Okay brave lap top warriors, I will address your criticisms. Number one, I'm no coward. Just take my word for it, or the words of a few good friends. Number two,, the "lap tops" suggestion,, or individually ,perhaps, hand crank learning devices for the children is originally from an Afghan man who told me that the children are murdered on their way to school. These would be a possible alternative for attending a physical school,, especially for young girls. The girls learn to read, they teach their children, and all of a sudden, ( twenty years later,) you have a country that is not 14% literate. Number three,, are they murdering to enforce their own perverted views of Islam, or to rid their country of an unwanted occupier? Men wiser than I have concluded that a military occupation of Afghanistan makes no sense at all. Number four,, read what Pepe Escobar has researched very well about the pipeline coming down from Azerbaijan. Coward huh? Were we having this conversation face to face you might not be so quick to insult me. I've been beaten up enough to know that I'm no coward !! Your ideas for Afghanistan suggest more waste and bloodshed, I'm just trying to offer up alternatives, in order to save a few lives, and save billions of dollars.Me go? Unlike you,, I absolutely know that I have no business being there. Funny isn't it,, a man calling another man a coward from the comfort of his desk. I know the world needs intelligent soldiers,, and that is why I hate to see them wasted on useless missions.

Thank you Col. Unfortunately the blissfully ignorant like "shea" and his ilk, will never know why we serve, and so many of us have done so around the world.
I cannot give any specifics other than to say the following is about my son, and to say more would break OpSec.
G was out on a patrol (mounted) with his CO, and while the CO was talking with village leaders, he was one of the guards of the vehicles. After a little while, a girl of about 7-10 years old, came out and stood watching him. He smiled at her and she back at him. She went back into her home, and brought out a dull pencil, handing it to him. He took his knife out and sharpened the pencil for her, giving it back. She then went back in, and returned after a little bit. She did this several times, before coming out, and sitting at his feet, doing what looked like homework. Every time she needed her pencil sharpened, she handed it to him.
After she finished her homework (for lack of a better term), she brought out some paper for drawing. She then sat next to where he was standing, drawing, and handing her dull pencil to him to sharpen. I do not know if they left or she was done first. But this young Marine did more good for showing why we are there, than all the detractors have in 20 years.
My son told me of the disrespect the boys showed, and the thanks from village elders. He told me how they had to sit and watch the girls eat what they were given, or see the boys beat them up and steal it (something I have heard from EVERYBODY that served in the Persian Gulf).
I have also heard many times from both reservists and active duty of all branches, the thanks for building schools, wells, and protecting them from the terrorists that are called Al Qaida and the Taliban. And we now see them spreading across the world, striking in every location that we used to have to fight "communists". They are not peaceful or loving. They are TERRORISTS pure and simple.
I do not know how many countries are involved in Afghanistan, or that were involved in Iraq, although I remember hearing a figure of at least 30 - certainly not a "US war"! The same was true in Vietnam and Korea - there were many countries trying to help the peace loving to stay free.
I know that there will be hate spewed at anyone who does not agree with their left wing ideals, and I will be the object of that same filth. However nobody can learn to read or eat if they are enslaved by the fanatics who spout fatwa (sp?) against fredom, females learning to read or even just walking in a public place by themselves.
Thank you to the families of all who have paid the ultimate price. All of us who have served, regardless of what branch, and most of our allied nations, understand what "Serving" means. And those who have not, will not understand why this Haka, Taps, and the Military funeral detail means so much.