DoD: Afghanistan operations could hit 22 years ― but don’t call it a permanent presence

[rangerrebew]

DoD: Afghanistan operations could hit 22 years ― but don’t call it a permanent presence
By: Tara Copp  

U.S. operations in Afghanistan, now in their 17th year, should not be seen as a permanent U.S. presence there, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford said Tuesday.

But Mattis said he wasn’t sure U.S. forces would be gone five years from now, either.

“Would we still have troops in Afghanistan five years from now? I can’t give you the answer to that," Mattis said. “We have to wait and see what the situation is, because it’ll be situationally dependent.”

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/08/28/dod-afghanistan-operations-could-hit-22-years-but-dont-call-it-a-permanent-presence/

[Fishrrman]

... not to mention the lives of our soldiers lost (and wounded) there, for which there is no dollar amount that can compensate.