They are still 3rd graders-Updated
Posted By Bouhammer on April 30, 2009
I watched this video and I swear my heartbeat raced, the flashbacks came back and my PTS even kicked in. Two years after I left, and there is a lot that has not changed. This video shows you exactly what the American fighting men serving as embedded trainers have to deal with on a very common basis.
I have been saying repeatedly since 2006 in many blogs and interviews and screaming ever since that the TOP 3 problems in Afghanistan are:
1. Corruption
2. Lack of spirit (No care for the good of Afghanistan)
3. No accountability or code of military justice.
When Commanders in the ANA start addressing these issues, then you will see the ANA move forward and mature into an effective and cohesive fighting force.
Not only are those facts, they are still relevant today as you can from the video below. This video also highlights the reason why some ETTs/PMTs come back from a one year tour burned the f*** out. Imagine getting shot at and blown up by the enemy all the time, shafted by your higher headquarters all the time via no resources and stupid rules, and then dealing with (some of) these idiots all the time. Many (but not all) were and still are 3rd graders with guns and trucks. I have also stated many times in public forums that many in the ANA and ANP are in it for a paycheck only (ref #2 above), and have no real skills. These are the bums that hang out by the drug store with their skateboards all day because they have no motivation or skill to have a real job. If they could, they would. So they join the army to get 3 meals a day and a little money.There are some good soldiers there, but not enough and surely not the majority.
And just think there are those in our government whom want to double the number of force in country. Do we need double of these guys, or half of them but those half being professionals.
There’s a whole series about this done here:
http://www.vbs.tv/shows.php?show=1830065032
The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 05/01/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.