Here is a copy of the 2nd interview I did last night with BBC which was aired throughout the night and into this morning.
bouhammer.com/audio/mcchrystal_troy.mp3
While typing this posting, I got another call from BBC and have been invited to be back on BBC’s World Have Your Say. You can listen live to that broadcast between 1-2PM EST or catch the podcast afterwards at www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002w559
If you have been watching the news lately then you know that GEN McChrystal is on his way back to Washington, DC to get his butt chewed by the President. Looking at the critical time we are in with regards to Afghanistan and the technologies we have today, I am wondering why the President can’t just speak his mind over a secure video tele-conference. We have those with Afghanistan all the time
Do we really need to waste the time of the Commander of the war in Afghanistan by spending dozens of hours flying back and forth? Save the money, time and the environment and do it on a damn con call.
It is a shame that GEN McChrystal spoke his mind to a Rolling Stone reporter, of all people. I can’t say I blame GEN McChrystal at all, and I know the General feels bad that he said those to a journalist as he has already apologized. We really don’t have time for all of these distractions as there is something more important to focus on….fighting the war. I mean even Sen John Kerry made that statement this morning.
Everything the General said is true, so you can’t blame him for making stuff up. He just spoke his mind. I have made my opinions of Eikenberry more than clear on this blog. You can click www.bouhammer.com/?s=Eikenberry&submit=Go and see a collection of blogs I have written about him. The most prominent one on that list is www.bouhammer.com/2010/05/the-war-between-mcchrystal-and-eikenberry/ which I wrote back in May. Not meaning to sound like the “Blame Bush” crowd, but I can tell you that what McChrystal and even McKiernan have dealt with are a direct result of Eikenberry’s inept leadership and misguided management of the war while he was in command from 2004-2007. It was Eikenberry himself that “faked” progress in Afghanistan and why we find ourselves still there today as engaged as we are.
If you would like to know more about how I feel and what I think on this matter, I invite you to tune into the BBC tonight at 7:10 EST PM. I will be interviewed on the BBC program “The World Today” in reference to this whole matter. You can listen live at www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/news/2009/03/000000_world_today.shtml
Yesterday I was fortunate enough to sit in on a DOD Blogger’s Roundtable with the Chief of Anti-Corruption, COL Thomas Umberg. I think the only way I can sum up this roundtable is to say I was very disappointed. In fact not 30 minutes after it was over a very respected blogger and author who was on the call with me called me to ask if I was as unhappy as he was with the call.
I was very glad to know it was not just me who was unhappy with the content of the call. I am sure COL Umberg is a great guy and soldier, but I think he is severely out of touch with reality. The answers he gave showed he is living in the great white palace and not in touch with the people.
The first response that took me back was this answer the COL gave to Chuck Simmons from America’s North Shore Journal. EMPHASIS is MINE
CHUCK: …And are we — are we interfering with the cultural norm, or do they really not want — do they really want the Western concept of anticorruption?
COL. UMBERG: Well, let me first deal with the second part of your question. The cultural norm — I reject that, and I think that most people who have dealt with average Afghans also reject that. There’s not a cultural norm with respect to corruption……
…..The Islamic and Koranic underpinnings — as you know, virtually everyone here is Muslim — they’re pretty strong and profound with respect to corruption. So we don’t — we don’t need to impose our values upon them
I mean really? It is not a cultural norm? I think someone doesn’t get outside the wire enough. If you are an Afghan veteran, I welcome your comments and view on that statement.
And to say that the Quran addresses corruption or forbids it, is a worthless statement. The Quran also says that homosexuality, and drug use is banned also and we don’t have to look hard to see how that works out in Afghanistan. Just because the Quran forbids it and the entire population is muslim doesn’t mean crap.
I can’t even count the number of “Christians” that willingly and pusposely ignore or violate the commandments of the Bible.
After several more questions, my turn came. I went after two areas, and I have to admit I haven’t been in country in three years so maybe they do have EFT fully implemented, as I know they were starting to try and do that right before I left. Since I don’t have the current facts on the ground I had to accept his first answer, but I was not pleased with this second answer.
Everywhere you see “Q” that is me talking.
Q Okay. Thank you. Sir, this is Troy Steward from Bouhammer.com. You know, back in — I guess it was, when I was there, April 2006, when we took away the ability for ETTs and mentors to pay and control the pay for, at that time, just ANA forces. Becuase by the time we took over ANP it was already happened. But when we took — when that happened, we lost all control, and we lost a — and we lost a big — a big part of the fight in corruption when we — when the ETTs and the Americans cannot control paying military members of the Army when they actually show up for work. I know under that time, then-LTG Eikenberry was really pushing hard to make it look like we were succeeding in a lot of areas when we weren’t. So that was a big step, and it was touted that, you know, they’re handling their own pay.
