Afghanistan

Letter to Marines on Afghanistan from CMC Berger, SMMC Black

The following is an Aug. 18, 2021 letter from Gen. David Berger and Sgt. Maj. Troy Black to Marines on the current situation in Afghanistan.

18 August 2021

Marines,

As each of us tries to comprehend the speed and scope of events in Afghanistan this week, some may be struggling with a simple question: “Was it all worth it?” We see videos and photos, we read stories that bring back memories for some of us, and it becomes intensely personal. We value human life and we want to believe that what...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/18/letter-to-marines-on-afghanistan-from-cmc-berger-smmc-black

Afghanistan Exit Latest in Long History of U.S. Noncombatant Evacuation Missions 

A Vietnamese woman, carrying her son, is given a numbered tag as she arrives onboard USS Hancock (CV-19) on April 29, 1975. US Marine Corps Photo

The Pentagon acknowledged on Monday the evacuation of Americans and other U.S. diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan and Afghan emigrants is a “non-combatant evacuation operation,” a mission for U.S. forces to safeguard the exit of civilians and other non-combatants from a country.

Over the weekend, images from the rapid decline of security in...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/17/afghanistan-exit-latest-in-long-history-of-u-s-noncombatant-evacuation-missions

Free tests continue…

Free tests continue… 

Monaco; the marina and at the centre the Yacht Club de Monaco

Good Morning Monaco – Tuesday, August 17, 2021

Free coronavirus tests continue

Despite an announcement in mid-July that PCR coronavirus tests will no longer be offered free of charge from August 15, Monegasques and residents can continue to avail themselves of this service…

After Afghan rout, Macron makes noises

In an appeal that seems as certain to fall on deaf ears as a US appeal for the Taliban to be tolerant,...

https://allaboutshipping.co.uk/2021/08/17/free-tests-continue/

Pentagon Declares Afghanistan Exodus a Non-Combatant Evacuation as U.S. Marines, Soldiers Mass in Kabul

Afghanistan civililans attempt on the airfield as a C-17 attempts to take off from the Kabul airport.

The mass exodus of U.S. citizens and American allies from Afghanistan is now a military-assisted non-combatant evacuation operation as the security situation in the capital of Kabul has continued to devolve, a Pentagon spokesman said on Monday.

Last week, officials resisted calling the publicly unnamed operation a NEO – the first from a combat zone since the 2014 evacuation from Libya.

“This is a...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/16/pentagon-declares-afghanistan-exodus-a-non-combatant-evacuation-as-u-s-marines-soldiers-mass-in-kabul

How the Taliban takeover in landlocked Afghanistan will change shipping patterns

The Taliban takeover of landlocked Afghanistan is expected to change shipping patterns in Central Asia. Afghanistan had previously been working with India and Iran to develop Chabahar Port in Iran’s east. The port, in the works for the best part of the decade, has been seen as an alternative to...

https://splash247.com/how-the-taliban-takeover-in-landlocked-afghanistan-will-change-shipping-patterns/

Pentagon Sending 3,000 Troops To Evacuate U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan

A U.S. Marine with Task Force Southwest (TFSW) provides security for Marine advisors during an advising mission with 1st Brigade, Afghan National Army (ANA) 215th Corps as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conduct Operation Maiwand 12 at Camp Shorserack, Afghanistan, March 12, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo

The Pentagon is sending 3,000 troops – including two Marine Corps battalions – to Afghanistan to support the evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Kabul and move Afghans seeking visas...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/12/pentagon-sending-3000-troops-to-evacuate-u-s-embassy-in-afghanistan

Panel: U.S. Began Afghanistan War with Unrealistic Expectations

U.S. Soldiers and contractors load High Mobility Multi-purposed Wheeled Vehicles, HUMVs, to be sent for transport in support of the Resolute Support retrograde mission in Afghanistan on July 13, 2020. US Army Photo

American expectations of what could be achieved in Afghanistan – like establishing a democracy by defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban – were too high, while the U.S.’s early focus on revenge and justice following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the homeland, two national...

https://news.usni.org/2021/07/08/panel-u-s-began-afghanistan-war-with-unrealistic-expectations

NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan could further crimp airfreight supply

A giant nose-loading plane and a helicopter in front after being removed from the plane.

The diversion of large commercial jets to assist with the U.S. and NATO military withdrawal of troops and equipment from Afghanistan could create temporary transport shortages for companies seeking heavy airfreight capacity because freighters are already scarce, a regional manager for logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel said.

The Defense Department late Tuesday said the military drawdown from Afghanistan is nearly one-quarter complete thanks to airlift support from the Air Force and commercial...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/nato-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-could-further-crimp-airfreight-supply

CENTCOM Commander: U.S. ‘Completely Focused’ on Responsible Afghanistan Withdrawal

A U.S. Marine with Task Force Southwest (TFSW) provides security for Marine advisors during an advising mission with 1st Brigade, Afghan National Army (ANA) 215th Corps as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces conduct Operation Maiwand 12 at Camp Shorserack, Afghanistan, March 12, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo

U.S. Central Command’s top officer stressed today that the military is “completely focused” on responsibly withdrawing from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of...

https://news.usni.org/2021/04/27/centcom-commander-u-s-completely-focused-on-responsible-afghanistan-withdrawal

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