Finally done in Afghanistan?

[jrizzell]

Exclusive: State Department officials told House investigators they created Afghanistan withdrawal plans from scratch
I would advise some not to read this article, if you have half a brain it will anger you beyond belief...completely inept.
#FJB

20 years to plan, and these idiots “started from scratch” on the ground. Inept doesn’t begin to describe this.


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[Lawman]

20 years to plan, and these idiots “started from scratch” on the ground. Inept doesn’t begin to describe this.


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“Well you see Congressman…. All the existing plans started out of BAF….. “


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[HeloDude]

But the administration says it’s all Trump’s fault.

[dream big]

6 hours ago, HeloDude said:

But the administration says it’s all Trump’s fault.

Gaslighting seems to be a winning tactic 

[FourFans]

21 hours ago, busdriver said:

State is completely incapable of competent operational planning.

Experienced this as well in Europe and Africa...but I realized, they shouldn't be competent at operational planning...that's what military planners are for.  State is supposed to be diplomats.  They're also supposed to have the brains to realize that operational planning (especially in military related activities) should be pushed to the military, because we're pretty damn good at it.  The perennial American diplomatic problem is that when things go beyond diplomacy, our diplomats seem to think they are always the smartest in the room...and they never are.

[ClearedHot]

13 minutes ago, FourFans said:

Experienced this as well in Europe and Africa...but I realized, they shouldn't be competent at operational planning...that's what military planners are for.  State is supposed to be diplomats.  They're also supposed to have the brains to realize that operational planning (especially in military related activities) should be pushed to the military, because we're pretty damn good at it.  The perennial American diplomatic problem is that when things go beyond diplomacy, our diplomats seem to think they are always the smartest in the room...and they never are.

Department of State has a DUTY to plan a NEO for each and every Country that has an embassy...I understand there were other factors like all the Afghans that helped us, but to have zero plan to start from is a complete failure of leadership that goes directly to the top.

[Lawman]

Department of State has a DUTY to plan a NEO for each and every Country that has an embassy...I understand there were other factors like all the Afghans that helped us, but to have zero plan to start from is a complete failure of leadership that goes directly to the top.

I think like Fourfans is saying though, that’s the problem, and it needs to be retasked or rewritten to understand who has the authority and responsibility.

I’d argue State as an Embassy owner does need to play a critical role in researching the scale and scope of a NEO same as a HADR, but in reality it’s going to be the COCOM that ends up resourcing and reaching out for what it doesn’t have and should be where the planning is nested.

Have Embassy’s come to a planning event, staff it with SMEs resident in the COCOM with State playing but understanding its job is to keep this plan handy and execute its portion of alerting and organizing on the ground. It would prevent what happened in Afghanistan of no plan being there to execute because State wasn’t really forced to make anything, the DOD being the magic red button, and the immediate action being activate the Global Reaction Force and tell TRANSCOM to just throw all its tails at it in priority.


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[Clayton Bigsby]

Has there ever been any direct exposure of who handed over Bagram?  I hate to ask, but that really did seem like a huge curveball that wasn’t anticipated.

[McJay Pilot]

47 minutes ago, Clayton Bigsby said:

Has there ever been any direct exposure of who handed over Bagram?  I hate to ask, but that really did seem like a huge curveball that wasn’t anticipated.

Which handover? US to the ANDSF or ANDSF to Taliban?

[BashiChuni]

1 hour ago, Clayton Bigsby said:

Has there ever been any direct exposure of who handed over Bagram?  I hate to ask, but that really did seem like a huge curveball that wasn’t anticipated.

i'm sure the generals in charge will take FULL accountability! /s

[tac airlifter]

11 hours ago, Clayton Bigsby said:

Has there ever been any direct exposure of who handed over Bagram?  I hate to ask, but that really did seem like a huge curveball that wasn’t anticipated.

Gen Austin Miller made the call, although Biden & Blinken put him in a box: they imposed a troop cap which made staffing BAF along with the embassy/HKIA impossible.  Then Blinken said we cannot withdraw from the embassy due to optics, ergo BAF must close.  And because they were unimaginative and underestimated the enemy, they assumed GIRoA could hold out until 2022.

