Douglas Karr, Petty Officer Second Class, United States Navy Veteran
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A Lieutenant's concerns regarding the troop increase in Afghanistan
As a military man, I am very interested in what’s happening with our troops overseas. I am especially mindful of our soldiers during the holiday season, as I know that thousands of men and women will be celebrating the season away from their families.
An article in the New York Times on December 14th regarding the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan caught my eye, and I wanted to share the information with you.
Lt. General David Rodriguez, who commands the American and NATO forces over in Afghanistan, believes that there are a number of potential issues with sending more troops, all of which could present problems for the military. Lt. Gen. Rodriguez stated that, among other things, an inadequate ability to ship necessary supplies to troops and the steady number of attacks on the soldiers already serving there are obstacles that our military will have to overcome before additional men and women arrive in Afghanistan.
“There’s a lot of risks,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that have to line up perfectly.”
President Obama made an announcement at the beginning of the month regarding an increase in the number of American/NATO troops in Afghanistan, telling the world that the troops would be arriving within the next six months. The Pentagon even stated that the majority of the new troops would arrive before summer, and the remaining soldiers would trickle in after.
But is that enough time for the military to address the “formidable” hurdles that Lt. Gen. Rodriguez is worried about? He did say that all troops would arrive in the next eleven months, and told the media “We’re going to try to get them in as fast as we can.”
Certain areas of Afghanistan are arguably more dangerous and less secure than parts of Iraq, and are also a breeding ground for terrorism. President Obama believes that additional troops will ultimately lead to the destruction of the Taliban. Additional troops are necessary in order to prevent the Taliban from growing, and are also needed to assist with the training of Afghanistan’s own armed forces. The Afghan Army will, according to President Obama and the military, one day take over security in their country so that American and NATO forces can return home.
In addition to the difficulty associated with shipping supplies and the constant threat of attack on our men and women, bad weather in Afghanistan is also a major issue, according to Lt. Gen. Rodriguez. His concern was illustrated with the delay of Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ arrival in Afghanistan. Secretary Gates was two days late for a visit to the country due to unfavorable flying conditions.
Despite the poor weather and the numerous other potential problems, the first wave of troops will arrive in Afghanistan this week. They have a lot of work ahead of them, and Lt. General William Caldwell IV, who is in charge of training the Afghan security force, stated that he and the rest of the military there are well aware of the many difficulties that lay ahead. One of their priorities is to work on increasing the number of individuals serving with the Afghan Army and police force. Currently, there are about 190,000 members, and Lt. Gen. Caldwell would like to see that number grow by about 90,000 prior to President Obama’s withdrawal goal of July 2011.
So, what does an increase in the number of American and NATO troops in Afghanistan mean for our country?
Unfortunately, it means that more of our husbands, wives, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers and neighbors will be leaving their loved ones and friends, some for the second or third time. These men and women will face the obvious threats while in Afghanistan – attack by enemy forces, for example. Another threat that we may not have ever considered previously is the risk of exposure to asbestos and other contaminants. Exposure to asbestos – which may be found in military aircrafts, marine vessels, automobiles, and in military housing – may lead to the eventual development of mesothelioma cancer, a disease that has led to the suffering and deaths of thousands of veterans.
Military personnel who are exposed to asbestos will more than likely not experience any symptoms of asbestos disease until they are well into their late sixties or seventies, and once diagnosed, they will most likely lose their battle with the illness in less than two years. While mesothelioma navy cases are most frequent, vets who served in all branches of the military are at risk.
As the holiday season fast approaches, let’s keep the men and women who are currently protecting our freedom overseas in our minds, and let us also think of those who have yet to make the long trip to Afghanistan.
Have you made a holiday donation to a veteran organization yet?
If not, here are a few organizations to consider:
The USO: visit their website and also check out our recent blog post highlighting the last 70 years of the USO.
Vets4Vets: check out their site; theirs is a wonderful organization that promotes the healing and wellbeing of veterans who are returning from a deployment. It is staffed by veterans, and I’ve had some great interaction with them. Truly a worthy organization!
Welcome Back Veterans: an initiative supported by donations and organized by Major League Baseball and the McCormick Foundation. They’re in need of funding; visit their donation information page for contacts and instructions for donating.
Luke’s Wings: supports military vets who were wounded in combat. You can donate by visiting their website.
Pillows for Soldiers: a unique group that distributes pillows – what we may consider to be among the most basic of necessities, right? – to our veterans in VA hospitals. In fact, PFS will be making a delivery of 500 pillows to vets at the Hefner Med Center in North Carolina in January. You can donate a pillow, or make a monetary donation.
Check out our Twitter homepage – twitter.com/veteransblog – for more worthy veteran-focused organizations.
