[TheFreqMedia] When American SF units insert into a direct combat role, they bring more than air strikes,…they bring responsive logistic and medical evacuation support which inserts a degree of organization into the battlefield rhythm. When the Americans are absent from the fight, valuable units like Afghan Commando companies are inserted into situations where they are outnumbered, out-gunned, and unsupported. Part of the rationale behind the train-and-assist effort in Afghanistan was to prevent self-inflicted debacles like those mentioned above. NATO leadership has repeatedly said the training effort will take time and include many setbacks but it does not appear that time is on our side.Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the Afghanistan Commandos have performed so well that the Taliban created their own version called the Sara Khitta — which is Pashto for Red Group or Danger Group. They are allegedly armed with captured American weapons, armored HMMWVs, night vision devices, and American tactical radios. The effectiveness of Sara Khitta units is questionable, Taliban photographs of these special warriors reveal a conspicuous lack of American weapons, radios or night vision gear. But facts don’t count; the perception of the Afghans is the only metric that matters. Their perception is the Sara Khitta is an elite force that does not require American supervision to fight well. Meanwhile the Afghan Commandos are getting their butts kicked when they deploy without Americans to provide fire support and adult supervision.