Afghanistan, a Work in Progress
By Daniel Bell
Historically, Afghanistan has been an area of turmoil, making it difficult to provide overall law and order throughout the region. As the United States supports and assists the young Afghani government, our losses will always bring question to the necessity of sacrificing American lives and U.S. tax dollars.
Afghanistan's recent increase in violence was to be expected, according to Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser. In a June 24th briefing, Gen. Schloesser stated, “There’s been an increase ever since 2002 each year, and we came here fully expecting that there would be an increase this year.” He went on to say that, “We're taking the fight to the enemy, but we are working in support areas that we had not been before inside of Afghanistan.” In expanding the area covered, the military must expect an increase in casualties. As in Iraq, insurgents have attempted to upset the reconstruction of Afghanistan through attacks on the developing local governments. Gen. Schloesser summed this up by stating, “They realize they don't have anything positive, you know, to do, and they're trying to attack us.”
Although Afghanistan continues to see difficult times, many positive developments take place each day. The ministries are working more closely with the United States in developing their economy, the Afghan National Army is taking on additional responsibilities as it grows stronger, and the government continues to work toward self sustainment.
While deployed in Afghanistan in 2005 and 2006, I was certainly aware that conditions in the region were troublesome. Yet the development and relations in Afghanistan had not reached their current point of progress. In the past several years, the United States has focused its fight on terror in Iraq. Now, after the Surge and victories in Iraq, the focus seems to be shifting back to Operation Enduring Freedom—Afghanistan.
As we remember the third anniversary of Operation Red Wing, the mission made famous by its lone survivor, Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, we see progress in a country that 19 Special Operations service members gave their lives fighting for. All seasoned combat veterans, several of whom participated in the initial invasions of both Afghanistan and Iraq, showed that they believed in the mission through dedication in completing multiple deployments. I will never forget the sacrifice and the meaning of that sacrifice; the mission is being won and must be completed.
Operation Enduring Freedom is an ongoing battle that will take time but is showing great progress, despite some of the currently demonstrated feelings on the region. Gen. Schloesser said, “I can't predict how long it's going to take. I can say that I believe we're making progress.” He continues to reinforce this, saying, “As I've said before, there has not been any time when the insurgents or the terrorists have fought us unit-by-unit or in large numbers where they haven't been just soundly defeated.” Operation Enduring Freedom is a war that is won by steady progress, rather than a single, decisive, and immediate battle.
The course of Afghanistan's history is slowly changing as it develops into a nation with an identity of its own, with an Afghani-style democracy. At times, we will question the sacrifice; yet progress is evidenced through marked development within the Afghan government, military, and civilian sectors. The progress in Afghanistan demonstrates that American sacrifice and commitment to an ally in the War on Terror is working.
