Troop Morale In Afghanistan

October 16, 2009 — This article http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-10-15-commander-letter-to-troops_N.htm?csp=34 on usatoday.com is about one military commander's attempt to help with improving his troops morale by writing a personal letter to them that was published in his unit's newsletter and he does this every month. It is an outstanding example of good leadership.

Apparently Col. David Haight, of the 10th Mountain Division's 3rd Brigade Combat team, recognizes that his troops need to know why they are doing what they are doing. A soldiers need to know the whys and wherefores of what they are doing is nothing new. It was that way in Vietnam and I venture to say it was that way in Korea and in WWII. I know from personal experience that the flight crews I was a part of during my 22+ years in the Navy always performed better and our morale was high when our leaders took the time to explain why we were doing some of the things we did.

It appears that the low morale reported in Col. Haight's command is a two-fold issue. How could it not be disheartening and a morale crasher when you see two of your buddies killed by someone you thought was a friend, but turned on you after five years? How could it not be disheartening for a soldier in Afghanistan or Iraq or anywhere else for that matter to see, hear, and read the stories on CNN or published in the Stars and Stripes or broadcast on AFRTS about what the Obama administration is doing with their ongoing debate on what to do militarily from a strategic and even tactical viewpoint in Afghanistan? Why do we do these things to the men and women of our armed forces? Why?

We have learned nothing from the experiences of Vietnam. We are still trying to fight and control a battlefield from the halls of the White House and the halls of Congress. Vietnam proved that without a doubt you cannot do that and expect your fighting forces not to have low morale which places them in even more grave danger.

I have talked with many veterans over the last few months, most of them Vietnam vets, and what is going on angers them greatly and awakens the nightmares they have had all these years. They are disgusted and they know what is going on is what happened to them and they know it is dead wrong.

We must stop this total disregard for our troops. It is a sickening madness and dishonors those that have already paid the ultimate price for their service to fight the War on Terrorism and it dishonors those that are fighting on regardless of the stupidity of our political...ahem...leaders. We must not do to these men and women what we did to those that served in Vietnam...we must give them the tools and the support needed to win the battle and come home...it's what really matters!