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I am writing in response to Joan King’s Dec. 15 article about our inability to "win" in Afghanistan. I am a soldier who has served three tours in Iraq as an infantryman. I am from Gainesville and read your paper online.
It was just a couple years ago that the same types of statements were being made about Iraq, that we could not "win" here. I am on my third tour now, which has given me a frame of reference. It is better here. The Iraqi people are able to conduct their day-to-day business without fear. It is true that there are still elements here that conduct bombings, but they are now a rarity that makes the news and not a daily occurrence.
I think she severely underestimates the American people’s resolve on this matter, and I know she underestimates the American soldiers’ ability to adapt to changing missions.
I ask of her two questions. One, how much time has she spent in Iraq or Afghanistan? Two, what is her definition of winning?
Staff Sgt. Frank Fortner
Fort Stewart, currently in Mosul, Iraq