Month 5 Day 24

Notebook Entry
Duty in morning, taught plotting of sigacts , Samir gave IPB [Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace] later, Chaplin and Walter Pincus up Muslim Conference, Ammunition Supply Point finished, Selective Sins,

Journal Entry
Went to the RCT [Marine Regimental Combat Team] in the morning for CoC [Combat Operations Center] duty. It is clear that no one in the CoC actually has any intention of partnering with the ANA [Afghan National Army]. They just kind of look in at them and occasionally peek their heads in. They don’t actually work with them in any way. That is frustrating. I had Samir give the IPB in the afternoon to his new Sgts [sergeants], that worked out well. One of his Sgts didn’t show up on time and I managed to get him to use his subordinate leaders to make things happen.

What kind of struck me last night with respect to the Hash thing with Felbab-Brown is how selective we are about our transgressions in the USMC, it is not unlike the church. You can be stupid, not proficient at you job, and that is somewhat ok as long as you are a ‘good Marine’ nice uniform, not fat, work hard, neglect your family. More specifically I am talking about General Order 1 this is the one that states you can’t have drugs or alcohol here, no porn either. I bet every man on this team has porn with him. We just kind of ignore that one and prosecute the drugs section. We treat the ANA like that to[o] the XO [executive officer] has basically been blacklisted by Maj Hesco for railing some dude in the ass and drinking. The Afghans would admit that smoking hash, drinking, and gay sex are all not good things, but they almost all do one or more of the above. They selectively enforce their sins when it serves their interest, there does not seem to be one most hated sin except for perhaps apostasy. How similar we are.

Edited to Add:
The episode I mention about Felbab-Brown was an incident where one of our young Marines bought Marijuana from the Afghan soldiers and then smoked it while he was supposed to be on watch.  He later failed a urine screening.