The Sorbate: Thoughts On Afghanistan And Operation Enduring Freedom

Memorial Day is often seen as a time to remember those that have fallen in battles ended long ago. It is the unfortunate truth, however, that many memorials and grave sites visited have held burials much too recently.

It is easy to forget that we are fighting a war. No matter your personal or political feelings, troops have been sent to Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001. Many of these soldiers are kids, people younger than you and me, and often times they are looking to eventually use their service to fund a college education or improve their lives. It is always so jarring to meet a soldier my age that has served overseas. Imagining what they have seen, and not knowing if it is okay to ever ask them.

The war in Afghanistan…AKA “Operation Enduring Freedom”…I knew this question would come up in The Sorbate one day.

Aaaahhhh….I honestly, have no idea. I’m still so confused why we are even over there. Initially, we entered war with Iraq because they were harboring “weapons of mass destruction” (which were never actually found). Now, we’re in Afghanistan to fight “terrorism” – as if terrorism were a person or one entity. I agree with Norman Wailer who stated “this was, is, so unbalanced in so many ways, so much power on one side, so much hatred on the other, so much technology for us, so much potential terrorism on the other, that the changes cannot be estimated. It is bad to enter a war that offers no clear avenue of conclusion….there will always be someone left to act as a terrorist” (Solomon, para. 11, 2009).

Currently there are 68,000 U.S. soldiers and marines in Afghanistan. There have been 190 American fatalities this year, the highest total in nearly eight years. This year's Pentagon budget for Afghanistan is $65 billion and total costs now exceed $228 billion. Not to mention the cost in terms of lives- 774 brave heroes dead. So what is the current dilemma? Obama and his advisers need to re-evaluate Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. They are faced with a decision of whether to continue America’s strategy for the last 8 years, plus increase military and civilian presence in Afghanistan or draw back.