Things we don't understand - the Afghan war, part 3

I don't understand the Afghan war. Not at all. My first Afghanistan post was about pedophilia. The second was about how our Afghan allies don't care squat about us, how our military operates and how Americans are uninformed. This is about the bizarre way our military operates there. It raises the question, yet again: Why are ordinary Americans like me so terribly uninformed? Why do our tax dollars support it? How do we withdraw our consent to be governed like this? Those are the questions.

Context: Baghram Air Force base and it's security is under the control of the U.S. Air Force. It is an air base, not an army fort and not where navy boats land and do their things. Because of that, the USAF (air force) is responsible for Baghram's security and the security of all U.S. military personnel on the base, including Marines, army folks and all the rest.

Ship going

It's my toy and I don't share

The question of security at Baghram comes to mind because the base receives periodic shelling from insurgents and that occasionally kills our personnel. How does the Air Force deal with that? Apparently, they don't take it seriously. Once a shell lands in the base, the Air Force refuses to use a quick strike retaliatory weapon that both it and the Army has. Maybe they don't even have it deployed. This weapon** can target and return fire to the point of attack within a few seconds. It has computers, GPS stuff and acoustic or other types of sensors. It is an efficient killing machine.

Other toys: The Air Force also refuses to deploy a drone to patrol the area, except when a big cheese like Vice President Biden shows up for a visit (that happened in the last week or two). When big cheese shows, the USAF deploys all the hardware, software and finest crockery with a vengeance. They are just showing what a great job they do (with our tax dollars). The big cheese is, as usual, clueless. Or, if the cheese isn't out to lunch, it isn't telling us boob taxpayers about anything of import. The whole thing reeks of the Python hospital skit from decades ago about the big cheese (an idiot administrator) showing up in the operating room. Unfortunately, this isn't funny - its real.

Ship coming

So, what is the situation? Apparently this. About once or twice a week a mortar or rocket or two (or three) lands somewhere in Baghram. Sometimes one of our soldiers is wounded and falls. Regardless of carnage, the USAF refuses to send an ambulance or medical personnel until the all clear is sounded. The Army (presumably also marines, but I have no info on that) medical guys are willing to go out immediately and help the wounded. Unfortunately, they are limited in what they can do and in particular cannot access the USAF trauma unit at Baghram until the all clear is given.

How long??: The all clear isn't given for 20-30 minutes, which is the amount of time the USAF needs to get a ferocious warplane off the ground and into the general neighborhood of where the attack came from. By then of course, the bad guys are long gone (they are not stupid - all the stupid ones were killed long ago) and there's nothing left to shoot at except rocks and bugs. But, at least the roar of the jet en route is impressive, by golly.

You can't play with your toys here

because its my sandbox

According to my source, the Army has the same weapon to locate incoming fire, quickly target it and kill the offending low-tech boobs or insurgents (Taliban, Al Qaida, whatever else they are) who have the audacity to lob shells into Baghram. Although our USAF can use this wonderful weapon we paid for, they won't. Why? Just because, that's why. No other reason. And, they won't permit the Army to deploy it either for the same "reason".

Arrogance sometimes knows no bounds.

The sorry result: Unfortunately, the USAF's penchant to hide in safety and comfort while wounded U.S. military personnel lie wounded on the ground occasionally has bad consequences. Sometimes (a few times a year) one of our folks bleeds to death before the USAF ends their hunkering down and blows the all clear klaxon. Then the ambulance comes out, siren screaming, officers bellowing and all the other cool stuff. Access to the trauma unit is then allowed.

The question

Remember the question posed at the beginning? Why are ordinary Americans like me so uninformed? Well, if this story is true (and I believe it is), it is pretty clear why the U.S. government and military wants to keeps us fool mushroom taxpayers in the dark. We get to pay and they get to play. At our expense and without the consent of us who do not consent.

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** I can't find a link to this weapon and my source at Baghram doesn't know what it is called. I have asked and my inquiries continue. Based on my research, means to detect the location of incoming fire has been available to the U.S. military since about 2006. Other stories on military discussion sites confirm some other stories (not yet posted) I have heard (guns without bullets but not nail clippers going thru airport security). Given the situation, I imagine that a weapon to detect incoming fire and quickly return fire exists. If the level of our military spending is any indicator, it darn well better exist. We paid for it in spades.

I can only keep looking for confirmation (or denial) that this weapon (and the rest of this sick story and others I posted) exists and my information is accurate. What I am hearing is so disturbing and strange, that I now demand independent confirmation or denial. This stuff just freaks me out.

Ships passing in the light

So far, my forays into military discussion fora for information and confirmation or denial of what I am hearing has created some enemies and shed no light. Our military folks just don't want to talk about this stuff. Good grief, why is it so hard to get honest, unspun information about almost anything?

The only semi friendly response from the unofficial militaries were these (paraphrasing and reading between the lines): "Bug off. I don't like you. If you want information, ask the military press office (or sign up and serve yourself, asshole - and I hope you get shot). All you will get from the military press office is a pack of lies. If you talk to anyone here (on the discussion forum), all you will get is scuttlebutt, which is also a pack of lies." Jeez. What did I do wrong?

America's FY 2010 military budget is about $500 - $800 billion. For all that money, I can't even get one straight answer from anyone with knowledge, including the U.S. Government or our military personnel. What can I conclude? Even our own military is our enemy? Us taxpayers aren't just hosed, we are screwed. All I ask is truth. So far (about 6 hours of trying), I cannot get it.

Democrats and Republicans govern without my consent.