American Heroes
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–The U.N.-led "economic reconstruction" of Afghanistan is a miserable failure. The number of displaced refugees, life expectancy, live birth rate, illiteracy, childhood disease, malnutrition, and unemployment all are getting worse instead of better because of incompetence, corruption, and the lack of coordination among "international donors." The Taliban insurgency thrives on ignorance and misery. As one U.S. officer in Afghanistan put it, "We're feeding the beast."
–There is no coherent command-and-control structure or common set of operating procedures among the Afghan National Army, the Afghan National Police, or the 40 nations in NATO's International Security Assistance Force. Nearly all of these entities have differing rules of engagement and national caveats on how they are employed. Though some U.S. units, such as the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the 101st Airborne Division, have integral air support, others have to rely on ISAF. As a result, wounded Americans have waited hours for casualty evacuation that sometimes never comes.
Opium Poppies in the Hindu Kush
Paved roads are essential for progress in Afghanistan
Now the good news. Though there are significant cultural and tribal differences between Afghanistan and Iraq—the military/security situation in Afghanistan is similar to what it was in Mesopotamia two and a half years ago. Both campaigns are equally "winnable" if we do the right things. Some repairs will take time, but these are urgently needed:
–Inform both the Pakistani and Iranian governments that insurgent cross-border operations will not be tolerated and if Taliban/terror bases on their territories are not closed, they will be attacked.
–Commence building paved roads throughout all of Afghanistan's thirty-four provinces, not just in urban areas. Such projects will generate tens of thousands of jobs, create lasting infrastructure, reduce casualties from IEDs and mines, and show the Afghan people their government cares about them.
–Stop illicit drug production from the top down, not the bottom up. Arrest and prosecute the kingpins and then go for eradication and crop replacement. It worked in Colombia, and it can work in Afghanistan.
–Fix the unity of command problem immediately. The NATO-ISAF command structure should be shut down. "Allied" forces that can't or won't fight should be thanked and sent home. More U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan, but unless our new president gives Gen. Petraeus clear lines of authority to do what has to be done, the Afghan army and police never will get the equipment and training they need. Gen. Petraeus did it in Iraq. Now he needs to do it in Afghanistan.
The Afghan people don't want to be ruled by Islamic radicals. There is no real backing for the Taliban beyond what they can coerce from the civilian population. Afghan soldiers—properly trained, equipped, led, and supported—are brave and fight well, but they can't win unless these problems are fixed. As Brig. Gen. Khair Mohammad, chief of staff of the 207th Corps, Western Military Region, told me when we visited his headquarters, "We need to have America's help to win this fight. Your enemy is our enemy."
