fromthepresident In the Field I
A trip to Afghanistan affirms that our troops and their families top the list of things to be grateful for this holiday season. Let’s make sure our nation doesn’t let them down.
I write this from Afghanistan in early November, on a visit to meet with U.S. mil- itary leadership and as many of our troops as possible to ensure they have all they need to accomplish the mission and come home safely. My flight into Afghanistan from Ku- wait on an Air Force C-17 was sobering; the crew and aircraft had flown out of Afghani- stan the day before with the flag-draped remains of several of our U.S. servicemem- bers killed by a suicide car bomber that weekend. With that vivid reminder of the huge price our nation’s all-volunteer force is paying to keep our country safe, I offer the following perspective from my fifth annual visit to our troops in a war zone. On a positive note, our current situation in Afghanistan is similar to the conditions I observed on my first visit to Iraq five years ago. Three things stand out: First, it is obvious the surge of troops is
having a real, positive impact on Afghani- stan security in the population centers. Second, as in Iraq, the battle plan and
strategy of this 49-nation international effort is paying real dividends in giving the Afghanistan population growing confi- dence and hope for the future. Finally, the U.S. has a real “A-team” running this pivotal effort. Both Marine Corps Gen. John R. Allen, the ISAF Com- mander, and Ambassador Ryan Crocker are extraordinarily capable and dedicated leaders and statesmen. The Afghanistan National Army (ANA) and the national police are gaining confi-
dence and competence to take the burden of leading the fight in several provinces. With continued progress, Allen believes by the end of 2014, U.S. forces will be able to complete their drawdown, turn over secu- rity to the Afghan forces, and reach an agreement for the international force to step into an advisory role.
This accomplishment will
be a direct result of the incred- ible performance of America’s all-volunteer force. Of course, as I observed on my first visit to Iraq, the governance issue is lagging considerably behind the military progress and will be key to sustaining our hard- earned success. Everywhere I went, the
troops expressed appreciation for MOAA’s advocacy efforts in the debate over their health care and retirement benefits. One senior officer said, “We are counting on you to get this right.” The troops are focused on the mission but frustrated and disappoint- ed by proposals to civilianize their benefits. They wonder if their elected officials know what they are doing to morale and the fu- ture readiness of the force.
ISAF Com- mander Gen. John R. Allen, USMC, left, briefed MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
Visiting the Troops MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., traveled to Af- ghanistan in November. Learn more about his trip at
www.moaa.org/ afghanistan2011.
— Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
*online: Visit
www.moaa.org/afghanistan2011 for details from Admiral Ryan’s trip. 12 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2011
PHOTO: COURTESY U.S. ARMY
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