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This is a thread devoted to the discussion of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM (09/11/2001)(people, locations, events, books and other publications, battles, historic sites, maps, research information, etc.)

Please feel free to add any and all discussion information related to this topic area in this thread.

Bentley

Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is the official name used by the U.S. Government for the War in Afghanistan and Iraq, together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of the Global War on Terror (GWOT).

This was the conflict started after the 9/11 tragedy.

Sean M. Maloney

Also on Democracy Now:

The Safe Haven Myth:

Not sure what any folks might think about this view from Harvard professor Stephen Walt

Some of Walt's other books not on the thread's subject:

Stephen M. Walt

John J. Mearsheimer

Another kind of approach:

Bentley wrote: "Another kind of approach:

"


I havn't really been following this thread but seeing Mortenson's photo made me take note.
It is amazing to me that he seems to be never mentioned by our State Department (maybe it is to keep him and the schools safer?) - anyway he is really a hero and his storymakes me wonder what I have been doing with my life
I have taken to giving away copies of his book if he comes up in conversation - if one buys thru Amazon his organization gets a percentage (forgot how big)
his new book is out in hardbound but I assume taht was the publisher (three cups of Tea was always soft cover I think)
It is a very inspirational book and good reading
It seems that General McChrystal is on a saimilar track.
PS - I never heard of OEF - my son the marine had referred to OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and I had never heard of that before he mentioned it

I think Vince the terminology is different. (Afghanistan seems to be included in OEF, is primary and was the result of 9/11).

This is the complete write-up from wikipedia: (for OEF)



I think Operation Iraqi Freedom really refers to the Second Gulf War (what began on March 20, 2003 and is still on going) (OIF)



Who knows whether during all of this time they have become blurred.

As far as Mortenson...I think he has done an amazing job.

Bentley wrote: "Another kind of approach:

"

Mortenson's book was very moving, inspirational and informative. I have recommended this book to many people.

Dhenning1950 wrote: "Bentley wrote: "Another kind of approach:

"

Mortenson's book ..."

Hi Dhenning1950, I will keep my eye out for a copy of this book here in Australia.

I purchased a copy of "Stones into Schools" by the same author, it has raised some very good reviews so hopefully it will be an enjoyable and interesting read.

Greg Mortenson

Rick..this must be a new book by the author. Thank you for the post.

Bentley wrote: "Rick..this must be a new book by the author. Thank you for the post."

My pleasure, here's a blurb from the publisher in case readers want a little more information:

"In this dramatic first-person narrative, Greg Mortenson picks up where Three Cups of Tea left off in 2003, recounting his relentless, ongoing efforts to establish schools for girls in Afghanistan; his extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after a massive earthquake hit the region in 2005; and the unique ways he has built relationships with Islamic clerics, militia commanders, and tribal leaders even as he was dodging shootouts with feuding Afghan warlords and surviving an eight-day armed abduction by the Taliban. He shares for the first time his broader vision to promote peace through education and literacy, as well as touching on military matters, Islam, and women-all woven together with the many rich personal stories of the people who have been involved in this remarkable two-decade humanitarian effort."

Just finishing Three Cups of Tea and I'd like to read Stones into Schools. Fascinating story although, as I've noted elsewhere, not so well written. I hope the new one is an improvement on that front.

Doug wrote: "Just finishing Three Cups of Tea and I'd like to read Stones into Schools. Fascinating story although, as I've noted elsewhere, not so well written. I hope the new one is an improvement on that fr..."

Hi Doug, from the reviews I have seen on the internet this new book is a vast improvement in regards to writing style and is supposed to be a great story.

Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people along the Afghanistan and Pakistan border is unbelievable. His courage, dedication and sacrifice in helping humanity in building schools are extraordinary!

It reminded me of my Special Forces Civil Affairs Operations along Afghanistan & Pakistan border during 2002.

Our mission was to meet village elders, chiefs in providing humanitarian, food, water, medical patient care, medicine, educational school equipment such as paper, pencils, notebook binders, books, building new water wells and pumps, and sewage systems etc..

Till this day I still remember going into a village and speaking to several Afghan teachers at a small school with limited equipment furniture. Most of the equipment we provide to them was donated and mailed to us from school teachers from the United States and other U.S. Organizations providing, paper, pencils, books, notebook binders etc...

So, I can relate somewhat, to what Greg Mortenson was doing in Afghanistan. I would say that we even followed some of his ideas & techniques in building the schools in Afghan.

Regulo wrote: "Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people along the Afghanistan and Pakistan border is unbeli..."