Miller pushed back but ultimately saluted and executed.  He should have resigned instead.  McKenzie, the COCOM/CC, took command from Miller (meaning the COCOM absorbed what had been its own 4 star command, you can imagine how butter smooth that COMREL change was) in July of 21 I believe, after BAF was handed over and when the assault on the outskirts of Kabul began in earnest.  He failed to take any bold action although several of us were sending very clear recommendations and security warnings.  By early August it was an insane situation: the Taliban was moving openly in large formations massing artillery and supplies as close as Maiden Shar and all ANA checkpoints on Highway 1 had fallen.  Camp Commando had fallen.  We were going Winchester and not slowing them down; our own FIRES process was complicated by surrendering ANA personnel and enemy use of their (our) equipment /uniforms. The AAF ran out of munitions and ceased flight operations.  I landed in HKIA after one sortie and stated clearly: we must initiate the NEO now.  The front office for the 2 star in Kabul (senior US Officer in country) told me “not possible, the Turks won’t allow it.”  The Turks were running HKIA at the time.  3 days later the Turks were burning all their papers and excess equipment as they ran to their own aircraft to escape the fall.

A lot to digest from the experience.  My biggest surprise has been that absolutely no one higher wants to hear about it.  There was no AAR, no hot wash, no internal mil attempt to investigate and figure out where it broke down.  Just sweep it all under the rug, too embarrassing.  The AF history guys did a quick report, although it was mainly focused on the 2.5 week mobility surge and they didn’t even know my unit existed.  My AAR is now in their secret addendum, but the document is shortsighted by exclusively focusing on the evacuation rather than how the hell we allowed July-Aug to ever occur.  Without any accountability and with the same idiots in charge, we should unfortunately expect another epic strategic humiliation.
 

 

[dream big]

Was discussing this topic with a coworker; flabbergasted that Biden is still a viable contender for reelection following this once in a century type of failure/embarrassment. He keenly pointed out that most Americans do not give a shit about what happened in Afghanistan one way or another; much like they couldn’t care less about what happens in Ukraine. We obviously care about it on this board but we are not a representation of the general populace. The election will come down to the economy, border, and social issues. 

[Prosuper]

10 hours ago, dream big said:

Was discussing this topic with a coworker; flabbergasted that Biden is still a viable contender for reelection following this once in a century type of failure/embarrassment. He keenly pointed out that most Americans do not give a shit about what happened in Afghanistan one way or another; much like they couldn’t care less about what happens in Ukraine. We obviously care about it on this board but we are not a representation of the general populace. The election will come down to the economy, border, and social issues. 

He is there because WEF, Blackrock and Vanguard want him in that chair.

[Day Man]

8 hours ago, Prosuper said:

He is there because WEF, Blackrock and Vanguard want him in that chair.

care to extrapolate on your conspiracy theory?

[Prosuper]

56 minutes ago, Day Man said:

care to extrapolate on your conspiracy theory?

Today watching Tim Pool he informed his audience that You Tube has deleted some of his shows for violating You Tube rules. Who owns You Tube , Google does, what are the two biggest share holders of Google, Vanguard and Blackrock. In fact look at every major media corporation who are the two largest shareholders, the same. They almost have controlling interest in every Fortune 500 corporation. It will be just like 2016 again with alternate media types getting deplatformed for fact checking the mainstream media. Don't even get me started on the on the military industrial complex and who has majority interest.  

[nsplayr]

Oooohh scary! You know who has two thumbs owns Alphabet shares through Vanguard? This guy 😎 

I must really be near the inner-most rings of power, in that same all-powerful Vanguard account I also own shares in 499 other large American companies! Tune in next week when I explain how I amassed this power and how you might be able to learn the truth too. #tinfoil

[Day Man]

8 hours ago, Prosuper said:

Today watching Tim Pool he informed his audience that You Tube has deleted some of his shows for violating You Tube rules. Who owns You Tube , Google does, what are the two biggest share holders of Google, Vanguard and Blackrock. In fact look at every major media corporation who are the two largest shareholders, the same. They almost have controlling interest in every Fortune 500 corporation. It will be just like 2016 again with alternate media types getting deplatformed for fact checking the mainstream media. Don't even get me started on the on the military industrial complex and who has majority interest.  

I think you're confused about what "controlling interest" means...and that doesn't explain why those investment companies want Biden in the chair. 

[Lord Ratner]

There are dozens of obvious reasons why they want Biden in the chair. You have to be mentally handicapped to think otherwise, especially considering many of the leaders of these organizations are quite vocal about the topic.

