If our politicians are not willing to risk their careers declaring war, then why should we expect our soldiers do die in them?
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On Afghanistan
It is with a solemn heart that I write to you today about our withdrawal from Afghanistan. For the past twenty years, our forces have been engaged with radical Islamic terrorist organizations in Afghanistan and the surrounding regions. During that time, the American people were told by our military and political leaders that ongoing military ops was critical to combatting the war on terror.
We did not “win” in Afghanistan because we had a constantly shifting strategy, limited resources, and unrealizable objectives that changed as often as the administration's command philosophy. When there is a lack of clarity and oversight, corruption takes hold. Nation-building was never acknowledged as the objective in Afghanistan, therefore inadequate funding and resources were allocated towards Afghan infrastructure after the initial defeat of the Taliban. The modern Counterinsurgency Manual had not even been published in 2001 and would not be for several years into the war.
Our continued involvement in Afghanistan after the death of Osama Bin Laden was justified by the need to deny the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and terrorist organizations a base of operations in Afghanistan. For twenty years, our servicemen and women deployed to Afghanistan and completed that mission. Their service and sacrifice should be honored, not labeled a waste.
At the end of WWII, we had a comprehensive strategy and plan to Nation Build. The Marshall Plan provided the dependable stability and peace necessary to create economic opportunity from the ashes of war. Because we had clear objectives, defined non military civil strategy, adequate funding, and the support of the international community, we succeeded.
What we had in Afghanistan was a prolonged, undefined, shifting mission, and military engagements. All of which filled the coffers of Haliburton, Blackwater, and our weapons manufacturing industry; none of which establish real economic opportunity, security, and or stability in Afghanistan.
Congress should be more involved in the decision to engage and disengage our forces abroad. Blanket authority for military interventions should be a legacy. The use of military force should always be a last resort and Congress should have to make specific declarations of war and or authorizations for the use of force in every engagement that does not imminently threaten National Security or our allies.
If Congress had been doing its job with respect to War Powers, the Executive Branch would have had to consult the Congress on the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the conduct thereof. Our allies, friends, and interpreters, would have been evacuated prior to the dismantling of the resources needed for that evacuation. Unfortunately Congress was not and is not adequately involved. Blanket authorities and lack of oversight cause executive blunders and undefined open ended military operations.
Ike McCorkle served 18 years in the United States Marine Corps and Special Operations before earning his Purple Heart and being medically discharged in 2014.
If our Representatives are not willing to risk their careers over a vote, why should we expect our service members to risk their lives?
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Whenever our military forces are engaged abroad they should be given clear and realizable objectives based on the capabilities and limitations of our force. For decades Congress has neglected its responsibilities of oversight which has resulted in a near unilateral executive.
Career military service members in Congress are at a historic low. We need a Congress that understands the capabilities and limitations of our force and that will execute its responsibilities of oversight and war powers. Congress needs to define the true National Security threats of the day and focus the US military and research and development on addressing those existential threats. America must lead the free world into a clean energy high tech future and start living up to the Nation we have always promised ourselves to be.
The use of military force should always be a last resort and once engaged there should be no question. The world must know that it can trust and depend on consistent American foreign policy.
-Ike McCorkle
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