6 US Soldiers killed in Afghanistan

reply to post by expatwhite


You don't get to travel halfway around the globe, invade a foreign country, start systematically destroying the country, murdering the locals by the thousands who haven't ever heard the name Bin Laden... and then turn around and cry when the locals start fighting back. The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

send every politician
sons and daughters on the frontline
then they would think twice before starting b.s. wars

My condolences to the families of the lost, I too am a vet. To the haters, I hope you realize that the US military is a pathway out of poverty for some, a source of education for some, and a source of hope for some. Not everyone that volunteers for the USA is a cold blooded killer, many enlist to lift themselves out of their current situation.

BubbaJoe
My condolences to the families of the lost, I too am a vet. To the haters, I hope you realize that the US military is a pathway out of poverty for some, a source of education for some, and a source of hope for some. Not everyone that volunteers for the USA is a cold blooded killer, many enlist to lift themselves out of their current situation.

If you think getting paid for murdering complete strangers is a viable way to escape poor social conditions, you are still a murderer. Just like religious zealots, i refuse to give you double standards just because it's socially acceptable to do so.

Do you really want to hold military men to lower standards than the rest of us? Murdering strangers is murdering strangers. Call it whatever you want, war, patriotism, defending the country... but at the end of the day you're still justifying the murder of someone basically defending their homes, their families, and their countries.

I never called anyone cold blooded - I personally think they are suffering extreme delusions, inventing justifications probably as a defense mechanism against comprehending what they are actually doing. One's emotional body has to be severely damaged to commit such acts.

rupertg
send every politician
sons and daughters on the frontline
then they would think twice before starting b.s. wars

Some how I'm not convinced you're right about that.

reply to post by Son of Will

I get what you're saying. I 'get it' completely. However, your point of view is viable only in a perfect world. The world's not perfect ... and I don't see perfection in the future.

let the old men that start the war, fight the war.

Mmm...

Afghanistan eh?

Fought over for centuries now, by many "occupying" countries for a variety of reasons.

It's the second time the Brits have been in there in significant numbers, the Soviets took a pasting and Uncle Sam is getting the same treatment.

The politicians send the troops having failed to learn from the lessons of past wars. Death in a foreign land, far from home, fighting a war, incursion, support action, peacekeeping mission or whatever sound bite is placed upon the action, is no way for a member of anyone's armed forces to die, especially when the majority of the poor souls would not really understand or believe the reasons given for them to be there, wherever that may be.

Whatever your religion, beliefs or otherwise, losing your loved one in these useless wars is a terrible thing to bear, and at this time of the year, for the majority, that death will be all the harder to live with.

A little thought and sympathy for the dead of all sides by us "keyboard warriors" may ease the burden of those piecing together their lives.

Dave Allen, an Irish comedian used to end his TV show with the words "Goodnight and may your God Go with you". I would echo that statement.

It is sad that we lost 6 more lives in this part of the world, but what is even sadder to me is that no one has noticed the elephant in the room.....

Which is the FACT that we have no business being in Afghanistan!

None whatsoever!

The US entered into Afghanistan for the sole purpose to "capture or kill Osama Bin Laden". That job is done. It has been done and we didnt even find him in Afghanistan! Our fight is not with the Taliban! The Taliban did not attack us on 9/11. No citizens of Afghanistan attacked us on 9/11. We did not even have to go into Afghanistan to begin with when you consider the FACT (and this is a fact), that the Taliban offered to turn over Bin Laden on several occasions and the Bush Administration refused and opted to put troops into harms way.

We have no business there. We do not belong there. As much as I hate seeing our boys die there, the truth is... what do you expect? Those people in Afghanistan have every right to defend themselves from an attacker, and in this case, US troops are the attackers thanks to the dipsh*ts in Washington DC who sent them there.

When the dust has settled and the final bodies made their journey along their own Highway of Heroes those that were responsible will observe the folly of their ways.
Whether they will learn from their predictable follies or not is a foregone conclusion based on the facts of history - they won't, and part of the reason is that they don't have to as it is not their children they are sending to their deaths.
I doubt there are many members of ATS who would disagree with the right to defend ones country, people and freedom, but when it comes to the likes of Afghanistan there's no way on earth the West should be embedded there. Where are the Middle East "police" in all this, surely the teachings of Islam are not that different to the West with regard to killing innocents I.e.the population?

reply to post by Asktheanimals

The only thing hated by people in this thread is war.

But yet I read:

anyone enlisting knows they are going for the money and the thrill to kill

or

Maybe the next generation can wise up and teach their children the truth.

and

If you think getting paid for murdering complete strangers is a viable way to escape poor social conditions, you are still a murderer.

Sorry, not buying it. The US military goes where it's civilian leaders tell it to go. The American public determines who those civilian leaders are and, by extension, send their military abroad. If that public does not like war, why does it not do something about it? Absolving ones self of responsibility by blaming the agent of ones own inability to act does not cut it.

reply to post by g146541


Not newsworthy? I would hate to assume you would rather hear of blah blah Miley, blah blah obamacare, etc etc ad nauseam? I have served multiple times in Iraq as well as other theatres. I have been in 18 years friend and can tell you honestly it wasn't to thrill kill and the money surely isn't great either. Anywho, I am going to hope you didn't mean you don't stand behind the military because feel free to stand in front. Namaste

countingcoup
reply to post by g146541

 

Not newsworthy? I would hate to assume you would rather hear of blah blah Miley, blah blah obamacare, etc etc ad nauseam? I have served multiple times in Iraq as well as other theatres. I have been in 18 years friend and can tell you honestly it wasn't to thrill kill and the money surely isn't great either. Anywho, I am going to hope you didn't mean you don't stand behind the military because feel free to stand in front. Namaste

