34,000 US troops out of Afghanistan by this time next year, Obama to announce in SOTU address - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/v-t4.jpg[/img] [url]http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/12/politics/obama-sotu-afghanistan-troops/index.html[/url] [quote]In his State of the Union speech Tuesday, President Obama will announce that by this time next year, 34,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan will have returned home, according to sources with knowledge of the president's speech. The move will reduce the number of U.S. forces in the country by more than half. There are now about 66,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.[/quote]

About god damn time. [editline]12th February 2013[/editline] They'll just be replaced with drones to continue the war anyway.

He sure knows how to take time!

Hopefully the lads will be deployed somewhere they're needed. And UN doesn't decide that they still need us their.

[QUOTE=Moustacheman;39562655]Hopefully the lads will be deployed somewhere they're needed.[/QUOTE] Hopefully no

How about 66,000, Bama? Who am I kidding - he's probably lying about 34,000.

-snip-

[QUOTE=UziXxX;39563782]Didn't he say this in 2008 when he was running for president[/QUOTE] No, [url=http://articles.cnn.com/2008-07-20/politics/obama.afghanistan_1_presumptive-democratic-presidential-nominee-afghanistan-afghan-president-hamid-karzai?_s=PM:POLITICS]he pledged[/url] to send more troops to Afghanistan, and then did

[QUOTE=smurfy;39563909]No, [url=http://articles.cnn.com/2008-07-20/politics/obama.afghanistan_1_presumptive-democratic-presidential-nominee-afghanistan-afghan-president-hamid-karzai?_s=PM:POLITICS]he pledged[/url] to send more troops to Afghanistan, and then did[/QUOTE] You're right. I resend my statement. I got confused between the Iraq war and Afghanistan war.

While it is good to know that combat operations are winding down in Afghanistan, it upsets me to think that a large proportion of people on this forum seem to think it was entirely pointless.

[QUOTE=Matriax;39564343]While it is good to know that combat operations are winding down in Afghanistan, it upsets me to think that a large proportion of people on this forum seem to think it was entirely pointless.[/QUOTE] As a former serviceman, I have to say it didn't get useless until recently. We've got the Afghani Army trained, and the "resource," theory was wrong to begin with. We were essentially staying because UN wanted us to.

this is great because then the ones that are still going to be there will DEFINITELY be undermanned and even more incapable of even holding their own strategically

So wait...there is still a war going on out there? Honestly, I don't know..what the crap is America still doing there? Didn't they already kill Bin Laden?

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;39570628]So wait...there is still a war going on out there? Honestly, I don't know..what the crap is America still doing there? Didn't they already kill Bin Laden?[/QUOTE] lol you're funny

[QUOTE=Moustacheman;39562655]Hopefully the lads will be deployed somewhere they're needed. And UN doesn't decide that they still need us their.[/QUOTE] i think our soldiers are needed at home. so yea i hope they really are deployed where they are needed.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;39570628]So wait...there is still a war going on out there? Honestly, I don't know..what the crap is America still doing there? Didn't they already kill Bin Laden?[/QUOTE] America isn't the only country in Afghanistan y'know

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39570673]i think our soldiers are needed at home. so yea i hope they really are deployed where they are needed.[/QUOTE] What do you mean by needed at home?

[QUOTE=Splash Attack;39570806]What do you mean by needed at home?[/QUOTE] i mean instead of getting shot at and shooting at people in other countries, our soldiers should stay in the usa. our soldiers deserve better than what they are suffering through right now.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39570823]i mean instead of getting shot at and shooting at people in other countries, our soldiers should stay in the usa. our soldiers deserve better than what they are suffering through right now.[/QUOTE] I wouldn't necessarily say suffering. They got BK and TGI Fridays at some bases. Downtown Afghanistan represent.

They had a subway, pizza hut, burger king, and popeye's at Bagram Air Field. Granted, on the FOB I was at they had none of that, but it is closing down and everything is going to be run out of Bagram. Bagram was great for the couple days I was there. Also, I understand the sentiment that we are somehow "needed at home," but the fact of the matter is that when we are in garrison (not deployed) we are either training to keep our skills sharp, or doing a lot of random, stupid bullshit. It is a nice sentiment, but you simply cannot beat deployment for what it teaches you, and the extra money that you can provide for your family. I am all for us getting out of Afghanistan, and luckily I was part of the first wave of Soldiers this year to be pulled out. The Garrison Army is what it is, and we will just have to suck it up and deal with it.

