Not really, the Russian experience in Afghanistan is not a very different experience than we have had. They had more dead than we did, but they were also had us and Pakistan heavily supporting the jihadis.
The differences in our experiences are attributable to no nation state materially helping the Taliban, and in modern battlefield medicine. But Russia was collapsing internally about then financially, and after a decade, Afghanistan was no closer to civilized than it was the day they rolled in. So they packed up and left.
They were smarter than us, we are now on year 15, and no closer than we were on day one to a functioning society there. If we leave next week, or in the year 2030, it will collapse into tribal Islamic anarchy within a week.
In 2001, the Russians warned us as friends, not to get into a ground war there.
We exceed them in capability tech and in refined operational ways, but in honesty, the average Russian soldier does have more balls than ours today in all but a few top shelf units. And with women and trannies, many of ours quite literally have ZERO balls.
Because we are in Afghanistan, Pakistan survived and now leader in Terrorism.
Well that's the problem created by Bush: our goal should never have been a "well functioning society" in Afghanistan, merely one that was no longer a threat to us by harboring terrorists.
In fact, it was the Afghan Communist Party's attempt to create a "well functioning" socialist society (including the emancipation of women) that kicked off the Islamist insurgency BEFORE the Soviet invasion.
Things were good when we had a few thousand mainly special-ops types arbitrating disputes and backed by airpower. It was our attempt to create a strong central government in Kabul that kicked off another round of insurgency.
Night and day. The Russians had no stomach for the fight. The enemy had them terrorized showing their disdain by beheading their soldiers. The Russian military performed poorly in Afghanistan. We have done much better militarily. We lose our wars due to our politicians, not due to being defeated on the battlefield.
They were smarter than us, we are now on year 15, and no closer than we were on day one to a functioning society there. If we leave next week, or in the year 2030, it will collapse into tribal Islamic anarchy within a week.
The mission was to defeat the Taliban and prevent Afghanistan from returning to be a sanctuary for Islamic terrorist targeting the US. It was not to create a functioning society. It remains to be seen how it all turns out. We still have troops in Korea, Japan, and Germany.
In 2001, the Russians warned us as friends, not to get into a ground war there.
The Russians were never our friends even during WWII when they were our ally in defeating Hitler. The evil empire still exists even though it is a shadow of its former self.
We exceed them in capability tech and in refined operational ways, but in honesty, the average Russian soldier does have more balls than ours today in all but a few top shelf units.
What a bunch of BS. You seem to have a low opinion of the US military and the volunteers who inhabit it. America certainly has a more combat tested and proficient military force compared to the Russians. During the past few decades we have witnessed a decline in Russia. It has a negative population growth (-.06% in 2016, which is the 207th lowest in the world); life expectancy at birth for males is 65 and women 76.8 years with the average being 70.8 years making Russia 153 in the world rankings; and the fertility rate in 1.61, well below a replacement rate of 2.1 Alcoholism is rampant. The life expectancy for males has been declining and is among the lowest of any developed country.
The Russian military depends upon the draft. 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; males are registered for the draft at 17 years of age; 1-year service obligation (conscripts can only be sent to combat zones after 6 months of training); reserve obligation for non-officers to age 50; enrollment in military schools from the age of 16, cadets classified as members of the armed forces.
The chief of the General Staff Mobilization Directorate announced in March 2015 that for health reasons, only 76% of draftees called up during the spring 2015 draft campaign were fit for military service (2015).