 

Arguing that they are secretly pulling the strings of the entire government is another issue entirely.

[BashiChuni]

15 hours ago, Day Man said:

care to extrapolate on your conspiracy theory?

if big tech censors individual facebook posts and youtube videos you don't think the most powerful and wealthy corporations in the world would put their finger on the scale of a presidential election for the most powerful office in human history?

it's not a conspiracy theory. you're just incredibly naive and totally plugged into the system.

[Day Man]

he has almost 3000 videos...doesn't really seem like censorship to me

occam's razor says he said/did some stupid shit that violated the T&Cs. either that or the lizard people in Raven Rock called sundar pichai...tough call

[BashiChuni]

im not referencing him specifically. i'm saying generally. clearly there is big tech censorship. thats proven and not conspiracy.

i'm saying if big tech will censor a person, why is it hard to believe massive investment banks wouldn't influence elections?

[Clayton Bigsby]

On 4/6/2024 at 12:51 PM, tac airlifter said:

Gen Austin Miller made the call, although Biden & Blinken put him in a box: they imposed a troop cap which made staffing BAF along with the embassy/HKIA impossible.  Then Blinken said we cannot withdraw from the embassy due to optics, ergo BAF must close.  And because they were unimaginative and underestimated the enemy, they assumed GIRoA could hold out until 2022.

Miller pushed back but ultimately saluted and executed.  He should have resigned instead.  McKenzie, the COCOM/CC, took command from Miller (meaning the COCOM absorbed what had been its own 4 star command, you can imagine how butter smooth that COMREL change was) in July of 21 I believe, after BAF was handed over and when the assault on the outskirts of Kabul began in earnest.  He failed to take any bold action although several of us were sending very clear recommendations and security warnings.  By early August it was an insane situation: the Taliban was moving openly in large formations massing artillery and supplies as close as Maiden Shar and all ANA checkpoints on Highway 1 had fallen.  Camp Commando had fallen.  We were going Winchester and not slowing them down; our own FIRES process was complicated by surrendering ANA personnel and enemy use of their (our) equipment /uniforms. The AAF ran out of munitions and ceased flight operations.  I landed in HKIA after one sortie and stated clearly: we must initiate the NEO now.  The front office for the 2 star in Kabul (senior US Officer in country) told me “not possible, the Turks won’t allow it.”  The Turks were running HKIA at the time.  3 days later the Turks were burning all their papers and excess equipment as they ran to their own aircraft to escape the fall.

A lot to digest from the experience.  My biggest surprise has been that absolutely no one higher wants to hear about it.  There was no AAR, no hot wash, no internal mil attempt to investigate and figure out where it broke down.  Just sweep it all under the rug, too embarrassing.  The AF history guys did a quick report, although it was mainly focused on the 2.5 week mobility surge and they didn’t even know my unit existed.  My AAR is now in their secret addendum, but the document is shortsighted by exclusively focusing on the evacuation rather than how the hell we allowed July-Aug to ever occur.  Without any accountability and with the same idiots in charge, we should unfortunately expect another epic strategic humiliation.
 

 

Thank you for the time you took to craft this response, and sincere massive gratitude for what you endured there at the end.  

[Boomer6]

Recommend reading Operation Pineapple Express by Lt Col Scott Mann (ret.). First hand account of a group led by prior Green Berets to get former Afghan SOF/Interpreters and their families out prior to the U.S. exit. Libby has it for free on audiobook. Eye opening to say the least for someone that isn't familiar with what went down.

[SurelySerious]

Ran across this one today:

Apparently the House Foreign Affairs Committee inquiry into Afghanistan exit isn’t actually trying to hold anyone accountable.

[polcat]

On 7/24/2024 at 10:39 PM, Boomer6 said:

Recommend reading Operation Pineapple Express by Lt Col Scott Mann (ret.). First hand account of a group led by prior Green Berets to get former Afghan SOF/Interpreters and their families out prior to the U.S. exit. Libby has it for free on audiobook. Eye opening to say the least for someone that isn't familiar with what went down.

I'll second your recommendation on this book. I just finished the read and am not surprised, especially while I was in Kuwait during the NEO. How we let our Afghani comrades behind and the overall sh1tshow of the withdrawal is an understatement of the century.