1/6 Weapons Company 282
1-160th SOAR 31
1st Brigade Combat Team 134
1st Armored Division 211, 250
1st Battalion (Bn) of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 13
1st Bn, 2nd Marines 104
1st Bn, 5th Marines 61, 98, 127, 146
1st Bn, 6th Marines 211–12, 216, 236–37, 254–55
1st Bn, 8th Marines 13
1st Bn, 187th Infantry Regiment 46
1st Bn Combat Team 154
1st Brigade 170–71, 211–12, 250
1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division 171
1st Brigade Combat Team 170, 211–12
1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division 211
1st LAR Bn 140
1st Marine Division 81, 85, 106, 120, 136, 144, 149, 173, 177, 182, 185, 218
1st Platoon, "L" Company, 3rd Bn, 25th Marines 204
1st Tank Bn 98, 109
2nd Battalion Combat Team 142
2nd Bn 14, 98, 129, 170, 172–73, 175, 180–83, 250
2nd Bn, 4th Marines 14, 170, 172, 175, 180–81
2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment 66, 285
2nd Bn, 503d Infantry 250
2nd Bn Combat Team 133, 142
2nd Brigade, 3rd ID 263
2nd Brigade Combat Team 138, 194, 208–10, 263
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 28th ID 208, 210
2nd LAR Battalion 240
2nd Marine Regiment 103
2nd Tank Bn 129, 131
3rd Battalion, 8th Marines 286
3rd Bn 98, 124, 127, 130–31, 144–45, 153, 154, 166, 185, 194, 197, 201–02, 204, 206–09, 218
3rd Bn, 2nd Marines 201–02, 204
3rd Bn, 4th Marines 124, 127, 145
3rd Bn, 7th Marines 207
3rd Bn, 25th Marines 201, 204, 206
3rd Bn, 66th Armor 154, 166
3rd Bn of the 66th Armored Regiment 153
3rd Brigade Combat Team 134
3rd ID 66–67, 98, 100–01, 103, 107, 117, 127, 132–34, 138, 144, 262–63
3rd ID's 2nd Brigade Combat Team 138
3rd Infantry Division 6, 135
3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) 85
3rd MAW (Marine Aircraft Wing) 81, 95, 100, 302
3rd Platoon, Company A, 4th Assault Amphibian Bn, RCT-2, 2nd Marine Division 205
4th Brigade Combat Teams 134
4th ID 118, 152–54, 157, 166
4th Infantry Division's 1-68 Combined Arms Battalion 247
4th Marines 14, 124, 127, 145, 170, 172, 175, 180–81
4th Platoon, Company K, 3rd Bn, 7th Marines 218
5th Marines 61, 84, 95–96, 98–99, 106, 127, 129–31, 144, 146, 251
5th Regimental Combat Team 61
7th Marines 84, 95–96, 98, 194, 197, 207–09, 218, 290
10th Mountain Division 36, 187
11th Engineer Bn 134
11th Marines 84–85, 111, 132
15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) 40, 45, 87, 279
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) 280, 295
25th ID 187
28th ID 194, 208, 210
75th Ranger Regiment 143
82nd Airborne Division 114, 187
101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) 46, 60, 164–65, 295
173rd Airborne Brigade 118
207th Afghan Commando Battalion 291–93, 296
332nd Air Expeditionary Group 45
507th Maintenance Company 103, 105–06, 127
A
Abbas, Abul 63, 151
Abbas al-Jubori, Brig. Gen. Mohammad 264–65
Abu Ghraib 12, 179, 223
Abu Musab al Zarqawi 170, 183, 184, 189, 194, 200–201, 206, 210–11
Abu Sayef 223
"A" Company, 1st Bn, 6th Marines 236
Adams, Capt. Brad 244
Adams, John 24
Ad Diwaniyah 106, 118–20, 122, 126–27
Afghan National Army 295
Afghan National Police 286, 295
Ahmadinejad, Iranian President Mahmoud 21, 25
Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base 85
Ailes, Roger 6, 9
Air Group S-1 73
Air Group S-3 73