Is there any thought, as we go back and look at the corruption going on now, especially with pay and commanders sending soldiers out to the field so he can collect their pay for them when the pay team comes, stuff like that, to get the U.S. mentors, ANP, ANA mentors back involved, or at least get them to have a direct line of communication to somebody in Kabul when they see corruption and have action taken on that?
COL. UMBERG: Well, I’m not sure I agree with your premise. I actually believe that, in terms of the nexus between pay and corruption, you’ve seen a dramatic reduction because of the electronic funds transfer. And then with respect to the ANP, to the extent of the 25 percent that aren’t paid either through the electronic funds transfer, the Roshan M-Paisa methodology, is that there is a coalition member who is there when the patrolmen receive their pay.
So I’m not — I’m not suggesting there’s not still corruption both in the ANP and the ANA, but I do think that the electronic funds transfer and M-Paisa program have done quite a bit to reduce that opportunity.
Q So because the EFT — the fund transfer is happening now, you’re thinking it’s eliminated that avenue for people to be corrupt in that way? There’s no more pay teams visiting anymore?
COL. UMBERG: Yeah, I don’t think — you know, there’s no system that’s completely foolproof. But has it dramatically reduced the opportunities for corruption? The answer to that is unequivocally yes. I don’t think we’ll go back to the — sort of the manual distribution of pay.
I’m sorry, the second part of your question was?Q Well –
COL. UMBERG: Again, where there’s a will, there’s a way. There’s still — there’s — you know, there’s still — if you’ve got acorrupt commander who takes pay from soldiers and patrolmen, you still have an issue. But it’s tougher now than it was before.
Q Well, the second part, sir, was — you know, are — is there an avenue set up for mentors — American mentors? You know, it’s kind of gone back a little bit to being more heavy handed, involved in Afghan stuff, policies.
But is there a way to get them direct — to report that directly to someone that has followed up on investigating (on ?)? Because before it went through all the levels of, you know, kandaks, brigades, corps, mentors, all the way up. And it wasn’t always followed up on. And we — and reports just kept going up about corruption, and nothing ever happened. So the American mentors just, you know, threw their hands up and said, you know, why are we wasting our time doing this anymore? No one ever does anything.
So I’m kind of looking for like an express line or, you know — (word inaudible) — the express lane to get that word up and have it investigated.COL. UMBERG: I think we’re doing better with respect to reports and then follow-up of reports of corruption. But the system is not perfect. Right now when there’s corruption — for example, in the kandak or the battalion level — that’s reported to IJC. And we have — it sounds like you’ve been over here. We’ve got law enforcement professionals that are assigned to battalions, U.S. battalions that are partnering with both the ANP as well as the ANA, and it gets reported that way.
So it does get reported up. We have — in the military there’s a quite effective military system of — military, when I say military, I mean Army — justice. And on the ANP side, as I mentioned before, we have mobile anti-corruption teams that are moving out. And we have — in each of the provinces and districts, as you know, we’ve got investigative teams.
But again, you know, I don’t want have challenges. We’re not there yet.
By the time he got through this attempt at an answer, I was done with the call. I could tell that we were essentially talking to a politician or lawyer. It was all gravy and no mashed potatoes at this point.
If you would like to read the entire transcript or listen to the archive of the call, check out www.blogtalkradio.com/bloggersroundtable/2010/05/17/dodlive-bloggers-roundtable-nato-training-mission- for the audio archive or www.defense.gov/Blog_files/Blog_assets/20100517_Umberg_transcript.pdf for the transcript.
My buddy Marcus over at YouServed.com has put together a great deal for the readers of our YouServed.com blog and the YouServed.com Radio show. If you have never checked it out, be sure and head over to www.youserved.com and from there you can link to the show archives too. In addition to the link to the show, you will find a linked ad to the You Served ebay auction store.
We get many guests on the YouServed Radio show that give and donate things to the show which we sell on the ebay store to raise money for the awesome charity of Soldier’s Angels. The auctions run Thursday-Thursday (because the radio show is on Thursday nights). Starting this Thursday Marcus has acquired the new book, Rage Company, A Marine’s Baptism by Fire (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) by Thomas Daly. In addition to getting this book if you win the auction, the publisher has also thrown in a BRAND NEW and much sought after iPad.
