I would certainly do it if I could make a living at this, but since I have a day job ….

]]> By: Warbucks http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/05/27/following-the-marines-through-helmand-iii/#comment-25734 Warbucks Wed, 28 May 2008 13:27:50 +0000 http://www.captainsjournal.com/?p=1113#comment-25734 Herschel, The scope of your website is staggering in its coverage. If you ever find the time or resources to included detailed maps embedded in your articles I personally would find that of great assistance. Warbucks Herschel,

The scope of your website is staggering in its coverage. If you ever find the time or resources to included detailed maps embedded in your articles I personally would find that of great assistance.

Warbucks

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