Posted on May 7, 2016
Despite billions in U.S. funding, Afghan forces have a problem with boots
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RP Members where are your Tax dollars going?
CAMP SHAHEEN, Afghanistan — If first impressions really can be gleaned from footwear, Afghan security forces may be about as disjointed and ragged as a state-run military can get.
As recruits stood in formation here last week, some wore nearly paper-thin black boots one stumble away from an exposed heel or toe. Others had on boots better suited for trekking through feet of snow than standing on sun-scorched gravel. The lucky ones had the same well-padded, sandy-colored boots worn by a visiting U.S. general and his support staff.
“This one, when it gets wet, they are not comfortable,” said one soldier, Abdul Ali, 21, pointing down at his crumbled black footwear.
The sad state of soldiers’ boots highlights something that U.S. military officials have known for about two years: Despite more than $68 billion in U.S. funding for Afghan security forces over the past 14 years, they still can’t even clothe themselves.
Because of widespread corruption and incompetence, the U.S.-led coalition has taken control of procurement of uniforms and boots for the Afghan army and the Afghan national police.
Now, the coalition is trying to airlift or ship in more than a million pairs of boots to make sure Afghan forces can properly walk onto the battlefield. Some of the orders for those boots were placed as far back as 2014.
The shipments of boots — which cost about $75 to $90 per pair — are projected to total about $100 million through the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The coalition expects to spend an additional $215 million on boots, uniforms and gear for Afghan forces in fiscal 2017.
U.S. taxpayers will be picking up about 80 percent of the tab.
CAMP SHAHEEN, Afghanistan — If first impressions really can be gleaned from footwear, Afghan security forces may be about as disjointed and ragged as a state-run military can get.
As recruits stood in formation here last week, some wore nearly paper-thin black boots one stumble away from an exposed heel or toe. Others had on boots better suited for trekking through feet of snow than standing on sun-scorched gravel. The lucky ones had the same well-padded, sandy-colored boots worn by a visiting U.S. general and his support staff.
“This one, when it gets wet, they are not comfortable,” said one soldier, Abdul Ali, 21, pointing down at his crumbled black footwear.
The sad state of soldiers’ boots highlights something that U.S. military officials have known for about two years: Despite more than $68 billion in U.S. funding for Afghan security forces over the past 14 years, they still can’t even clothe themselves.
Because of widespread corruption and incompetence, the U.S.-led coalition has taken control of procurement of uniforms and boots for the Afghan army and the Afghan national police.
Now, the coalition is trying to airlift or ship in more than a million pairs of boots to make sure Afghan forces can properly walk onto the battlefield. Some of the orders for those boots were placed as far back as 2014.
The shipments of boots — which cost about $75 to $90 per pair — are projected to total about $100 million through the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The coalition expects to spend an additional $215 million on boots, uniforms and gear for Afghan forces in fiscal 2017.
U.S. taxpayers will be picking up about 80 percent of the tab.
Despite billions in U.S. funding, Afghan forces have a problem with boots
Posted from washingtonpost.com
Boots
Taxes
Afghanistan
What Would You Do
Uniforms
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
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COL Mikel J. Burroughs - Mikel; When you let people whose historical culture has included a great deal of tolerance for (what we would view as) corruption have control of millions and millions of dollars without any real oversight you shouldn't be surprised when a great chunk of that money goes missing.
SPC Andrew Griffin - Spec; What you have to remember is that America liberated Afghanistan from the evils of Communism and the Taliban and then established a modern, progressive, egalitarian, democratic, independent, Republic where everyone's civil rights are respected and protected to a level unknown in any country in the world other than the United States of America. All Americans simply have to recognize that there is a price to pay in order to bring the rest of the world out of the dark age it is in because it isn't identical to the US and that the US is manifestly destined to bring the whole world out into the light of the only perfect civilization/culture that God created when George Washington brought the Ten Amendments down from Mount Vernon.
Besides, once you fall behind on the quarterly instalments on your "Rent-A-Friend" the interest and penalties involved in becoming re-instated can get VERY expensive.
SPC Andrew Griffin - Spec; What you have to remember is that America liberated Afghanistan from the evils of Communism and the Taliban and then established a modern, progressive, egalitarian, democratic, independent, Republic where everyone's civil rights are respected and protected to a level unknown in any country in the world other than the United States of America. All Americans simply have to recognize that there is a price to pay in order to bring the rest of the world out of the dark age it is in because it isn't identical to the US and that the US is manifestly destined to bring the whole world out into the light of the only perfect civilization/culture that God created when George Washington brought the Ten Amendments down from Mount Vernon.
Besides, once you fall behind on the quarterly instalments on your "Rent-A-Friend" the interest and penalties involved in becoming re-instated can get VERY expensive.
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CPT John Sheridan
What happens when you give merchantable items to people who live in poverty and they believe they can get by without those items?
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MSG (Join to see)
Thus reinforcing my long held view that a bought friend is a friend not worth buying.
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COL Ted Mc
CPT John Sheridan - Captain; About the same thing when soldiers have kit that they think they will never need and that no one will check to see if they still have it.
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This is a very sensitive issue to me because the money that we are spending can best be used to rebuild our Country! Lets begin with our Inner Cities that have been deprived for decades! Lets uplift the portion of America that has been waiting for their country to uplift them!
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Col I would give a months retirement pay, IF they would go fight the good fight. From what I hear and have read they are not dedicated as U.S. Forces. But I don't know personally. I know in RVN, my brother was a CW2 MI Officer that spoke fluent Vietnamese. He didn't trust a one of his ARVN counterparts. I know this to be true we were stationed together.
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