Hi Regulo, it sounds like you were involved in some of the most interesting and hopefully productive work that the US and Allies have conducted in that region. The new book by Mortensen may very well interest you:

by Greg Mortenson

I am sure many people the world over appreciated the efforts of people like yourself and Greg Mortenson. I think that there is nothing more fulfilling than assisting others in times of trouble.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Regulo wrote: "Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people along the Afghanistan and Pakistan b..."

Regulo,

Having just finished Three Cups of Tea myself (I will post my positive review shortly) I'd be interested to hear more of your experiences about what the US has done to 'win the hearts and minds' of the Afghanis. Did you experience positive feedback from the locals?

Are you still in touch with people currently in Afghanistan? Mortenson mentions how locals perceive the Americans made promises (about rebuilding infrastructure, schools, etc.) which they didn't keep. It would be interesting to know how much effort we are now putting into keeping these promises and how much goodwill is being generated.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Regulo wrote: "Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people along the Afghanistan and Pakistan b..."

Hi Aussie, my apologies for the late response on this discussion! As I write you, it feels like, as if it was just yesterday in Afghanistan talking to the village warlords and village chiefs as an Army Special Forces soldier working in Special Forces Civil Affairs and helping the Afghans.

It was difinately an experience that I will remember for the rest of my life!

I have not read his new book, but hopefully I will soon.

Doug wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Regulo wrote: "Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people along the Afgha..."

Hi Doug, my apoloigies for the late response on this discussion! To answer your question yes, I'm still in touch with people in Afghanistan! Some are still in Kabul, Bagram, and South along the Pakita, Orgun-e border in Pakistan.

My Afghan translator was a Afghan Russian pilot at the time when Russians were in Afghan, and was shot down by a Afghan Mujahideen Fighter stinger- missles issued by us U.S.Army Special Forces. Incredible ...ha ha..Sometimes I wonder...what the hell!

As a soldier I still have mix feels about many things, but as I write to you, it feels like I'm still there in Afghanistan talking to them! I was there in the early days in 2002.

You mention what have we done to win the "Hearts and Minds" of the Afghan people. Well just the word Winning the Hearts and Minds is something that is always taught to us in Special Forces. Its hard to accomplish if you do have the support!

I would say that we as a soldier tried hard to help the Afghan villages in patient care, Medical supplies, equipment, recontruction of water wells, sewage systems, schools, etc.. The issue is Money, Time and fighting factions, and Politics!

You need to understand when your in Afghan, your in a totally different world, dealing with many different apects of the Afghan culture!

Anyone ...Please feel free to ask questions on this discussion!

Regulo wrote: "Doug wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Regulo wrote: "Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people a..."

Hi Regulo, when you look at the history of Afghanistan, the number of different empires that have attempted to conquer that country and area, the list is amazing, and it would seem that there were not many successful outcomes. I have a copy of the book below in my library, I think I will need to get it out and read it!

by Stephen Tanner

There is this new release covering the history of Afghanistan that is getting some decent reviews:

[image error] by Paul Fitzgerald

It must have been truly amazing to work in a country with so much history. Once you got away from the politics of the situation how did you find the local people?

One book I did enjoy reading covering this area and surrounding countries was:

by Christopher Kremmer

Regulo wrote: "Doug wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Regulo wrote: "Hello Doug, Aussie Rick, Don, Vince.
I also read Three Cups of Tea, Mortensen compelling story and journey in living and helping village people a..."

Thanks for the reply, Regulo. It will be interesting to see if the 'surge' in Afghanistan can generate the same positive results as the surge in Iraq. History seems pretty clear that outside forces can't cope with the difficult and complex environment, but I wonder how often a more cooperative approach, one that tries to win the support of the local population, has been tried.

A new release title in the US covering this period that may interest some readers:

by Eric Blehm

Publishers blurb:
"On a moonless night just weeks after September 11, 2001, U.S. Special Forces team ODA 574 infiltrates the mountains of southern Afghanistan with a seemingly impossible mission: to foment a tribal revolt and force the Taliban to surrender. Armed solely with the equipment they can carry on their backs, shockingly scant intelligence, and their mastery of guerrilla warfare, Captain Jason Amerine and his men have no choice but to trust their only ally, a little-known Pashtun statesman named Hamid Karzai who has returned from exile and is being hunted by the Taliban as he travels the countryside raising a militia.

The Only Thing Worth Dying For chronicles the most important mission in the early days of the Global War on Terror, when the men on the ground knew little about the enemy—and their commanders in Washington knew even less. With unprecedented access to surviving members of ODA 574, key war planners, and Karzai himself, award-winning author Eric Blehm cuts through the noise of politicians and high-level military officials to narrate for the first time a story of uncommon bravery and terrible sacrifice, intimately exposing the realities of unconventional warfare and nation-building in Afghanistan that continue to shape the region today."

