Afghans Attack Base, Kill two Marines, Destroy 6 Jets

[SgtMerc]

Sorry if this is a dupe, but i searched "harrier" and didn't find anything.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57513697/attackers-in-afghanistan-wore-u.s-uniforms/

Updated 9:29 PM ET

(AP) WASHINGTON - Coalition military authorities in Afghanistan say the insurgents who attacked a British airfield in southwestern Afghanistan on Friday, killing two U.S. Marines, wore U.S. Army uniforms and destroyed six Harrier fighter jets.

They said in a statement Saturday that about 15 insurgents carried out the attack, describing the attack as well coordinated by insurgents who were "well equipped, trained and rehearsed." Fourteen of the 15 were killed. One was captured.

They said attackers penetrated the base's perimeter and were armed with automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and suicide vests. Besides destroying six planes, they destroyed three refueling stations on the base and damaged six aircraft hangars.

Coalition authorities have not yet identified the two Marines killed. Eight military members and one civilian contractor were also injured in the assault.

I spent my first 5 years working in VMA-513 (the squadron two blocks away on the same base). We spent a year in afghanistan (oct 2002- sep 2003) because our replacements got sent to OIF.

The entire time we were there, we only got attacked a few times. But nothing on this scale.

Two Marines and one civilian contractor dead, it doesn't specify what their duties were.

6 harriers were destroyed. That's the entire detachment for most deployments.

And the fact that the attackers wore US Army clothing....

You have no idea how angry i am right now.

[Clownpuncher]

Honestly, it doesn't surprise me. We have become so complacent and trusting of TCN's that I am surprised something like this hasn't happened sooner.

[KCDS]

^^This

When I was at A-stan in 09', there were TCNs just about everywhere in the base had all kinds of assess to communication, hazard materials like fuel and stuff

[SgtMerc]

Well, i agree with that. When we were there in 02-03, low ranking troops like myself were placed on "hadji watch." Our job? To sit in the cab of the pump trucks while the locals drove from camp to camp sucking toothpaste water out of the drainage ditches.

We relied on local nationals to work our chow hall, too. I remember the morning i spent several hours in the portajohn because they had slipped strychnine into the chow. (just enough to make us sick collectively. i don't think there were any deaths.)

some soldiers also found explosives under the chow tent while they were chasing an errant football.

It's ridiculous how we trust LNs in hostile zones.

[navycorpsman]

Sccrew Them all my bro just got in country with 2/7. And i am trying to get a deployment through reserves but harder then i thought.

[laabstract]

US Uniforms are very easy to come by, All you have to do is place a order with the right company in china and you get nice looking ACU's Marpat and any other uniforms you are looking at.

[Scuba Steve33]

US Uniforms are very easy to come by, All you have to do is place a order with the right company in china and you get nice looking ACU's Marpat and any other uniforms you are looking at.

Very true. I was in country in 2010 when the wave of suicide attacks increased including the Kabul and Bagram bases getting hit hard by large, coordinated attacks like this where the attackers wore military uniforms. Six Germans working with us were killed when a dude blew himself up on a patrol with us. If we had taken point that time it would have been us.

[boltmopar]

It was only a matter of time. When we were leaving Iraq in 06, a lot of people were trowing their uniforms in the trash, because we were getting new ones to replace them in country. The LNs would dig them out of the trash. That stopped right away when our 1SG had us burn the uniforms we didn't want.

[Snoopy47]

It's ridiculous how we trust LNs in hostile zones.

That's what happens when wars are run by those that call the defeated "host nations"

[Cali-Shooter]

I haven't read of military news as rage-inducing as this is since the SEAL team chopper got shot down by Taliban.

Whoever was present as the acting authority of that airfield needs to get his *** chewed out, to be fooled by afghans in US Army BDUs.

[sd_shooter]

The entire war effort in the middle east is based on false premises. The fact is that everyone there is a potential terrorist/freedom fighter. They locals don't want us there and don't need us there. Yet we are training them as if they are going to be an ally.

It's time to get out.

[Sunday]

That is what Afgans do best. The soviets can't do it neither can the U.S. . Name the last war since WW II the U.S. won? All the money and resources wasted . Well the corporations profited as well as the politicians who received the lobby money did real good.

[Cali-Shooter]

Name the last war since WW II the U.S. won?

Invasion of Grenada.

Invasion of Panama.

Operation Desert Storm.

Although Desert Storm was half-assed, since they had to go back and 'liberate' Iraq over 10 years later by ousting the madman the U.S. put there in the first place. They should have gone all the way back in 1991.

I guess you could also count the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and Afghan war, although the insurgency afterwards renders the victories a Pyrrhic one.

[Sunday]

Invasion of Grenada.

Invasion of Panama.

Operation Desert Storm.

Although Desert Storm was half-assed, since they had to go back and 'liberate' Iraq over 10 years later by ousting the madman the U.S. put there in the first place. They should have gone all the way back in 1991.

I guess you could also count the 2003 Invasion of Iraq and Afghan war, although the insurgency afterwards renders the victories a Pyrrhic one.

So not really any victorys eh!

[Cali-Shooter]

So not really any victorys eh!

Depends on your definition of 'victory.'

A battle or war won at that time counts, but if you take into account the long term effects after certain wars, some countries are better off despite being the loser, and some are worse off despite being the victor in war.

For instance, after the Spanish-American war, in which the U.S. defeated Spain and effectively ended the Spanish empire, Spain actually ended up becoming more economically stable afterwards, because of Spaniards in Cuba and America re-investing in Spain, which helped to develop the country's modern steel, chemical, financial, mechanical, textile, shipyard, and electrical power industries.