Winning the War in Afghanistan
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Army says individual troop morale remains constant but unit morale is down in Afghanistan, in part because there aren’t enough mental health workers like the ones scheduled to deploy from Fort Hood:
“The new survey on Afghanistan found instances of depression, anxiety and other psychological problems are about the same as they were in 2007. But it also said there is a shortage of mental health workers to help soldiers who need it, partly because of the buildup Obama already started this year with the dispatch of more than 20,000 extra troops.
Efforts already under way to get more health workers to the Afghan war could be hampered somewhat by last week’s shooting. The psychiatrist charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder was slated to go to Afghanistan. Some of the dead and wounded also were to deploy there to bolster psychological services for soldiers.”
How ironic if the act of a suspected Muslim jihadist in America has eroded our ability to fight the war in Afhganistan. Wouldn’t that be exactly what he set out to do?
On the other hand, I’m not convinced the problem is really a shortage of mental health workers since, presumably, that should show up as reduced individual and unit morale. Instead, could it be because the War is on hold while President Obama decides what to do next?
EDIT: In the comments, steve points out the troop survey is 5 months old, so it can’t reflect the military’s opinion of Obama’s August-to-November decision-making (or lack thereof). Instead, it surveys opinion since Obama took office in January 2009 and issued his new AF-PAK strategy in March 2009.
— DRJ
I do not think he cares about actually winning. He does care about finding a political scenario where he can claim victory.
JD (7b3948) — 11/13/2009 @ 2:01 pmNonsense, JD. Obama clearly supports our hordes of psychotic rapists, child murderers and berzerker maniacs.
Jeffersonian (5363b6) — 11/13/2009 @ 2:04 pmObama needs to act now. He is clearly not leading on this issue. And those troops down there are beginning to feel that way. If he can’t deliver on victory, he should pull them out before something else happens. I am getting sick of this sh*t…
The Emperor (82e13a) — 11/13/2009 @ 2:10 pmoh. that’s the little president man’s dirty socialist Associated Press. Notorious propagandists.
Here’s a clue to their dirty socialist propagandist intent. When I read that this morning, I read this…
In your article what you link, it’s turned into this:
I guess they decided that since *they* were focusing attention then qed. The Associated Press is very very very concerned with the mental health of our soldiers especially after Fort Hood where we learned that all soldiers have violent tendencies and you just never know which one’s gonna snap next.
happyfeet (71f55e) — 11/13/2009 @ 2:11 pmODither is so lost in OBlathering, while OBfuscating, that he’s OBlivious to what Americans really want, really, that he’s hoping his OBstinate, Freedom OBliterating Marxist path, won’t be called out by what he and his ilk, perceive as the OBtampon citizenry.
MDr (fd1f4b) — 11/13/2009 @ 2:29 pmThe war is on hold? Did anyone notify the Taliban of this?
The inquisitive Dana (474dfc) — 11/13/2009 @ 3:30 pmI don’t think Obama cares if the war is won or lost. He wants what is best for his political career. Bush, as inarticulate as he was (and it drove me nuts), was sincere in what he did and how he felt about people. I just finished a book about Lincoln and his relationship with the army in the Civil War, especially the dysfunctional Army of the Potomac. The difference is staggering and highlights the fatuousness of comparing Obama to Lincoln, as some people were doing a year ago. You don’t hear that anymore, do you ?
MIke K (2cf494) — 11/13/2009 @ 5:41 pmI still can’t understand why the bad guys in Afghanistan didn’t just roll over and die when Bush went to war with them early in his administration. He had them tied up so bad that he could at the same time go into Iraq and work on those weapons of mass distraction.
Shame on Obama for not immediately picking up where Bush left off….and left off…..and left off….and left off….and jerked off……and spent our blood and treasure like so much seed on the ground.
Oh, never mind.
It’s all Obama’s fault. And remember, our kids aren’t dying in vain. They’re dying in Afghanistan.
Palin/Bachman in 2012
IT’S THE RIGHT THING
Let’s get them into office for when we celebrate the Earth’s 6,000th birthday. Eh?
Larry Reilly (45c8f2) — 11/13/2009 @ 6:37 pmLarry Reilly, shame on Obama for campaigning on “better” prosecuting the Afghanistan war and abandoning that position once in office. He’s shown that he is not a serious person. And you’ve shown that you are not an adult. Repeatedly.
SPQR (26be8b) — 11/13/2009 @ 6:42 pmMawy pukes out its post-happy hour drivel. Predictable as the sun rising.
JD (8a886b) — 11/13/2009 @ 6:46 pmInstead, could [the problem] be because the War is on hold while President Obama decides what to do next?
If the soldiers “filled out the surveys from April to June” – just before Gen. McChrystal arrived – presidential decision-making would appear not to be involved.
steve (3e5dfa) — 11/13/2009 @ 9:07 pmGood point, steve, but I thought Obama announced his new strategy in March and named General McChrystal as his new commander in May. Thus, in part, doesn’t the survey reflect on Obama’s March strategy?
PS – I’ve included your point as an Edit to the post.
DRJ (dee47d) — 11/13/2009 @ 9:16 pmObama is proving that the Bush strategy for Afghanistan was “spot on.”
Neo (7830e6) — 11/13/2009 @ 10:49 pm“I still can’t understand…”
That much is obvious.
Dave Surls (33e834) — 11/13/2009 @ 11:15 pmI would suggest that those of you who have always wanted to visit the Holy-Land, do so over the Winter, as one or more cities might not be available for sightseeing come Summer.
AD - RtR/OS! (e029b6) — 11/14/2009 @ 1:35 amsteve – Do you think morale has gotten better or worse since then? I know where I’d place my bet.
daleyrocks (7344d8) — 11/14/2009 @ 8:35 amsteve – Do you think morale has gotten better or worse since then? I know where I’d place my bet.
It was low two years ago. The number of soldiers who reported their unit’s morale as being high or very high in the last study in 2007 was 10.2 percent. You sign up to win, not pursue political stalemates.
steve (3e5dfa) — 11/14/2009 @ 8:59 am