Breach of Military Professionalism Under Fire

"While I am mindful of the degree of difficulty the Marines in Afghanistan faced in accomplishing a demanding combat mission with a rapidly declining force, my duty requires me to remain true to the timeless axioms related to command responsibility and accountability."
General James Amos, commandant, Marine Corps, U.S. Army

And with that statement and with the results in, and very carefully studied by the general, emanating from the investigation that he had himself ordered to be undertaken in June, General James Amos took the initiative of forcing two generals into retirement. Feeling that it would be representative justice to see them held accountable for failing to secure a base in Afghanistan from attack by the Taliban.

He found that Major General Charles Gurganus and Major General Gregg Sturdevant "did not take adequate force protection measures" at Camp Bastion, an airfield in southwestern Afghanistan which had been attacked by the Taliban on September 14, 2012. That attack resulted in the death of two marines killed, repelling the invaders. Eight additional marines were wounded during the attack.

In all, fifteen Taliban were involved in the furtive night-time enterprise. They had entered the base, clipping a surrounding fence with wire cutters. In the ensuing firefight all but one of the attackers was killed, and he later informed investigators that they had received inside assistance via information given them from a co-conspirator stationed on the base. After entering the compound the fifteen split into three groups and an hours-long firefight resulted.

In the process, well planned destruction was carried out of six Marine Harrier fighter jets; completely destroyed, with other aircraft badly damaged. The tune of that destruction came to the value of $200-million. For the Taliban, the satisfaction of a job well done, on all fronts; the death of foreign interlopers and the destruction of their technical war equipment.

And then there is this additional tidbit. There were Americans and British at the base. Among the British contingent Britain's Prince Harry, fourth to the throne of the British Empire or whatever's left of it, let's say the fealty of the Commonwealth nations. He just happened to be present at the base during the assault. And, gloated Taliban propagandists, that was the very purpose of their well-planned and -timed assault.

Maj.Gen. Sturdevant had asked for additional personnel to patch part of a depleted U.S. military  presence resulting from a six-month-earlier troop reduction from 17,000 to 7,000 personnel. A request that the general's superiors had rejected. A matter that, nonetheless, did not excuse this seasoned military man for not having adequately secured the airfield.

Not even lookout sentries posted to ensure that no threatening illegal entry occurred. A fact that must have been well known to the invaders beforehand, thanks to their planted contact within the base.