For Military Personal - Re: Afghanistan?
598228
It’s going not-so-good, but not as bad as it could be.  \n\nThe bad news: Hamid Karzai may be the best option, but his primarily activities seem to be weakening parliament as much as he can and installing people from his own clam and ethnic group into all positions of power that he can (oh, and pardoning his convicted drug dealer brother).  The US really scaled back operations in the country in the past few years, which gave the Taliban and related groups a chance to organize, form alliances and strengthen their positions.  Now the US is starting to figure this out and is putting a bit ore effort into it, but a lot more is needed.  \n\nAlso, Afghan people thought that things would get better now that the US was here, but for most, life didn’t change at all, and now they feel disillusioned and wonder why they should put up with foreign militaries in their country if they don’t get anything for it. In the South they are also more socially conservative, and are concerned about any immorality coming to their areas. So much more investment, soldiers, attention, etc. is needed because things are slowly getting worse, even with the increased interest, and only concrete improvements in their lives will convince the Afghans that the foreign powers really are there to help.  As the Taliban and affiliated forces increase in strength in the South, they spread their ideology and even those that don’t agree feel obligated to work with them to stay alive, as the US and ISAF forces can’t permanently secure their villages. \n\nThe good news: It is not (yet?) Iraq.  A civil war is not on the table.  A thousand civilians aren’t killed in a month.  The economy is growing (especially in Kabul, where it is booming), more schools and clinics are open and security is better than it was during the Taliban.  It still offers opportunity (for some), reform is happening (just very slowly) and there is a parliament sent to represent each area, and it is fighting the President’s efforts to weaken their authority. Imports from Pakistan are streaming in, and it even finally rained after a years-long drought.  (There is a lot for visitors to buy– esp. handicrafts like carpets, embroideries and jewelry (and anything else made of precious or semi-precious gems).
332433
Many do not understand that, like you do.  I'm actually in the military now, serving in the Army and stationed in Afghanistan for the next year.  It's great to hear about your support for the military >^.^<
925727
Agreed, although we are in Afghanistan.  I never really understood saying "Support Our Troops" while sending them to die.  That's great support.
936505
Obviously you have never been to Afhganistan. I'm currently deployed in Afghanistan. The mountains are bigger and Higher than the Rocky Mountains with only about 1/100th of the roads that the Rockies haven and you can't drive more that 25 miles per hour because the roads suck. The insurgents have been hiding and defending the same towns, roads, mountains for thousands of years. Russia invaded with 4 times the soldiers we came with and we are doing 10 times a better job than they did. Even though our goals are different. If you are so bright join up come on over and find him. But you can't go into Pakistan where he probably is anyway.
539987
http://sill-www.army.mil/des/40th_MP/DET_Contact.htm
745339
TRY http://www.anysoldier.com
803024
I was Army for several years and enjoyed it...but my cousin was Navy and enjoyed it as well.  So, it is just a matter of personal choice.
341637
VISIT\nin.dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Weapons/Personal_Defence/
1087519
I was in Afghanistan.\n\n      Thank you, for your kindness.\n\n               I would see letters people sent to us from home. \n\n               Letters were put out in the post office and recreation building.   Don't feel bad, if you don't get much response. Most people aren't that much into letter writing. \n\n               Some people sent out many  copies of their letters.\n\n              Thank you
320394
A friend of mine is coming back from afghanistan and his debrief will take abut a month.\n\ni think he is telling you the truth
1097909
the war in afghanistan
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Child Bride\nMarried at the age of four, an Afghan girl was subjected to years of beatings and torture, finally escaping to discover that within all the world's cruelty, there is also some kindness.\nBy Kevin Sites, Mon Mar 20, 6:51 PM ET\nEmail Story IM Story\n\nMarried at the age of four, an Afghan girl was subjected to years of beatings and torture, finally escaping to discover that within all the world's cruelty, there is also some kindness. \nGlobal Giving\nConnects donors directly to development projects.\nWomen for Afghan Women\nRuns a sponsor campaign for Afghan orphans.\nSave the Children\nBolsters health and education for Afghan children and their families.\n\nKABUL,\nAfghanistan - Eleven-year old Gulsoma lay in a heap on the ground in front of her father-in-law. He told her that if she didn't find a missing watch by the next morning he would kill her. He almost had already.