Al Anbar 170, 177, 179–80, 182, 191, 192, 194, 198, 206, 210–12, 215–16, 238, 241, 261, 262, 266, 272, 276
Al Asee, Shiek Burhan 168
Al Aziziyah 130–32, 136
Albright, Madeline 167
Al Budayr 121, 124
Alexandria 58
Al Falah 164
Al Faw 54, 87
al Hamira 223
Ali al Salim Air Base 69, 79, 83, 93, 97
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Al Khulafa 146
Al Kut 106–07, 117, 120
Allawi, Iyad 180, 190, 192
Alpha Company 146
Al Qaim 201, 204, 211, 241
al Sadr, Moqtada 170, 174, 179, 211, 275
Altman, Robert 56
Al Ubaydi 205
Amman 60, 156
Amos, Maj. Gen. James 81
Anderson, Christopher "Doc" 236–37
Annan, General Kofi 76
Annapolis 239
An Nasiriyah 99, 102–07, 109, 117–19, 127–28
An Numaniyah 127, 129
Anwar Sadat 60
Asadabad 278
Ashby, Maj. John 120
Assad 199
Atta, Mohammad 28, 58
Aubin, Maj. Jay Thomas 92, 94
Ayman al-Zawahiri 25
Aziz Abad 292–94
Aziz, Tarik 156
Aznar, José Maria 73
B
Babil 262–65
Babylon 55
Baghdad 6, 10, 14, 54–56, 59–60, 62–65, 76, 82–85, 87, 99, 100–02, 106–07, 117, 119, 122, 126–27, 129–30, 132–36, 138–39, 141–42, 144–46, 149–52, 155–57, 159–61, 165, 167, 170, 174, 179–80, 190–93, 195, 197, 200–01, 212, 221, 225, 236, 238, 249, 262–64, 269, 272, 274–75
Baghdad Bob 82, 101, 133
Bagram Airbase 280
Bahawalpur 47
Bahrain 32, 40–41
Bailey, MAJ Jennifer 250
Bakr, Abu 21
Balad 238, 242
Bali 21, 25
Bamyan Valley 34
Baqouba/Baquba 211, 223, 225, 247, 266
Barkemeyer, John 228
Barnett, Bob 7
Barroso, José Manuel Durao 73
Barry, Chief Tom 115
Basco 147, 150
Basra 83, 87, 89, 94, 98, 101, 117, 200, 206, 267
Battalion Landing Team (BLT) 1/6 280
Bayji 153–55, 166
Baziya, Sheikh Abdul Sattar 211
B Company 134
Beaupre, Capt. Ryan Anthony 92, 94
Beddingfield, Bob 227
Beirut 27, 150, 199–200, 267
Benitez, GySgt Erik 109
Berg, Nicholas 177
Bethesda 13, 233, 236–38, 244
Blair, Tony 58–59, 73
Blanco, Samuel L. 30
Blix, Hans 60, 62
Blount, LTC Eric 134, 142
Bohr, GySgt Jeffrey E. 146–49
Bonn 52
Booker, SgtMaj Jim 172–73
Boston 16, 64
Brandi, Dianne 7
Branson, Lieutenant John 282–85
Bremer, L. Paul "Jerry" 159–60, 180
Brisson, MAJ James 31
Brooke Army Medical Center 242–43
Brookshire, Sgt. Maj. Matthew 289
Browne, Pamela 6–7
Brussels 57
Buchanan, James 192
Bush, President George W. 13, 19, 22, 32, 34–35, 38, 56–57, 59–61, 63, 73–74, 76–77, 105, 135, 151, 158–59, 161, 166–67, 179, 183, 189, 191, 212, 252, 266, 271, 277, 279
Bush, Laura 191
C
Calcutta 144
Camp Ar Ramadi LZ 212
Camp Bastion 283, 285, 287, 289–90
Camp Doha 78
Camp Husaybah 218
Camp Lejeune 237, 240, 244, 254–55, 280
Camp Pendleton 69, 88, 170
Camp Pennsylvania 152
Carlton, Capt. Mark 181
Carus, W. Seth 60
Casablanca 21, 25
Cash, Chaplain Carey 150, 229
Cassidy, Sgt Luke 235
Cecil, Color Sgt John 94
Chamberlain, Neville 58
Charleville, Maj. Chris 86
Charlie Company, 1st Bn, 6th Marines 61, 255
Chicago 259
Chin, Cpl Edward 145
Chirac, Jacques 60, 76
Christ 150–51, 240, 248, 268
Churchill, Winston 220
Cincinnati 215, 255
Clinton, President Bill 54, 167
Colleville 57
Colmes, Alan 230
Columbus 201
Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force 280, 291
Comeaux, PO Jason "Doc" 115, 131
Company A, 1st Bn, 5th Marine Regiment, RCT-5 149
Company "A," 2nd LAR Bn 238
Company "F" 2/7 287, 289
Company L, 3rd Bn, 7th Marines, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Marine Division 209
