1. The air war
1.1. The Air Force played a crucial role in both the Vietnam and Afghanistan Wars.
1.1.1. Vietnam: It is sobering to think that the United States and its allies dropped more bombs/explosives on Vietnam than in all of World War 2. The harsh jungle and terrain of Vietnam is what made the Air Force so important. In Vietnam, the Air Force utilized helicopters, bombing raids carried out by B52 bombers, and of course the controversial Napalm bombs.
1.1.1.1. Afghanistan: The U.S. military, with British support officially mark the start of Operation Enduring Freedom by carrying out a bombing raid against Taliban forces. The early stages of the war mainly involve U.S. airstrikes on al-Qaeda and the Taliban using B52 bombers. Helicopters and new advanced drone technology were also used regularly.
1.1.1.1.1. Similarities: B52 Bombers were the most common aircraft utilized for bombing raids. The terrain of both is what made the Air Force so impactful. Airstrikes were the most common attack utilized by the U.S. throughout the war. Differences: In the Afganistan war say a lot more of the advanced modern airstrikes such as the use of drones and missles
2. Social justice
2.1. The anti war movement during Vietnam
2.1.1. The Vietnam War is known for its anti war protests. Ranging from regular college students, to famous activists, Vietnam had a major impact on society.
2.1.2. This is more prevalent considering the television set let America watch the war as it was happening.
2.1.3. Because of the draft, the war was even more unpopular. For the poor, it was a given that you served in Vietnam. For the rich people, getting out of the draft was easier. For people like Muhammed Ali, fighting in Vietnam was not gonna work for him. He didn't believe in fighting an enemy that had not done anything to effect his life.w
2.1.3.1. The student led protests were some of the most important and consequential. With a generation of baby boomers leading the way, college students protested at schools all across the country. One of the most notable protests was at kent state in 1970. The government was very much against these types of protests. They called them communists, anti-american.
2.2. Anti War movement during Afghanistan
2.2.1. the anti war in America was a lot less prevalent than in Vietnam, but had similar impact. There was a lot of unhappiness about how the war was being conducted. With the rise of social media, becoming an activist has become easier than ever.
2.2.2. Because of the Vietnam war, the draft stopped being used because of the negative impact it had. These protests were not led by students anymore, but by people of all ages.
2.2.3. The most prevalent protests had to do with our reasons for being in the Middle East, and how certain presidents have handled the conflict. we also see army veterans having more and more impact. afganistan is different because everyone is a part of the movement. from Americans to europeans.
3. The end goal
3.1. The way that we left both Vietnam and Afghanistan is quite similar
3.2. For vietnam, Nixon focused not on the importance of getting the troops out, but more on the fact that he had to do it in a way that helped him get re-elected. The early plans were about withdrawing troops, but leaving a force behind. in 1970 however, the focused changed on the full withdrawal from vietnam
3.3. The way we left vietnam was extreamly poorly thought through.This was a problem for four different groups of people. The troops, the Americans living in vietnam, Vietnam natives working for the US and for normal citizens.
3.3.1. For the troops, there was a sense of happiness from most. The war just kept going on, never seeming to end and now there was. But they were still fighting because there was no official surrender. There was the threat of the army and of the Vietcong.
3.3.2. For both Americans and Vietnamese in Vietnam, there was haste to leave. For the regular citizens, the only fear was that they would be killed for being sympathizers. But the Vietcong really didn't want to kill their own people.
3.4. For Afghanistan, the way we tried to leave was quite similar.
3.5. For the people of Afghanistan, there was fear that an exit would allow for the Taliban to take over, so the United States prepped the government and army.
3.5.1. During this period in time, there was still fighting happening in the country. Because the States never accepted a formal surrender of the Taliban.
3.6. Through all of the fighting, we finally left Afghanistan. The process of leaving was extremely messy. This was a problem for four different groups of people. The troops, the Americans living in Afghanistan, agfgan natives working for the US and for normal citizens.
3.6.1. For the troops, the exit was made difficult by the Taliban. As there was no official surrender, the Taliban ramped up their attacks. Now that the Americans were retreating, they swooped through the countryside, taking over the country slowly.
3.6.2. For the people living in Afghanistan, both American and Afghani, the risk of staying in Afghanistan became more apparent. For the natives, it was extremely hard. To this day, there are still Afghanis who are trying to leave. There is a fear of death because they "conspired" with the US. For the Regular citizens, there were mixed feelings.
4. Definition: Guerrilla warfare is a non-traditional form of military combat that often utilizes raids, ambushes, sabotage, and other unusual tactics carried out by smaller forces such as supporting civilians.
4.1. The Vietcong used Guerilla warfare which included ambushes, sabotage, and raids. America was not prepared to fight this style of war militarily and the Vietcong made it obvious that they were willing to sacrifice many of their soldiers in order to kill just one of ours.
4.1.1. The Afghans were able to use the dessert to help blend in and make it difficult for the U.S. Troops to see these guerilla attacks coming.
4.1.1.1. Similarities: Guerilla warfare was a major part of Vietnam and Afghanistan's war tactics because the US Army had a clear advantage in every aspect. The terrain of both made it easy to use sneak attacks and other Guerilla war tactics.