Evacuation - Channel 4

[cakeorwine]

Interesting documentary on the Forces and the evacuation of Afghanistan

It's interesting to hear the different voices involved.

Some shocking scenes.

A USAF plane taking off with people grabbing to the side and falling off.

So interesting, especially when tough men still well up at the thought of what happened.

DD has applied for officer training for the forces, so made for an interesting watch as a family. The squadron leader talking about having 19 year olds on their first deployment like a sixth form field trip brought home the dangers these young people train for.

It seemed that there weren't many senior officers or orders / guidance from Government or senior personnel once they were on the ground.

Organised chaos.

And this was just the first part.

This is a tough watch. Such young soldiers having to make life or death decisions about who can get evacuated.

Soldiers who had been fighting the Taliban having to work with them

Just watched last episode. Heart aching - the simple stories of faces vanishing into the melee or the lost or abandoned children.

And despite all the criticism at the time what an amazing job our military did in a near impossible situation. Over 15,000 evacuated. My heart aches for those who should have got out but were lost in the crowd.

As for the Taliban I'd like to ask them if life under them is the road to paradise why so many were so eager to give up their homes and lives and flee. It's a question no authoritarian dictatorship ever has an adequate answer to.

I've just finished episode 3, will watch more tomorrow. It's certainly harrowing and I've nothing but admiration for all those who served

I've just been reminded about that Pen guy and his bloody dogs. Watching Evacuation really put his folly into a perspective we maybe couldn't appreciate at the time. Given the circumstances he really really should have been told to bugger off.