Time to test two concepts. Airfield Seizure and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations!

 

My modest proposal to pull the Defense Dept chestnuts out of the fire.

It's time to test two concepts.  

Airfield Seizure and Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations.

First its time to activate the ENTIRE 18th Airborne Corps.  They're about to get a star on their jump wings cause they're about to drop into the hell known as Bagram.

The 18th is gonna take that airfield.

They're gonna hold that airfield and they're gonna wait for follow on forces.

Next.

The US Navy/Marine Corps along with the USAF (and elements of the SOCOM aviation) are gonna amass a MEB sized element (aviation heavy...I can't believe I'm saying this but they're tasked organized right?) and they're gonna launch from the sea, utilize USAF tankers and they're gonna fall in and relieve the 18th.

Next we're gonna have the Sea Bees/Red Horse and other airfield guru's put that thing back together.  A MV-22/CV-22/CMV-22/CH-53E/CH-47D and the Harrier/F-35B might be able to use short runways and land vertically but what I have in mind next will require C-17s (to include our allies...we're gonna need huge numbers!).

Of course SOCOM will have rolled in with the 18th Airborne and the MEB so they'll instantly start to round up Americans that want to come home.  Attached infantry from the 18th and MEB will provide support to the assaulters from the Rangers/SEALs/MARSOC/Delta.

While that is going on we're gonna roll in artillery in the form of MLRS, M-777 and more than a few heavy mortars.

The goal is to establish a HUGE firebase from hell in a country that doesn't want it there.

No outside ground patrols.

The goal is to let SOCOM do their work and to attract any idiots stupid enough to attempt an attack.

We'll broadcast in all local languages that to approach within 500 feet of the perimeter would result in death...in essence we would establish a solid and rigid no approach zone.

A few ground based radars would quickly target any crazy brave that wanted to take potshots along with shot detectors.

The goal would be to extend the mission thru December with the goal of ...

1.  Rescue any and all trapped Americans.  Being an American must mean something again and it MUST mean that we will get you home (short of you being a raging idiot ... and this activity of being in Afghanistan is on the ragged line of being idiotic).

2.  We will seek to KILL, not capture but to KILL the terrorists responsible for the assault against our Marines.

3.  We MIGHT rescue additional Afghans...we've already saved 100K.  I have a hard time believing we have left ANY translators behind.  The at risk population is simply too big to move.  In my mind its Rescue Americans, Kill Terrorists, maybe save a FEW more Afghans.

At a time in December we withdraw properly.

The 18th Airborne is flown out in C-17s.  SOCOM does their sneaky shit and goes out in the middle of a rain storm on a dark night where no one can see who the fuck they are.

Marines climb aboard MV-22s escorted by Harriers/F-35s and head out, setting off explosives on everything that couldn't be taken with us.

Once the Marines are gone and the explosives set off we have the USAF go in with B-52s and conduct an old fashion ARC-LIGHT raid, bouncing rubble and setting off seismographs. We follow up with a few MOABS dropped from B-2s.

That's my thinking.  

Tell me where I'm wrong.