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I pick up a tall young man (not young anymore but once) with some obvious facial scarring although not too severe and the ride begins. He was very gregarious and polite but still on edge and I found out why. He was going only about a mile from a house to a bar, but story magnet that I am I managed to glean some quick info about what he called "The forgotten war" in Afghanistan.
He was trying to track down some friends from his unit and asked me if I’d taken any soldiers anywhere in the last half hour. I told him I hadn’t so he had me go to the most obvious bar because he couldn’t reach them. On the way he made mention that we’d be seeing a lot of troops this weekend because his whole unit was just getting back after SIXTEEN MONTHS in theater. I think I just said “Holy Shit, sixteen months?” and asked him from where.
“Afghanistan.” He answered “Yeah, part of the new 15 month deployments.” He also confirmed that the new extensions were being implemented Army wide and not just at Drum.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking but, how are things going there? We don’t hear much about it back here.”
“Yeah, the forgotten war” he said with a slightly pained laugh “It’s not good. I’ve been to Iraq too and there are parts of Afghanistan that are definitely worse.”
I confirmed that I had heard the same from many troops in my car but tried to turn the conversation more positive.
“Well at least they need to let you guys stay back home for at least a year this time before sending you off again right?”
“Yeah, my whole unit should have the year off.” Then another small laugh “But some troops will get PCS’d (Permanent change of station) to another unit that’s about to deploy because the Army treats its people like shit.”
I think I probably gasped as I have many times hearing about the horrors our fighting men and women face in a military that doesn’t value them beyond their strategic worth.
“You mean that before their year home is up they’ll be forced to deploy because they get sent to another unit?” I had to repeat it back to him to believe it.
“Oh yeah, I know a couple guys who are being moved to a unit out of Alaska who are going to deploy soon, within six months, and they’re going to Iraq. We should be fighting in Pakistan.”
“I’m inclined to agree with you, I’m positive that’s where a lot of your opposition is coming from and fleeing to. Can’t go after them though because we have our head up Musharraf’s ass.”
“Exactly!” he agreed “We were stationed right on the border of Pakistan. I mean we had 406 kills and you just keep fighting the same people. They just keep coming”
“Unbelievable” I replied. The obscenity of the situation was starting to get to me and my anger started to override my anti-anxiety medicine so I had to jump in head first and I suspected I knew what the reaction would be.
“Well, no offense and with all due respect sir I think your Commander in Chief is a fuckin lunatic. He doesn’t care one whit about you guys.”
“Absolutely right.” He agreed “He pulled troops from Afghanistan that we needed to feed his disaster in Iraq. We shouldn’t even be there. It’s all bullshit and it’s all about him and his fucking ego”
“And his powerful buddies of course” I interjected; we were both quite fired up by then.
“He doesn’t care about you man, and apparently the democrats don’t either anymore because they just handed him another blank check basically.”
We arrived at his destination and he tipped me well and thanked me. I stuck out my hand and shook his and said “Welcome home again sir and thank you for your service. Take care.”
The ride ends. Both wars continue. Tip your cabbie.
Shadow out.
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