US Marines and last British forces leave Afghanistan

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**Frazzled**

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/10/26/359028615/u-s-marines-leave-afghanistan-along-with-british-force

U.S. Marines Leave Afghanistan, Along With British Force
by Bill Chappell

October 26, 2014 8:23 AM ET i
U.K. armed forces and U.S. Marines have ended combat operations in Afghanistan. In a formal handover, British troops stood with peers from the U.S. Marine Corps and the Afghan National Security Forces as the Union Flag and Stars and Stripes were lowered for the last time at the Bastion-Leatherneck complex Sunday. Sergeant Obi Igbo, RLC/AP hide caption

U.K. armed forces and U.S. Marines have ended combat operations in Afghanistan. In a formal handover, British troops stood with peers from the U.S. Marine Corps and the Afghan National Security Forces as the Union Flag and Stars and Stripes were lowered for the last time at the Bastion-Leatherneck complex Sunday.
Sergeant Obi Igbo, RLC/AP The Americans are leaving Camp Leatherneck today. In a formal handover of the base they share with British troops, the last U.S. Marine battalion in Afghanistan turned the complex over to Afghan forces and began the process of heading home. The coalition base in southern Helmand Province was first established nearly six years ago.
For Britain, the day brought an end to 13 years of military operations in Afghanistan.
NPR's Sean Carberry describes the scene at the base:

"The U.S., U.K. and NATO flags are lowered at Camps Leatherneck and Bastion. As ceremonial music plays, dozens of Marines, British troops, and Afghan soldiers stand at attention.

" 'This transfer is a sign of progress,' says Brigadier. Gen. Daniel Yoo, part of the Marine unit that stormed southern Afghanistan in 2001. Today, he's closing down the last Marine mission in Afghanistan.

Afghan Army Gen. Cher Mohammed Karimi says he appreciates the work of NATO forces, and 'their sacrifices here, in the toughest area of Afghanistan.'

"Helmand continues to be one of the most violent provinces in Afghanistan. More than 350 Marines and 400 British forces have died here. And more than 700 Afghan forces have been killed in Helmand just this year."

**Relapse**

Bets on how long before this joint gets into the same shape Iraq is in?

**Jihadin**

Six months

**Relapse**

You are generous, sir:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/10/27/army-green-berets-reportedly-criticize-performance-afghan-army-troops/

**Jihadin**

RC South is not just Bastion/Leatherneck. Kandahar is able to support the ANA. Eventually when the pull out complete RC East will just have three FoB's to help sustain the Afghan government since Kabul is in RC East

**CptJake**

There are units scheduled for rotations through at least 2015. Maybe they do not get 'combat missions' and instead are on 'train and advise' , but I suspect if you are the guy getting shot at and returning fire there isn't too much difference.

**BlaxicanX**

"I'll be back."

**Sigvatr**

My thanks go to all the brave men and women risking their life for others.

Come home, you did a great job.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

Total cost to the UK = £37 Billion and 453 dead service men/women.

What a waste...

And not forgetting, thousands of Afghani civilians killed as well.

**Ouze**

I'm glad they are returning home. However justified the mission was, there simply is no reason to stay any longer.

**Experiment 626**

Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Total cost to the UK = £37 Billion and 453 dead service men/women.

What a waste...

And not forgetting, thousands of Afghani civilians killed as well.

I think the many Afgan women & girls who've been given a better shot in life than simply being treated as less worthy than cows don't think our involvement was a giant waste.

Our armed forces preformed a large number of great acts, and have helped (even if only a little) to give a newfound sense of hope & prosperity to the lives of may, many Afgans. It's nowhere near 'jobs a good un' sure, but the country has a chance now at something beyond being a barbaric hellhole of intolerance & medieval savagery.
We made a lot of mistakes sure, and our plans for actual nation building were pretty badly conceived & implemented, but overall, we've given them a chance to make a go of it.

The optimist in me hopes that at least the more stable parts of the country can prevent a slide back into the gakfest the Taliban had created.
Of course the realist in me figures that within 3 months the country will be overrun by Islamist zealots and it'll become a newly fortified part of the Islamic State...

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

Ouze wrote:
I'm glad they are returning home. However justified the mission was, there simply is no reason to stay any longer.

I don't think the mission was justified in my view. A complete and utter waste of time, money, and people. Invading Ohio would probably have made more sense and led to better results than getting bogged down in Afghanistan! Of course you may disagree, but it's a debate that will rage for years to come.

**Frazzled**

We also have to remember, Afghanistan was a non voluntary war. Mission creep kick in, you betcha, but we were trying to avoid the mistakes of the past.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

Experiment 626 wrote:
Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:
Total cost to the UK = £37 Billion and 453 dead service men/women.

What a waste...

And not forgetting, thousands of Afghani civilians killed as well.

I think the many Afgan women & girls who've been given a better shot in life than simply being treated as less worthy than cows don't think our involvement was a giant waste.

Our armed forces preformed a large number of great acts, and have helped (even if only a little) to give a newfound sense of hope & prosperity to the lives of may, many Afgans. It's nowhere near 'jobs a good un' sure, but the country has a chance now at something beyond being a barbaric hellhole of intolerance & medieval savagery.
We made a lot of mistakes sure, and our plans for actual nation building were pretty badly conceived & implemented, but overall, we've given them a chance to make a go of it.

The optimist in me hopes that at least the more stable parts of the country can prevent a slide back into the gakfest the Taliban had created.
Of course the realist in me figures that within 3 months the country will be overrun by Islamist zealots and it'll become a newly fortified part of the Islamic State...

I agree that helping Afghan women was a worthwhile goal, but should US/UK troops be dying for that? No. absolutely not.

People are getting mistreated all over the world as I type this - should we invade North Korea, or attack China for murdering thousands of its own citizens every year.

Saudi Arabia is a pretty barbaric country, but of course, they buy nice shiny jets from us, so they're A-ok.

Not having a go at you, but some of the rational for operations in Afghanistan has bordered on the twilight zone.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Frazzled wrote:
We also have to remember, Afghanistan was a non voluntary war. Mission creep kick in, you betcha, but we were trying to avoid the mistakes of the past.

Nobody ever avoids the mistakes of the past, Frazz, because as a race, we're idiots. We always think we can do better than the previous generation.

To my left, as I write this, is a book about Lyndon Johnson and Vietnam. It's all about mission creep, mission creep, mission creep...you know where it's going

We have 10 US advisors in Vietnam. No, we have 100. Now a 1000... Advisors need helicopters. Those helicopters need airfields, those airfields need guards, those guards need cooks....

Johnson's face hits the floor as he reads Westmoreland's request for 100,000 troops...

We never learn...

**Frazzled**

EDIT: posted same thing twice. Substituing something more appropriate.