"Let's Not Forget That They Are On The Tip Of The Spear, We Owe Them More"
Kathryn Bigelow thanked our troops (and/or sort of people in armies in general, which was a little weird) twice at last night's Oscars, but somebody should see to it our troops on a base run by the Spanish get a little support in Afghanistan. These particular troops, according to a Michael Yon post, aren't getting much support from our coalition partners, the Spanish in making their living conditions, well, livable or safe. An excerpt:
2) Qal E Naw: The Spanish are not interested in helping in anyway, and are trying to make us decide to leave based on their unacceptable treatment of Americans. Our refuelers [soldiers who refuel helicopters] that are living there have to run out, unroll the hoses, pull security, and roll everything back up. They have asked for gravel along the FLS as it is currently calf deep mud, but the Spanish refuse to make any improvements. They asked for a T barrier (just one) to put at a 45 degree angle outside the fence where the FARP [Forward Arming and Refueling Point; where helicopters land for ammo and gas] has to be set up so they can run for cover in case there is small arms fire, the Spanish say no and refuse to make any improvements. They asked for a small gate where their billets are located so they can access the FARP directly rather than going a half mile loop to get out the gate, but the Spanish said no and refuse to make any improvements. They [sic] guys are living hard (we understand that) but have to do laundry by hand as all of their stuff is stolen if they turn it into the laundry, they discussed this with the Spanish, but they refuse to many any improvements....3) BmG: Who ever briefed that they have gravel there has never been there. We arrived during a TIC [fighting] and a MEDEVAC mission. The aircraft have to land/park in a field that has no gravel and then they sink into the ground. They have to be moved everyday to pull them back out of the mud. If we can't get gravel, how about putting some AM2 matting, stakes and a couple of Red Horse guys on a CH-47 and fly them in to build a couple of pads just big enough to park an individual UH-60 on? We've been pushing the gravel issues since last fall and are no closer to a solution. Those guys are living in fighting positions. When it begins to warm up in the next month, that field will be untenable without gravel or AM2 matting. We don't want to lose MEDEVAC capability there because we couldn't put in two pads. We did a MEDEVAC [troop(s) wounded] and Hero [troop(s) killed] mission while I was there and the next day as well, let's not forget that they are on the tip of the spear, we owe them more.
Holy crap. If this is all true (and apparently Yon is still digging into the story, according to his Facebook updates), it's stuff like this that has people questioning why we still maintain NATO commitments.
Cousin Dave at March 8, 2010 11:39 AM
In the coming years, we will find that we cannot afford to both maintain a burgeoning welfare state and continue to protect half the world. Our politicians will be forced into a hard choice. This kind of sh!t makes the choice easier.
cpabroker at March 8, 2010 7:33 PM
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