So the winning bidder, of the auction that starts on the 29th and will end on May 6th, will win not only this great new book but also a iPad. All in the name of Soldier’s Angels.
But you don’t have to wait until then to get some great stuff and help out Soldier’s Angels, because you can head over to the eBay Store now and bid on this week’s auctions. They are only gonna be up for 2 more days, so be sure and check out a brand new signed CD from Bridge of Sighs or a copy of the awesome book my Eric Blehm, “The only thing worth dying for”. I did a review of the book here on Bouhammer.com at www.bouhammer.com/2010/02/book-review-the-only-thing-worth-dying-for/. We also had Eric on the You Served Radio show on Feb. 12th, and you can listen to that interview at www.blogtalkradio.com/show.aspx?userurl=youserved&year=2010&month=02&day=12&url=episode-75.
Back on February 18th, I was involved on a great Blogger’s Roundtable with MG David Hogg who participated from Afghanistan. There were many bloggers/journalists on the call and all of them asked great questions. I focused my question on the accountability in the Afghan National Security Forces and the presence or lack of presence of a military justice system. I have copied the actual transcipt where I asked my question and MG Hogg answered below. Also below is the link to the recording of the entire roundtable.
Click the link below to listen to the roundtable.
20100218_Hogg_audio_021810125822.mp3
Q Hey, sir. How you doing? This is Troy Steward from Bouhammer.com and YouServed.com
You mentioned attrition recruiting, and you hit on leadership a couple of times. With the form ETT, I can understand it. So let me ask you, what has been done to put in place a fair and balanced UCMJ system of some type? And our senior leaders, especially those officers that kind of bought their position in the early days of the Afghan army, are they being held accountable? Are the being made examples of? And is that — and, if so, is that making a difference?GEN. HOGG: Another good question, and a tough one.
The facts are positions are still being bought. I can’t give you grand-jury evidence to say that — you know, to prove that, but it is happening. The key on this piece for the leadership, and holding them accountable, and getting the leadership — the right leaders in the right place, will be a thing called the “inherent law” in the break- out of a retirement policy.
Right now there is not a retirement policy for the Afghan army. They did a retirement policy for the former mujes, or the former Afghan freedom fighters, which is very — was very minimal. And that is something that we’re working through their national security council, through the embassy and through ISAF to get this thing pushed through. Because I think what we’ll find is, once we get a retirement policy in, we will be able to get the — we will be able to get the new blood moved in.
The youngsters — company and battalion commanders, and even a lot of the platoon leaders, they get it, they understand it, and they want to move forward. And I think that’s going to make a big difference once that gets enacted. Until then, we’ll get — we continue to work the leadership side of the house. We’re actually running seminars with their leaders here in the MOD world, and we’re working it down to the corps commanders.
But it is still an issue, and it is one that will not be fixed over night. And that is why it continues to be a main effort for us here in TMA CSTC-A. Over.Q So if I understand correctly, there is no UCMJ in place?
GEN. HOGG: Okay, on the UCMJ, they have a UCMJ system. It’s a high-level — we’ll call it a court-martial-level system. What we’re working on right now with our JAG advisers is something that’s more like the Article 15-level all the way down.
They have a quasi-system. The problem is it’s not being enforced. It’s not being executed all the time. They are starting to work some of these — I mean, we’ve had some guys fired and arrested recently for issues of corruption or incompetency, but we’ve still got aways to go. There is a system. It just doesn’t get — doesn’t get used the way you and I are used to, a system of self-policing, if you will. Over.
When I was contacted by the publisher asking me if I would be interested in a copy of this new book that has come out titled The Only Thing Worth Dying For, I knew from the title alone that it was probably going to be good. Once I checked out the website at www.onlythingworthdyingfor.com/ I was convinced it was a book I HAD to read.
I have been struggling with how to write this review as I want to be able to highlight key parts of this book but don’t want to give it all away. I have edited this many times so I hope this review gives the book justice.
Eric Blehm (who was interviewed on You Served Radio Feb 11th, www.blogtalkradio.com:80/youserved/2010/02/12/episode-75) did a great job writing the story of ODA574 and how this single 11-man Special Forces A-team did the true Special Forces job of partnering with local opposition to overthrow an oppressive regime and help that opposition train to get ready to fight against the regime. In this case the oppressive regime was the Taliban, and the opposition was a little-known influential leader in the area named Hamid Karzai. Even though there were already SF teams and CIA in northern Afghanistan teamed up with the Northern Alliance, the Northern Alliance was a loosely disciplined and defined fighting force. In the south, it was Hamid Karzai with maybe a dozen loyal supporters.
