The commander of the 8,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Army Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, stepped down earlier this month because of an urgent medical condition. Gen. Vines signed off with a note to his troops that he is leaving Afghanistan "on short notice, and with troops in contact, [and] you are entitled to know why." A recent physical exam found a tumor and the three-star general is having it treated."The initial diagnosis is that I will be sore for a few weeks and return to full duty, so reports of my demise are premature," Gen. Vines wrote. "Do not therefore ask for my sheath knife or truck." His relief is Army Brig. Gen. Lloyd Austin, who Gen. Vines noted is "the man I would personally choose to lead my sons in combat." In Afghanistan, "we have incredible soldiers and airmen daily confronting some of the most evil people on the planet," Gen. Vines said. "They are an inspiration to me, and to flinch at a few mutant cells in the face of their courage would be cowardice.
"It has been my highest honor to serve you," he said. "We will press the fight until the hour I depart the [joint operations area] because, in the words of a leaf-eating nongovernmental organization representative, ’There are still a lot of people who need to be killed.’ Remain focused." The note is signed "Vines, Warlord 6, Afghanistan." |