This passage caught my eye in .

On Thursday, donor countries, led by the United States, Britain and Japan, are expected to commit $100 million a year to an Afghan fund for reintegrating the foot soldiers of the Taliban with jobs, cash and other inducements.

Seems like money well spent. Has anyone seen a budget for other similar activities, such as rebuilding infrastructure?

Doug wrote: "This passage caught my eye in this NY Times article.

On Thursday, donor countries, led by the United States, Britain and Japan, are expected to commit $100 million a year to an Afghan fund for rei..."

Hi Doug, thanks for your interesting post and the link to the NY Times article. Very interesting reading and it seems like its going to be a tricky situation for the US Government to deal with. I am sure that similar inducements have been used throughout history but how effective they have been long-term is debatable. I am sure if the money is used in re-building the infrastructure of the country and its society that they will get a much better response. Maybe the book "Stones into Schools" shows how it can be done and how effective it can be.

by Greg Mortenson

A note on the Battle of Marjah

Another nice article. Speaks quietly about the bravery of the soldiers fighting over there. Also says something about the advances in equipment.

Hi Erick,

Thanks for posting those links. Lance Cpl. Koenig had a very lucky brush with death didn't he! Amazing story.

It is great how he is back up on the roof within the hour. And then they talk about how relatively common that event occurs.

I just finished:

by Evan Wright

It was a good book, brash and written more for the troops that civilians. In parts graphic and gorey, in others flabergasting, and in yet others hold-your-sides-laughing funny. It was pretty eye opening, especially as I have just started reading about this war. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the foibles and frustrations of war that the sildiers see daily, and the victories they have in spite of them. Good book!

I also just found out (on Wikipedia) that one of the men in the book, First Lieutenant Nathaniel "Nate" Fick, also wrote a book (which I checked out of the library last week, unknowingly) called One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer now I'm going to have to read that one next!!

by Nathaniel Fick (no photo)

Hi Kristi, I didn't realise that I had the book by Nathaniel Fick and that he was the same guy in the DVD series "Generation Kill" until I was nearly half-way through the series! You might like to watch the DVD since you enjoyed the book so much:)

by Nathaniel Fick

by Evan Wright

I was/am an enormous fan of both the Generation Kill mini series and the book.
Having just done a re-read of the book, I am also re-watching the mini series.
It still has it after all these years. :-)

And I am only one read away from picking up
by Nathaniel Fick .
I am looking forward to seeing how he came to be the respected leader he was.
He seemed to have the perfect union of intelligence, calm and compassion.

p.s hi Kristi, glad to see a familiar face in here. I have only just joined this group. :-)

Hi Terri,

Good post and I'll be keen to hear your views on "One Bullet Away" as I am still yet to get around to reading it.

Don't forget if you mention a book in your post (Generation Kill) you need to add the book and author :)

by Nathaniel Fick

by Evan Wright

Oh, sorry, I was really talking about the Generation Kill mini series, but I suppose I did mention the book. :-)

Hi Terri, that's OK, I do it all the time and get smacked on the wrist so don't worry :)

Aussie Rick, have you read
by Donovan Campbell ?

My local library doesn't have it so wanted to know if it is worthwhile before trying to chase it down through a library exchange.

Hi Terri,

I have seen the book about but actually haven't read it. I am sure someone in the group has read it, like Andre or maybe Michael down in Tassie?

by Donovan Campbell

I have seen some very good reviews:


"Starred Review. Campbell decided as a junior at Princeton that attending Marine Corps Officer Candidate School would look good on his résumé. Three years later, in the spring of 2004, he was in Iraq commanding a platoon known by its radio call sign, Joker One. Campbell tells its story, and his, in an outstanding narrative of the Iraq War. Joker One counted around 40 dudes: country boys and smalltown jocks; a few Hispanics and a single black. Some were college men with futures; some had pasts they preferred to forget. The battalion was assigned to one of Iraq's worst hot spots: the city of Ramadi, where faceless enemies found shelter among 350,000 Iraqi civilians. Joker One fought from street to street, house to house and ambush to ambush for seven straight months. By the end of the tour, even the Gunny's hands had started ceaselessly shaking, Campbell writes. Faced with urgent life-and-death decisions, Campbell had learned that there are no great options... you live with the results and shut up about the whole thing. For all his constant self-questioning, Lt. Campbell brought Joker One home with only one KIA—a record as impressive as his account." - Publishers Weekly

