What I Experienced as a Solider in America's Longest War

VICE speaks to a soldier who served in Afghanistan about the failures of war.
Click here to subscribe to VICE: bit.ly/Subscribe-to-VICE
About VICE:
The Definitive Guide To Enlightening Information. From every corner of the planet, our immersive, caustic, ground-breaking and often bizarre stories have changed the way people think about culture, crime, art, parties, fashion, protest, the internet and other subjects that don't even have names yet. Browse the growing library and discover corners of the world you never knew existed. Welcome to VICE.
Connect with VICE:
Check out our full video catalog: bit.ly/VICE-Videos
Videos, daily editorial and more: vice.com
More videos from the VICE network: www. vicevideo
Click here to get the best of VICE daily: bit.ly/1SquZ6v
Like VICE on Facebook: vice
Follow VICE on Twitter: / vice
Follow us on Instagram: / vice
Follow us on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@vice?lang=en
The VICE KZbin Network:
VICE: / vice
MUNCHIES: / munchies
VICE News: / vicenews
VICE TV: / @vice-tv
VICE Life: / broadly
Noisey: / noisey
Motherboard: / motherboardtv
VICE Sports: / noc
Waypoint: / waypointvice

[@sarah1484]

I served during that time period in the U.S. military and he is correct.

[@anhiirr]

Even worse when the MEDIA is playing it out like a winnable conflict vs a ZERO SUM situation...as various ppl with experience LEARN why not to go back....leadership as well.....only to YIELD Promotion to anyone re-enlisting as if that is equitable to being equipped to "WIN" or etc...that was happening real time with every return/deployment....and seeing the sentiments on our veterans faces/outlook as they finally came back to get into education....and put that life behind them was pretty eye opening...hell trump even CHANGED a ship runner/head in the NAVY just bc he complained Trump wasnt helping him/his ship that was largely SUFFERING from covid exposure/fatality etc....Trump just fired him...and appointed a different CO.

[@ralphfiennes3797]

​@@anhiirrthere is a reason Occupy and BLM had so many vets marching with them. Trump has a buncha stolen valour ace holes.

[@Jon14141]

Thank you for your service.

[@jaden6685]

Thanks for your service

[@shiva_hardly_sarcastic]

i find it baffling that people need to be in a war to realize that its not the way

[@lolalalia4119]

For centuries upon centuries, world leaders and the 1% have been grooming the plebs to believe war is about our safety. We've been conditioned to think this way. It's only because of the advancements in communication technologies that we are able to see the truth.

[@amansinkie4605]

right. insane ignorance, many immigrants know how devastating it is and would never put themselves in a situation like that.

[@shiva_hardly_sarcastic]

@@amansinkie4605 i never been in a war, i never had to migrate somewhere else, my life has always been peaceful but i still figured out how awful violence and war is

[@amansinkie4605]

@@shiva_hardly_sarcastic that means u have some basic intelligence and awareness that is absent in society. we both loved peaceful lives, why would we want to change that. esp when one side doesnt have another option.

[@scubamaz1]

"War is a Racket" - book, great read: Major General Smedley D. Butler

[@atakorkut5110]

Ty

[@default179]

2x medal of Honor winner Smedley Butler**

[@mmolin47]

Us Afghanistan is not a war its an occupation ,colonisation call it whatever you want .a war is when too military armies fight against each other.

[@scubamaz1]

@@mmolin47 OK, & what EXACTLY is your point? The NAME of the book has absolutely nothing to do with the subject matter at hand - of what the man in the video discussed. The book however explains exactly what he was talking about, REGARDLESS of the fact that WAR was in the title of the book. I suggest that you read the book and actually LEARN something vs. giving a pointless definition of something.

[@CAGonRiv]

​@@scubamaz1what's up your ass boot?

[@MA-ji1iz]

Not going to war is something worth being proud of.

[@vivalapita8484]

you are not a patriot /s

[@DaviAlex8]

thank you

[@rasta2333]

If it took going to war to figure that out... You are going to be a sucker for life... I knew it at 12 years old

[@science800-2]

There's solid. And then there's solider.

[@72stones43]

You can thank Dick Cheney.

[@anhiirr]

i mean lets not act like W's dad....didnt play a part in training the "ppl" that would become al'queda....back when we thought we were helping them fight the ruskies/commies....and look how that played out....the ppl we helped "liberate' even donated to his campaign. IJS....or that RAMBO III exists. Wonder which side he would have been on you know rambo if he had to GO BACK to help the "rebels and ALO/ALF" LUL.

[@alexluna1541]

@@wayback1010nah we should definitely still focus in on him lol

[@seaman.rigved]

His name is Dick😅? Hilariously shaking

[@Hunzoyt]

@@alexluna1541Yeah dude was war criminal scum

[@ralphfiennes3797]

Thanks Dick!

[@ralphfiennes3797]

When serving you are a part of a cellular communism. Everyone you know has a job, a place to live, and three meals a day provided. Even though each member of the team does a vastly different job we all get paid the same according to time served/quality of service. When inside this semi utopia we watched our countrymen being treated very differently at home, suffering. Then eventually we came back, and had almost nothing to show for it. What good is predatory va loan and 2 years of community college when you can barely afford to eat?

[@Jon14141]

Damn

[@TheRealCarrotbowl]

Sounds like you’re confused on what to do in life

[@giobbymenta]

yea cause a private soldier know it all... cmon

[@User-1683x2]

To be fair, communist countries wage war, too. Its far more important to focus on the people profiting from these wars, often through usury, that hide in the shadows than quibbling about economic systems.