Compton, SSG 140–41
Conde, Sgt Kenneth 14, 180
Connor, COL Buck 181
Constantinople 28
Con Thien 150, 287
Conway, Lt. Gen. James "Jim" 81, 177, 244
Conway, Maj. Alayne 6
Coolidge, Calvin 251
Cope, MAJ Sara 125
Corbin, Margaret 247
Corbin, Molly 250
Coronado 49, 252
Cox, Gregory 283
Craig, Lieutenant Jeffrey 178
Cronkite, Walter 163
Croom II, 1st Lt. Paul L. 204
D
Dallas 259
Damascus 60, 167, 199
Dam Neck 49
Darrah, SPC Adam 251
Daschle, Sen. Tom 56
Detroit 15, 42
Devine, Father Bill 229
Diwaniyah 106, 118–20, 122, 126–27
Diyala River 138, 140, 144, 192, 262
Dobb, Lt. David 13
Dollar, the military dog 270
Donald, Cpl. 32, 80, 174, 282–83
Dora 10, 79, 85
Dora Command Center 85
Doughty, SSG Robbie 243
Driscoll, Lt. Col. Jerry 75, 83, 86–88, 90–91, 95, 105, 112–14, 130–31, 136–37, 141, 146, 152
Dubai 280
Dulab 29
Dulles 16
Dulligan, Don 227
Dunford, Col. Joe "Fighting Joe" 105–06, 117, 122, 126, 129–30, 132, 136–37, 146, 152, 221
Dunham, Cpl Jason 218
Durham, LTC Mike 6
E
Ebben, Greg 7
Eckerberg, Capt. Aaron "Fester" 88, 112–14
Edwards, Sgt Gregory 236–37
Eischens, PFC Jennifer 247
Eisenhower, GEN Dwight 160
Elbel, SSG Layla 248
Euphrates River 102, 106, 119, 162, 192, 200–02, 210–11, 238
Evans, Lance Bombardier Llewelyn Karl 94
Explosive Ordnance Disposal 288
F
Fahim, Mohammed 35
Fair, Don 65
Fairfax County 235
Fallujah 12–13, 169–70, 174–75, 177, 183–84, 191–92, 195, 200–01, 211, 229–30, 238, 241, 244, 265, 290
Faw Peninsula 75, 83
Featherstone, Craig 7
Ferrell, COL Terry 263
Figueroa, Cpl. Arnaldo 282–83
First Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) 66
Fishbaugh, Marsha 7
Fisher, LCpl. Bryan 290–91
Fort Bliss 127
Fort Carson 253
Fort Hood 153, 156
Fort Lee 249
Fort Riley 170
Fort Washington 247
Forward Operating Base 6, 42, 45, 279, 281, 287
Fox Company 287
Frankfurt 59
&
nbsp; Frank the Terp 283–84
Franks, General 85
Frazier, Sgt Joshua 229
Fredericksburg 229
Friedrich, Holger 59
Fry, Sgt Jade 51
G
Galdibini, Christian 6, 170
Gallagher, CSM Robert 142–43
Ganczewski, SGT Steven C. 268–69
Garmsir 280
Gates 263
Gore, Vice President Al 56
Graham, Maj. John 95–97
Gray, SSG Gina 250
Grinalds, Allen 120
Gronski, COL John 194, 210
Guantanamo 57, 200
Guernica, Kelly 7
Guy, Capt. Philip Stuart 94
H
Haditha 12, 223
Hale, Lt. Russ 290
Halley, Sgt Jace 289
Hall, Lt. Col. Richard 286
Hamza al-Mamouri, Lt. Gen. Qais 264
Hancock, Comm James 289
Hanoi 161
Hantush 120
Harrill III, Major John D. 182
Havana 167
Heath, LCpl Jeffrey 197
Hedenskog, Marine Sholto 94
Helmand Province 280, 285, 289
Helmand River 280
Henderson, LtCol Anthony 280–81
Henry, Patrick 193, 268
Herat Province 291–92, 294
Hester, Leigh Ann 249
Hillah 192, 262, 264–65
Hindu Kush 279, 289, 295
Hinton, Martin 6
Hitler 11, 57–59
HMLA-267 103, 120, 139
HMM-268 69–70, 75, 79, 82–83, 86, 93–94, 98, 106, 116, 136–37, 141, 146
Holley, Frank 229
Holsey, Staff Sergeant Jonathan 13
Holton, Chuck 6, 143, 226, 261–62, 268, 280, 283
Hood, 1SG Todd 10
Hue City 183
Hughes, Capt. 139–40
Hurricane Point 210, 213, 216, 222, 226
Hussein, Qusay 55, 79, 164–65
Hussein, Saddam 27, 32, 53–66, 74–76, 79–83, 85, 87, 96, 98, 100–03, 106–07, 111, 118, 120, 127, 132–33, 136, 139, 142, 144–47, 151–57, 159–60, 164–67, 183, 190, 192, 198, 212, 223, 236, 248, 302
Hussein, Uday 55, 79, 164