Eric does a fabulous job of not inserting his opinion or viewpoints into any part of this book. Instead he simply tells the story of them men that were part of this critical mission. Actually to call it critical is an understatement. Had this team not partnered with Karzai, or had any number of things happened which could have caused this mission to fail, it is without a doubt that Afghanistan would not be where it is today. Yes, this 11-man team wrote history and has had a direct influence into where we are today in the Global War on Terror.
Kandahar was the last city to fall in Afghanistan, and was considered the headquarters of the Taliban in 2001. When that city surrendered the initial “liberation” stage of the war in Afghanistan was considered complete. The actions of this team, and many others that supported them caused that to happen. In addition to helping bring down Kandahar, they also protected Hamid Karzai at all costs because they recognized his importance to the success of Afghanistan.
Unlike many other books I have read which tend to name and highlight people that do good things but hide the identity of people that screw up, Eric does not do that. Because he is truly just telling the story of these men, he calls out and tells the story of even those that made mistakes…even mistakes that costs American lives. The book is an easy read and does not cause the reader to have a Google page opened up to define military jargon. As my buddy CJ says, it does not go into the technical weeds that will cause the non-Special Forces reader to get lost.
The book starts with a prologue of Eric finally getting a chance to meet with Hamid Karzai in a NYC hotel room. Eric was given 15 minutes between meetings of (then) VP candidate Sarah Palin and (then) Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. That 15 minute meeting dragged on for over an hour as Karzai recited many facts from memory about the men on that team and looked at photos that Eric brought with him. Secretary Rice was made to wait, but I am sure she would understand if she knew why.
As per Eric’s website, I want to highlight the following paragraph
From the author of the award-winning The Last Season comes a one-of-a-kind war story that redefines our understanding of America’s early days in Afghanistan. THE ONLY THING WORTH DYING FORreveals, for the first time, the astonishing true story of the Special Forces A-team that helped conquer the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, and bring Hamid Karzai to power. In powerfully simple prose, Eric Blehm weaves together the unbelievable chain of events that intimately expose the realities of modern unconventional warfare and international politics during the critical months after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Following Captain Jason Amerine and his ten Green Berets, Blehm puts the reader on the ground alongside Hamid Karzai and his guerrillas as the men of two very different worlds unite to seek a reckoning for the horrors haunting both of their nations…
The video below is Eric himself telling a good overview of the story and them men he wrote about. It is worth the watch.
The story actually starts with ODA574 training in K-stan with local forces there on 9/11/01 and how they agonized with being stuck overseas while their country is under attack. Eventually they get back to the US and thru all the right things happening at the right time, they become the team selected to insert into Pakistan for a mission that would take them and Karzai into Afghanistan to start what was supposed to be several months of local fighter training for an eventual clearing of Taliban forces in Southern Afghanistan. However, as we always say in the military, the best plans in the world get thrown out the window once you hit the ground. That is no different for these true warriors. Murphy’s Law was present, but they adapted and overcame and rather than a couple of months of train-up, they had literally days before they were thrown into the fight.
The courage and bravery of not only the 11-man A-team, but also the courage and guts of Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) rescue pilots is demonstrated in this book. These guys flew the first daytime missions into Afghanistan, over populated areas and some of the crew had only been in the area for a few hours. Sadly the incompetence and fear of the Marine Commander at Camp Rhino is also portrayed and I am sure it will make you as mad as it made me. Especially seeing who that Marine General was and what he eventually became to be. I can also say (as I had blogged on here before) that this book changed my mind about Hamid Karzai. I have said some very non-so-nice things about Karzai on this blog many times, but after reading this book I have to be honest when I say that I have a lot more respect for Karzai now than I ever did before. Not to say Karzai is perfect, but at least I know how he used to be and where his roots are in the Global War on Terror.
The whole story is told in this book, from the impact of 9/11/01 on these guys and our military, to the planning process and decision making, to the decisions entrusted to a Captain (Now-Major Jason Amerine will be interviewed on You Served Radio on Feb 18th, 2010 at www.blogtalkradio.com:80/youserved/2010/02/19/episode-20) and 10 of his men to how things tend to get screwed up when higher command go against their own doctrine and micro-manage competent professionals.
