After hearing the president’s speech and media response to it, it is abundantly clear that many Americans, including “talking heads” in the media, are clueless about military planning, strategy, and war. The president laid out a general outline and direction for the war in Afghanistan.
Now, for those who expected the Commander-in-Chief of the world’s most powerful military to give details on national television—where the military would be stationed, specifics on strategy, and how objectives would be met—please don’t be so naïve. Who would do that anyway? (I'm talking to you CNN)
While some Americans back home are worried about “reputation” and “messages to our enemies,” those of us who have fought abroad are more worried about “the mission.”
Here’s a quiz, what was the stated mission of the war in Afghanistan in October of 2008? Before you shout out an answer, be ready to cite your sources, and by the way post-hoc comments by ex-Vice Presidents and media personalities don’t count. For the first time in years, the military, both in the Pentagon and in Afghanistan, now have clear goals by which to direct their mission.
The big political battle that will rise from this speech centers around “end dates.” Some expressed concern that setting a timeline for withdraw (redeployment) of US forces sends the wrong message to the enemy. However, every member of the military who serves in war already has a redeployment date (typically 12 to 18 months) in their orders. This is a fact. Now, appropriately, the mission in Afghanistan also has a [start] redeployment date.
Think about it for a moment, what person wants to take on a mission with no end date? As you ponder this question, consider some other scenarios such as enrolling in college with no end date for graduation, working for a company with no end date for retirement, playing a football game with no end to the quarters or halves, or raising children with no end date to them leaving the home and starting their own family. Well, the last one might be questionable, but the bottom line is that arguing about end dates is “politics,” not principles.
The President inherited a war that has been waged for 8 years with no end in sight. Now, there is a end, and a sight. It's done, and no matter how much one complains, it’s gonna happen. It’s time for the American public, including all those “real Americans” who want their country back, to get realistic about war in the 21st century.
In our bystander confidence and feelings of invincibility, we Americans tend to forget that missions are about outcomes, and unfortunately not every mission ends with success. The history books are clear, the military does not have a 100% mission achievement rate; it never has and it never will.
Now, there is an honest question about whether the timeline set by the president is legitimately long enough to accomplish his stated goals. I’ll make a quick case for why I think the timeline is more than fair and doable. It’s pretty simple, the operation in Afghanistan is not new, there are no bases to establish or ditches to dig, and if you give military personnel a mission; they do it. That’s their job.
You see, the military is not some factory in small town America, and it's not full of well-to-dos from ivy league schools. Military personnel work all the time; especially while they are in the "theater of operations" (that means the war zone). They don’t have “weekends,” or “holidays,” or “vacations,” or “sick days.”
The mission is job 1 every single day of the year. Thus, it's naive to act like 18 months is such a short time to set things up to leave (...um, maybe you didn't read between the lines, but military people did). WE SACRIFICE OUR TIME [emphasis added] so that people here in America can feel safe and free. So, if we can’t kick someone’s ass in 18 months, we need to bring our ass home. Bottom line (Google the Powell Doctrine).
So, next time you hear, see, or read someone argue that there should be no end date, do two things. First, wait to see if someone asks them, “okay, then how long should we stay to achieve the mission?” They’ll give you the same thing that’s been said for the past 8 years, “that’s up to the military and events on the ground.” Then, second, wait to see if someone asks them, “okay, do you think the military CANNOT accomplish the mission?” Now, this is when you should pay attention.
If they say, “yes,” then they’re playing politics… what does an end date matter if the mission can still get done? But, if they say “no,” then they are explicitly doubt the military’s ability to do its job. And if you doubt the American military's skill set, then you expressly doubt what every service member raises their right hand to do: protect freedom, serve, and sacrifice.
We should be glad the president set an end date, and while the politics will rage on, know that most military personnel are breathing a huge sigh of relief. All military personnel ask is for good leadership, and finally they have it at the top of the chain of command.
David Wilson