In all honesty.. do y'all expect us to go back to Afghanistan and will it be worse this time than 2001?

PFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:52:11 -0400

Just wanting to know y'all opinions

Response by MSG George Hernlen made Aug 31 at 2021 3:56 PM

MSG George Hernlen — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:56:39 -0400

No! But if it becomes necessary sometime in the future, it will be worse than 2001. Biden’s botched pullout armed the Taliban with more weapons than a lot of our allies have.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Aug 31 at 2021 3:58 PM

SSG Edward Tilton — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:58:24 -0400

We went in 2001 because Al Kaida was there. There is no reason to be there now. As you will see they are capable of killing each other without our help.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Aug 31 at 2021 4:10 PM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:10:05 -0400

I do not, personally, believe we will be back in Afghanistan any time during a Biden Presidency, regardless of what happens in that region. Returning would be political suicide. Even a "retiring" Biden wouldn't go there because of the fallout for Harris and the party as a whole.

Beyond Biden, I still think it is unlikely, at least for a generation. Biden completely botched the pullout, but his statements regarding the REASON to pull out were accurate. Terrorism has metastasized. Afghanistan isn't even on the top 10 list. We have plenty of other shithole countries to send young men and women to die in, just to prove we can.

(Yes, it is a crass and cynical view. But prove me wrong...)

Response by SSG John Oliver made Aug 31 at 2021 4:18 PM

SSG John Oliver — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:18:44 -0400

I think we'll be back within 10 years

Response by SGM Mark Schermerhorn made Aug 31 at 2021 4:19 PM

SGM Mark Schermerhorn — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:19:04 -0400

Not a chance that we'll ever go back.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Aug 31 at 2021 4:34 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:34:37 -0400

Let's begin with the truth that no one wants to claim. We should never have left, not completely. 2,500 troops together with the contractors needed to help maintain weapons and equipment for the nascent Afghani military seemed to be just about right. It would have held the barbarians at bay while those favoring civilization had a chance to establish themselves. Yes, it's a mission that may have lasted for decades but that's a small price to pay for maintaining the infrastructure needed to monitor the bad guys and stage attacks as necessary to insure the peace and tranquility of the region, and to insure that it did not again become a launching pad for attacks on America.
That being said, let's deal with two facts. One, the war on terror isn't over. The mission hasn't been accomplished. We merely walked away from it. Keep in mind that no terrorist attacks have been launched on America since we arrived there. Does that mean there are no more terrorists? Go ask Britain, France, and Spain that question.
Two, the weakness demonstrated by this debacle has awakened other bad actors, namely China and Russia, to the opportunities that abound as America has surrendered the walls defending civilization. Taiwan should be feeling like Christian Scientists with appendicitis.
So, the question isn't "will we be going back" but rather "when will we be going back?"
The sooner the better.
We it be worse? Yes, the next time we will have a far harder time encouraging Afghanis to trust US...

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Aug 31 at 2021 4:34 PM

MAJ Ken Landgren — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:34:51 -0400

No. If we do it will be surgical strikes. We don’t have a clue how to win in Afghanistan.

Response by Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth made Aug 31 at 2021 4:45 PM

Lt Col Scott Shuttleworth — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 16:45:06 -0400

I believe we will be back...If Biden does what he is stating he is doing other than lying, it will turn into a diplomatic mission...you can't have that until you have peace and a big stick to back it up. Therefore because of the region and what it has to offer, I think we will be back...maybe not in the next 5 or so years but we will be back and not with a as big a force as we maintained with this time.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 31 at 2021 5:15 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 17:15:10 -0400

"Wanna know what I think? Doesn't really matter what I think." Name that movie!

Seriously though, we will never leave Afghanistan. Not completely at least. There will always be a SOCOM and OGA presence in the country. Will we go back in large scale numbers? Maybe. If so, my hope and opinion is it would be relatively short term for very clearly defined objectives.

Been there twice. None of the reasons I was told I went seems to be worth a damn these days, but that's just politics of the business. I'd gladly go back to pull out Americans and partner and allies, but that's not the suit I wear.

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Aug 31 at 2021 5:49 PM

SGT Christopher Hayden — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 17:49:39 -0400

The Taliban doesn't give a shit about anything but Afghanistan. If you leave them alone, they will leave you alone, as long as they get to run their shithole sausage fest of a country under strict religious (made up) rules.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Aug 31 at 2021 10:23 PM

SFC Stephen King — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 22:23:15 -0400

Yes

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 1 at 2021 2:17 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 02:17:01 -0400

We didn't have a plan or end state for the last 20 years. I hope we don't go back.

Response by SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth made Sep 1 at 2021 8:06 AM

SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 08:06:15 -0400

If we do go back it will definitely be worse than before, especially since the Taliban have some of the same equipment that we have brother PFC Private RallyPoint Member

Response by SGT Robert Wager made Sep 1 at 2021 8:36 AM

SGT Robert Wager — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 08:36:28 -0400

Should have never went in there to begin with without a clear definition of what victory was and a plan to leave.

Response by MSG Thomas Currie made Sep 1 at 2021 3:13 PM

MSG Thomas Currie — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:13:58 -0400

Almost certainly not on the ground during the rest of Senile Joe's remaining time in office. We'll be doing drone strikes, maybe cruise missiles and/or air strikes, perhaps even some very black ops, but absolutely nothing that amounts to admitting that Joe was wrong.

Response by SPC David Buttrey made Sep 1 at 2021 8:54 PM

SPC David Buttrey — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 20:54:00 -0400

I don’t see it under the current administration but if we did it would be much worse. After all we have militarized a terrorist organization.