Were the police checkpoints still there? The HESCO forts?
the problem is, even if we “win” we’re still going to lose in the long run. just like we did in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan previously, etc.
Everyone was still HESCO’d up last time I was by (didn’t spend time there, I went from Bagram to the field) and the HESCOs were looking, well, “furry”.
I got around a little in 2009. Helmand, Kabul, Kapisa/Tagab, Badakhshan, Herat.