Not newsworthy, nor is the other trash you mention. Other than the lies of obamacare
I can tell you are a proud individual as you signed on multiple times.
This is most probably why you MUST believe the lie of why we were there and that you were lied to and played.
There could be no other reason.
I stand behind the idea of the US and it's constitution, and until there is a real threat, I don't see a need to go out bombing the hell out of the world.

reply to post by Zaphod58


God Bless the Men and Women serving our Country all over the world. This is a tragedy and I really feel for the families of the six dead. Apparently one survivor,(this individual should be able to clear up what actually happened as long as the injuries are not life threatening) in this latest post, no indication that the Black Hawk helicopter was brought down by enemy fire. I would see no reason to hide this fact if it were true, as they have on many previous occasions have indicated enemy fire or accident.

By Cid Standifer
Stars and Stripes
Share
Published: December 20, 2013
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Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Joshua B. Silverman
U.S. ARMY
KABUL — Five of the soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday were with the 1st Infantry Division based at Fort Riley, Kan., and the sixth was with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment based in Vilseck, Germany, the Defense Department announced.

The six were killed when their UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter went down in Naw Bahar district in Zabul province. Officials haven’t announced the cause of the crash, but say they don’t believe it was caused by enemy fire. There was one survivor, who hasn’t been named.

Stars and Stripes Source

Agent_USA_Supporter
If an Republican wins in 2016 expect our forces to stay till forever.

If a President wins the election expect
US to be there forever.
Dem or Rep

reply to post by ItDepends


I have a source that I trust that says they're lying. It was definitely enemy fire that brought them down. They apparently don't want to say how it happened, and it was an unusual way, but it was absolutely not an engine problem.

reply to post by Zaphod58


I wonder what kind of "unusual way" the Taliban has at it's disposal that they could use to bring down a helo? If it was something of any kind of tech, I wonder if some third party was involved?

reply to post by Sammamishman


It's a way that is known to other SOF types, and has been trained to do, but it's not a way that you would normally think of. I can't go into much detail about it, but it took me by surprise.

I decided to sign-up with ATS because I wanted to learn and contribute.
The site is awesome and many of its members have much to offer.
Where I am concerned, not enough to lose any sleep mind you, is the sheer amount of speculation, tittle tattle and off-plot keyboard warrior rubbish that finds it's way in here.
I followed ATS for a considerable period of time before coming in from outside, once I was satisfied I was reasonably competent in reading between the lines. I learnt that the devil was in the detail and how to spot the ne'er do wells and the others who really should go elsewhere with their bile.
The mods and site owners have a battle on their hands keeping things on plot at the best of times.

A previous comment refers to the Constitution, I learnt about that in '76 when I was there for the BiCentennial. I known first hand how much the US public and it's forces believe in both the Constitution and The Flag.
I have been back many times since and have relatives and friends in NY State, NJ, SC, Fl., PA, CA and can claim to understand a bit more than the average non-US citizen about the US. Leaving Politics out of the equation, the US is still a country that is proud of itself and especially it's flag, you only have to walk an average urban street to see that.
I have visited Ft Sumpter on more than one occasion and just stood there to feel the pure history of the place. Each time I visit Beaufort SC I take time to visit a quiet corner of a churchyard and pay my respect to the graves of 2 English Soldiers buried there, it is ironic to see 2 Union Jacks in a graveyard where so many flags are the Stars and Stripes or The Southern Cross.

So where have I taken you to, reader?
Hopefully, full circle. The OP relates to the death of 6 US service personnel, whatever the reasons for them being there, these guys were doing their job, having accepted the risk that being a true warrior, rather than the keyboard kind, they knew what could happen in theatre, and add to that flying round in a machine that exists by the interaction of a piece of metal known as "The Jesus Nut" with the rest of the machine and it's load they were under no illusions about what could happen when things go wrong. Enemy fire, friendly fire, mechanical failure, bad JuJu, whatever, these poor souls are now dead and deserve some respect.

The power of ATS lies with its members, truth outs in the end no matter how much speculation, obfuscation or crap that precedes it. Look at the truth gushing out from Wiki and Snowden issues, even your President is now acknowledging something was wrong!
ATS will not stay as it is, it is evolving, I look forward to learning and contributing.

Respect to those affected by the continuing mistakes of the Politico's.

These people had no honour or dignity, it left them when THEY MADE THE DECISION TO ENLIST for a military that is responsible for more civilian deaths than any terrorist activity in the last decade and which is ordered around by the likes of Bush and Obama. They are not doing anything honourable or dignified in Afghanistan, protecting the Heroin fields for the CIA. America is not hated by the world because of its 'values' or 'freedoms' it is hated because of it's military occupancy and meddling of other countries.

To those that say 'oh they should be honoured, damn them political leaders for sending them!' you are doing a diservice to the human race. Everyone has a mind to DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, and last time I checked enlisting in the military was not obligatory. It was their decision to join and they paid the price...

To those who think I'm being a bit heartless, well let me tell you an inconveniant truth, the fact is that you value the life of a US soldier, more than an Iraqi man or Afghani child. 1 Million civilians have died in Iraq since the war so far, where were your cries and tears for them? What was their fault? The Afghani wedding which was bombed by the US, what was their fault? Why did those mothers carrying little babies have to get bombed out of this world? Should they not be honoured? Now who has more honour and dignity, the one defending his family and home, or the one dropping bombs on a foreign land in the hopes of catching a 'phantom' enemy?