Deployed into Afghanistan Feb of 2003 with the mission to establish a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the areas of Gardez, Khost and Ghazni. During the following months we lost two fine Soldiers enroute back to our base after meeting with tribal shura leaders, governors and/or other tribal leaders. That said, I follow and did follow the COIN initiative from Iraq (deployed to Balad 2005-06) and as General P's theory on counter insurgent made it way its way into Afghanistan with General Stan McC.
Now come the border initiative with the establishment of COP's (combat outpost), first with 10th MTN (L), then with the 173rd ABN BDE..followed by the 4th ID. During the COIN initiative with these three rotations, some 80 fine young Soldiers gave their lives for "nothing"; except to reinforce that the fact Soldiers fight to protect their buddies. As for the mission, few including many at higher really did not really agree with the mission station.
Early on in 2003 with travel virtually all over SE eastern Afghanistan to the Pakistan border include a meeting in Jaji (UBL base of operations during the Soviet time)..NOT one time did I every hear the shura leader want anything from the US. In fact, they wanted to be alone with our assistance on building clinics, schools or other. It was so evident and stark that many of us were alarmed to the point if we would make it back to our base in Gardez.
All these detailed reports, observations, opinions and personal comments were detailed and sent to Kabul..no doubt the entire intel community read these reports...and yet for years after, the continuing quest to change the "hearts and minds" fo these people continued unabated, hence the deployments of Soldiers into the Korengal or Konar Provinces with disastrous results.
With the war in Iraq resources dwindled ( in fact, almost all the 5th Group guys left replaced by SF from 19th Group); This was one of the metrics of "the way" our Soldiers simply did not have the resources required when over 150-200 bad guys attacked Wanat. Regardless if Topside was the correct OP or not remains a question. Having a very young 1LT responsible for the entire unit was not fair to LT B and as such any distainment of this fine and dedicated Soldier is incorrect..
As for the leadership...yes, there were issues..but, if you understand the "Follow Me" .ideology based in part "we can accomplish the mission regardless" resulted in shortages both in personnel, coordinating issues and certainly intl which was the primary reasons for this terrible lost of life.
For most..all of have seen Junger's and Heathington's (RIP, Misrata, Libya)..Korengal and Restrepo. The first thing that comes to mind was the shura meeting with the CPT..it was so obvious based on the tenor of the response and delivery that in the four years since leaving Afghanistan...nothing has changed..the locals still hate us and will take, then on the way down the road fire an RPG.
In closing, we shall never forget the fine and dedicated 11B's who have so much of themselves for a mission few really understood...which reinforces in my mind the tenacity and dedication of the American Soldier, then, now and in the future.
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