"Critics praised Campbell as a gifted and deft writer who retells his Iraq tour in “powerful, exacting detail� (Dallas Morning News). While Campbell avoids much analysis of the war overall, or even his platoon’s specific mission, most critics found this to be a virtue. As the New York Times noted, Campbell “never quite puts his finger on the meaning, if any, of the extraordinary violence,� but he does “[lay] it all out for anyone else who wants to have a try.� Only the Denver Post found Campbell’s unreflective style trying, citing that the author “seems awkwardly obtuse when it comes to ascertaining the needs of other people.� Most reviewers, however, admired the book’s honest day-to-day look at attempting to quell the Iraqi insurgency." - Bookmarks Magazine

Terri wrote: "I was/am an enormous fan of both the Generation Kill mini series and the book.
Having just done a re-read of the book, I am also re-watching the mini series.
It still has it after all these years...."

Hey Terri! Great to see you here! I LOVE this group! Did you still want to read
by Nathaniel Fick
together? I still haven't gotten around to reading it. We could read it in February...

Aussie Rick, I have heard great things about
by Donovan Campbell
as well. Need to read that one too!

HI Kristi!
You bet I'll do a buddy read of by Nathaniel Fick . And Feb is perfect for me.

Early Feb? Mid Feb? Or late Feb?

It looks like it is available at my Library right now...so Early Feb. If that works for you. I'll get it next Friday!

Oh and did you get my message the other day about
Michael J. Durant (no image available) ?

I got the wrong one from the library. Got out accidently;
Fred Pushies (no image available)

The wrong one was still an interesting book to flick through, but quite technical.
I then discovered that my library doesn't have the one you recommended (the Durant one).

Perfect. I am on a book right now and am moving slow with it because I have been busy. So start of Feb is ideal. :-)

That's a bummer. I'm listening to it as an Audiobook, I got it through Audible.com, maybe that is an option for you? It's pretty awesome!

by Michael J. Durant

Great, I will get it Friday then!

I'm not great with non-fiction/biography/memoirs/autobiog on audio. I like to be able to flick back in the book sometimes to re check things. And I like to be able to look at maps and photos.
I have
by Lt. William G. Boykin (no author image avail')
out from the library on both audio and book to see how I feel about non fiction on audio, but after giving it a little listen I couldn't appreciate it as much as reading the first chapter of the book.

If worse comes to worse, I may end up buying
by Michael J. Durant
and
by Donovan Campbell

It's definitely good enough to buy. Just added
by Lt. William G. Boykin
To my TBR list too...wow, it's sure growing tonight!

:-) *bows* glad to be of service.

Hi Terri,

trust me, it's terrific!

His writing style is a little more "distanced" than David Bellavia in House to House (where he literally takes you directly into a fight to the death over several pages, so tense that it feels as if you the reader, not the writer/soldier, gets punched in the face and more).
But he sure takes you there. His writing style is good enough and his memory excellent, detailed even to the funny moments - one I'll never forget (this is my memory - hope I got it right) where Donovan Campbell watches one if his men running around in a pantyhose, turns, then checks again watching more of them all smeared, bloody and stuff... He asks what the @$% is going on. It turns out they're all medics practicing with needles to get ready for the real thing, how to react when they have to deal with several wounded at the same time.

Joker One by Donovan Campbell
House to House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia

Good post Andre, thanks for the extra information on "Joker One", I'm sure it helped Terri & Kristi cement their decision to read the book :)

by Donovan Campbell

I really like to see the stress of these war books broken by humour, so, after the medic scene you told me about in Joker One, that has ticked that box.

I liked House to House, gave it 4 stars I think, but one of the things I didn't like about it was Bellavia's hard core, over pumped attitude.
I could see why his men didn't like him (his words, not mine). :-) But I guess he was a Staff Sergeant wasn't he? And Sergeants are in a league of their own. I remember reading him saying that he had found out that the men had been betting on him in a list of 5 (I think it was 5) men most likely to get fragged first.

I always approach war memoirs with caution, because I can't stand that over pumped "we're going to blow these $%&^#$s apart!! Fill them full of red, white and blue lead! Hoorah!!" :-)
I think in Generation Kill, the First Recon Marines called it "moto shit"??

Don't get me wrong. I don't mind a bit of "Get Some!". But there is a fine line between pumped up cheeseball and adrenaline charged soldier.

by Donovan Campbell
by David Bellavia
by Evan Wright

Terri, I can see your point, but I think we all react differently when in the middle of a life threatening situation. I for one have never been in one where I was attacked - although I once found myself pressed into a wall by an out of control truck/driver - but I can understand the rage coming up when you watch your friends being blown to bits. Some feelings are hard to control. But, as I said, we're all different.