\n\nEnraged about the missing watch, Gulsoma's father-in-law had beaten her repeatedly with a stick. She was bleeding from wounds all over her body and her right arm and right foot had been broken.\n\nShe knew at that moment that if she didn't get away, he would make good on his promise to kill her.\n* * *\n\nWhen I meet her at the Ministry of Women's Affairs I'm surprised that the little girl, now 12, is the same one that had endured such horrible suffering. She is wearing a red baseball cap and an orange scarf. She has beautiful brown eyes and a full and animated smile. She takes one of my hands in both of hers and greets me warmly, without any hint of shyness.\n\n"She looks healthy," says Haroon, my friend and translator. I nod. But she looks older than her years, we both agree. In orphanages — first in Kandahar, then in Kabul — she has had a year to recover from a lifetime's worth of unimaginable imprisonment, deprivation and torture.\n\nIn one of the ministry's offices she sits in a straight-backed wooden chair and tells us the story of her life so far. She is stoic for the most part, pausing only a few times to wipe her eyes and nose with her scarf.\n\nHer story begins in the village of Mullah Allam Akhound, near Kandahar.\n\n"When I was three years old my father died, and after a year my mother married again, but her second husband didn't want me," says Gulsoma. "So my mother gave me away in a promise of marriage to our neighbor's oldest son, who was thirty."\n\n"They had a ceremony in which I was placed on a horse [which is traditional in Afghanistan] and given to the man."\n\nBecause she was still a child, the marriage was not expected to be sexually consummated. But within a year, Gulsoma learned that so much else would be required of her that she would become a virtual slave in the household.\n\nAt the age of five, she was forced to take care of not only her "husband" but also his parents and all 12 of their other children as well.\n\nThough nearly the entire family participated in the abuse, her father-in-law, she says, was the cruelest.\n\n"My father-in-law asked me to do everything — laundry, the household chores — and the only time I was able to sleep in the house was when they had guests over," she says. "Other than that I would have to sleep outside on a piece of carpet without even any blankets. In the summer it was okay. But in the winter a neighbor would come over and give me a blanket, and sometimes some food."\n\nWhen she couldn't keep up with the workload, Gulsoma says, she was beaten constantly.\n\nGulsoma's scars\n\n"They beat me with electric wires," she says, "mostly on the legs. My father-in-law told his other children to do it that way so the injuries would be hidden. He said to them, 'break her bones, but don't hit her on the face.'"\n\nThere were even times when the family's abuse of Gulsoma transcended the bounds of the most wanton, sadistic cruelty, as
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A good start might be a documentary like Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11". You could also try "Control Room" (a behind-the-scenes at Al-Jazeera) or "The Power Of Nightmares" (a staggering BBC documentary about the war on terror). \n\nMore effective may be introducing your son (I'm guessing it's your son) to veterans of recent combat engagements. Stories of life on the ground may change his mind.\n\nFor the record, I don't think talking someone out of joining the army is either unpatriotic or cowardly. The US government has engaged in a conflict with lousy reasons for joining, and no exit strategy. I get sick every time I hear the "they knew the risk when they signed up" argument. Yes, military people agree to risk their lives when they put their uniform, but they should expect their commanders to only risk their lives when absolutely necessary.
367358
At least it is Egypt.  I have one son in the Army who has already spent one year in Baghdad and is now stationed in Afghanistan.
906373
The answer would be too long, here are some sites that can help you:\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enduring_Freedom\nhttp://dir.yahoo.com/Government/Military/War_on_Terrorism/Operation_Enduring_Freedom/\nhttp://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/enduring-freedom.htm\nhttp://www.answers.com/topic/operation-enduring-freedom\nhttp://www.cdi.org/program/issue/index.cfm?ProgramID=39&issueid=48
398268
If you (or he )were in the military check out \n\nwww.military.com
720684
I have served in the Marine Corps through both afghanistan and iraq. I will tell you honestly, We had to go there. We had to fight. There are two points that the military is instructed to carry out 1)Defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic. 2) Defend those who cannot defend themselves. Now if your asking if we should still be there, I believe we should be there as an advisor role only. We should no longer be patroling those roads and streets that I had to when the wars originally started. Its been over 3 years since the start of Iraq and almost 5 since the start of Afghanistan. We should be pulling out faster and letting them decide how they wish to live just as we did after the revolutionary war.