There is no doubt that as the years pass, more and more “history” books will be written about the war in Afghanistan. But you don’t have to wait long to find out how our forces inserted cold into the southern part of the country, with no support network, cut off from the rest of the world while deep behind enemy lines. How they ensured that the person who would eventually be selected to lead Afghanistan (three times) stayed alive and how all of them were either wounded or killed doing it. But for those that died, they knew it was THE ONLY THING WORTH DYING FOR.
So do you think you know what an ETT (embedded training team) member does? ETTs have been the true tip of the spear in Afghanistan since Task Force Phoenix was first stood up in 2002. Task Force Phoenix and the ETT teams were initially charged with standing up, training, mentoring and assisting the Afghanistan National Army. The first mentoring was done by the active duty 10th Mountain Division. After Iraq kicked off in 2003, it was realized that the mission would need to be transitioned to the National Guard as there were not enough active duty forces to do the Phoenix mission in addition to the other ones they were being tasked.
The mission of training and empowering a country’s indigenous Army has always been a mission of the Special Forces and what they have mastered over the last 40 years. However there was not enough of them either, so National Guard was tapped. However if there were a 2nd best option to Special Forces doing the mission, then it was the National Guard. The soldiers in a National Guard unit have just left being a civilian and will soon return to it. They know and understand the basics of COIN, long before it became a buzz-word and well before it became a standard part of our doctrine. The National Guard soldiers bring with them a mixture of civilian skills which are vital to the mission as many of the ETTs are very far downrange and must provide for their own life-support. There is little to no support from higher headquarters at all. So the skills of carpenter, plumber, HVAC, mechanic, school teacher, etc., etc. all are transferable to the mission of being forward deployed on a small FOB or COP with no support and almost no other Americans with you. In 2007, Task Force Phoenix took over the mentoring and advising of the Afghanistan National Police with PMTs (Police Mentoring Teams).
Famed WWII history author, James F. Christ who is known for his novels about the small but important Marine Paratroopers during the battles in the Pacific has now taken up a new focus for his writing. James is in the process of writing a 10-book series on ETTs in Afghanistan and very important, but unknown battles that have happened there since 2003. His first two books are available and can be downloaded for the Kindle or purchased from Amazon.com HERE or HERE. You can also learn more about the books at the publisher’s website at www.mountainlandpublishing.com/catalog.html.
I have read both of these books cover to cover, along with the next one in the series that is not yet published. They are all easy-reads and will suck you right into reading them non-stop until you are finished. There is no building up of characters, there is no plot development, all becuase there is no need. James takes you right into the ETT team, and before long you get to know the individual soldiers, how they act in combat, etc. If they have dialects or accents, James writes in a way so you can hear the accent as you read. I relate these books to the famed book Blackhawk Down (which the movie was based on). I say this becuase just like Blackhawk Down, James’s books start right before the battle, take you through the battle and then wrap up soon after the battle is over. The entire book is about the battle itself.
The battles are huge and the odds are stacked up against the American forces (most of which are National Guard ETTs). As you read either Morghab Canyon or The Boneyard, you will be amazed at how out-numbered and how brave the American soldier are and you will even be more amazed that more US and ANA forces were not slaughtered. The ingineuity, initiative and drive to survive by these soldiers is amazing.
I have interviewed James twice on You Served Radio (you can hear the latest interview on You Served Radio here, www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved/2009/12/11/episode-67) and after talking to him then and on multiple one-on-one phone conversations, I am convinced he is one of the most knowledgeable civilians about Afghanistan that has never actually been to the country. He has spent so many hours interviewing ETTs for these books that he has truly become immersed into what it is like to be an ETT and in my opinion earned an honorary ETT title if there were such a thing.
I have told James and his publisher that if these books are not finished and published that it would be a dis-service to all ETTs, past and present. I have circulated several of his books to other past ETTs to get their opinions and the response has been 100% that “he gets it” and “this is the best book ever written about ETTs”.
I recently heard back from Vampire 6 from www.afghanistanshrugged.com and his response to James’s writings were
“This book is awesome! It definitely needs to be out there for people to read. I think every ETT has a story like this, …. While reading this I could identify with these guys and felt like they were just like guys on my team. Truly awesome book!”
So if you have been an ETT/PMT, are an ETT/PMT, will be an ETT/PMT or you are a family member or friend of a past, present, future ETT/PMT then you need to go to Amazon.com and get these books. I cannot stress enough how accurate these books are and how well they will educate you as to what it is like to be on the “Tip of the Spear, but at the end of the line”