[@danieldenev]

Capitalism is just communism for the rich

[@TheIgnoramus]

Agreed. Gov Systems are downstream of culture.

[@gelosyguat1211]

THIS IS THE ONLY REASON OF WAR AND EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW IT. WE THE HUMAN RACE ARE AT WAR WITHIN OURSELVES, AMONG OURSELVES AND THAT IS ABSURD. LOVE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER. INSTEAD OF OUR THE HUMAN RACE/ OUR SOCIETY BECOMING MORE ADVANCE AND MORE CAPABALE OF HANDLING THINGS BUT INSTEAD MOST OF US ACT MORE THAN A WILD ANIMAL RATHER THAN USING OUR BRAIN AND HEART. PEACE AND LOVE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER. GREED AND SELFLESSNESS IS OUR DOWNFALL

[@Leovrq6]

The video: 💀 The mask: 😭 😭 😭 😭

[@alaric_]

It's amazing how big channels don't proofread what they write... "Solider" is one of the most common typos on the internet. Doesn't anybody use spell-checkers anymore?

[@OneCanisLupus]

This guy isn't American.

[@TheRogerKyle]

Caught that huh? Vice is a joke

[@Petey-se1lo]

But the brits were with us there were they not?

[@joesanpatricio794]

lol uhhhh so?

[@gustavopeace]

So hear me out, he served for America but has an English accent?…

[@jaron-craighunter4485]

I see your comment...😂

[@itzdaman]

He indeed served america by as he said following them into a war, as in britain is the colony of the us now

[@mattnichols3209]

yup British soldiers went in along with Americans at the start. At the height of the war there were more than 130,000 NATO troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

[@Ava-km7tl]

Solider

[@randya1453]

Duh! I don’t need the voice of Kylo Ren to tell me that

[@lalov7]

Band of brothers shared a little of that.

[@ZapRowsdower47]

Weird American accent...

[@itzdaman]

Bri'ish

[@men1247]

welcome to American dream, in order to be dream you must be slept 😂

[@SEANPOL203]

😄

[@ralphfiennes3797]

Also, i remember hearing this same thing back in march 03 while a guy in a black hoodie stood on top of a busted up cop car screaming it into a megaphone. I went in knowing it was evil, but without any other choice while the economy crumbled. One hand washes the other, huh.

[@technov1deo]

He played his part in killing more than 500,000 innocent civilians. I dont know how these people can sleep at night

[@SEANPOL203]

War is a con, don’t fight for old politicians

[@Annette-Birkin]

solider

[@valenteone6051]

Fact's 💯

[@dkgong]

The Afghans weren't willing to help themselves. That was a big part of why the war failed.

[@Renwoxing13]

*"The Afghans weren't willing to help themselves"* Isn't that just such a *Western Centric įM₽ƏRịÅŁį§Ṭ* Mindset ?¿? *-[COMING FROM ME - WHITE AS THE DRIVEN SNOW CANADIAN, WONDERBREADED & PROPAGANDIZED TO THE EXTREME LIKE EVERYONE ELSE IN OUR COUNTRIES !¡!•¡!¡•!¡!]-* Like we are making mega assumptions and thinking from a mindset and perspective that was probably totally alien to the Afghans. Just because we gave them money that they craved doesn't mean they agreed with anything we had to say or wanted done !¡! The only thing they were "willing to help themsleves" with, was our *"DIRTY WESTERN IMPERIALIST MONEY" !¡!•¡!¡•!¡!*

[@loves2smooch384]

Was better for us to stay there , and cheaper ... cost us more now that we left and China has partnered with the taliban and can maneuver from Afghanistan to that side of the world

[@cookiesnmemes179]

i don’t think you get what he is talking about do you

[@loves2smooch384]

@cookiesnmemes179 yea I was there in 2012 and helped with the refugee recovery in 2021, it's not that they didn't want to fight for themselves , it's that the president cut their funds off and logistics , left them stranded

[@jayboeighty8420]

"The reason for war is peace" 🤯🫡

[@chrisw5852]

Thank you for fueling the American war machine. I made lots of money in defence stocks during the war.

[@junjiito337]

🤡🤡

[@kp-mp8tm]

Then why do people still get into these services?

[@GloriaGonzalez-jp4mn]

Sad

[@yooneskcyy3936]

Hi bro

[@TerrorTerros]

What is a "Solider" ?

[@LanceBeckman]

Sure thing bubba

[@xaralately9313]

Duh

[@SIyMarbo]

why tf is he wearing a mask dudes goofy af probably never even did anything

[@seaman.rigved]

But, there's No oil🛢️ in Afghanistan🇦🇫😅

[@TalkIsCheap2024]

Cuz communism has proven to be a better solution that leads to much better outcomes… right? Right?

[@jhoylangoncalves3127]

Is it just me, or are those videos becoming more and more political?

[@ralphfiennes3797]

Vice? Political? Ummm...

[@foodstuff]

Nope, you're just becoming more aware of things.

[@mesiroy1234]

At least israle admit ehen they done a mistake us and austllia semd jail who leak ..

[@ralphfiennes3797]

Aren't they like... targeting hospitals and journalists?

[@junjiito337]

They literally deny the daily war crimes they commit get a grip 💀💀

[@ralphfiennes3797]

@@junjiito337 right? They are using the US's dirty playbook from the early 2000's and injecting it with a startling disregard for geneva and international law. At least the US tried to validate it's actions, even if it was make believe.

[@user-od5fh3gn4d]

It was so obvious from the start that it was all about grift. I feel badly for the soldiers and civilians who were wrecked by it all.

[@DooubleTap]

I am so proud to never have given a minute of my time to this murderous thing called military.