[QUOTE=InvaderNouga;39570866]I wouldn't necessarily say suffering. They got BK and TGI Fridays at some bases. Downtown Afghanistan represent.[/QUOTE] Oh they have Burger King that makes up for the regular mental and psychological trauma they go through.

[QUOTE=DaysBefore;39573472]Oh they have Burger King that makes up for the regular mental and psychological trauma they go through.[/QUOTE] I really don't get this mentality that we are constantly undergoing mental trauma. That is simply not the case. Perhaps on the most remote combat outposts, maybe. However, the simple reality is that it has calmed down considerably.

[QUOTE=SKEEA;39573635]I really don't get this mentality that we are constantly undergoing mental trauma. That is simply not the case. Perhaps on the most remote combat outposts, maybe. However, the simple reality is that it has calmed down considerably.[/QUOTE] No offense intended; you're a helicopter mechanic? Most AFBs/FOBs don't get shelled, but patrolmen are still at risk of battle. [editline]13th February 2013[/editline] -snip-

[QUOTE=Zambies!;39573675]No offense intended; you're a helicopter mechanic? Most AFBs/FOBs don't get shelled, but patrolmen are still at risk of battle.[/QUOTE] Where do you get your information? We got plenty of incoming, and even a ground attack. It does happen. However, I do not take offense to it. What I am just wondering is that somehow people assume that just because people get into combat they automatically come back with horrible trauma and PTSD and shit. That just doesn't happen to everyone.

[QUOTE=SKEEA;39573751]Where do you get your information? We got plenty of incoming, and even a ground attack. It does happen. However, I do not take offense to it. What I am just wondering is that somehow people assume that just because people get into combat they automatically come back with horrible trauma and PTSD and shit. That just doesn't happen to everyone.[/QUOTE] The media doesn't really like happy endings of joyous homecoming of soldiers, so our news outlets spew nothing but stories of how soldiers returning home have mental issues and depression, can't "fit back in" with society and so forth.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;39573763]The media doesn't really like happy endings of joyous homecoming of soldiers, so our news outlets spew nothing but stories of how soldiers returning home have mental issues and depression, can't "fit back in" with society and so forth.[/QUOTE] This is mostly the case. I mean, there undoubtedly is a major issue when we have more than a suicide per day of soldiers, but most are not traumatized or negatively impacted by their positions. But, it's about time we got our hands out of this pie. Teach the Afghans to take care of themselves and then get the fuck out. And while we're at it, pull out of all of the 150+ countries we're deployed in right now. The reason we're sitting around in these countries is to protect American economic interests, and sometimes diplomatic interests, and there's no reason for us to be doing that. Our military should act as a defensive force, not an offensive force, and ought to only act against another nation in direct retaliation or in an international mandate to act internationally, as a part and not a leading force.

[QUOTE=Zambies!;39573675]No offense intended; you're a helicopter mechanic? Most AFBs/FOBs don't get shelled, but patrolmen are still at risk of battle. [editline]13th February 2013[/editline] -snip-[/QUOTE] My friend in the Israeli Defense Force is a mechanic too. His base got shelled at least once that I know of and two people died (he nearly died too)

[QUOTE=SKEEA;39573751]Where do you get your information? We got plenty of incoming, and even a ground attack. It does happen. However, I do not take offense to it. What I am just wondering is that somehow people assume that just because people get into combat they automatically come back with horrible trauma and PTSD and shit. That just doesn't happen to everyone.[/QUOTE] i'm going to make the assumption that battle is emotionally stressful and negative whether you come back with ptsd or not.

[QUOTE=Jurikuer;39570628]So wait...there is still a war going on out there? Honestly, I don't know..what the crap is America still doing there? Didn't they already kill Bin Laden?[/QUOTE] Dont worry, those who dont respond to you except me all agree with you.

Then what do these 34000 people do? Apparently the guy who shot Osama is out of work, what chance do these guys have?