27 years Army and did my Bagram tour. I don't think any of us who spent any time in country and those that truly studied the dynamics of the country really ever expected a free and united nation. I mean loyalty to your tribe in that nation will always come first. It has been that way since the place existed. Nothing the British, Soviets, America did was going to change that.

But look we are still in Korea 60 years later, Germany 70 years later so just because we may have been there 20 years that is not such an outlier. What Afghanistan provided for us was a forward power projection point for that part of Asia. I gave us an American presence (with really a limited force) in an increasing critical part of the world. Not just for the fight against terrorist but also next to Pakistan (a nuclear nation), close to China etc.

So we could have keep 5,000 -10,000 troops there and Nato would have stayed, maintain the airfield at Bagram and maintained a least some order. Would it have ever been perfect, not by a mile, and the Taliban would have controlled parts of the country but it would have served to keep them somewhat in check. Now sure we can make "surgical strikes" from time to time if we find terrorist training camps but they would have been less likely to try it if we had a presence in the country.

The idea of national building was a joke but a power projection point and loss of presence in a critical part of the world are not good, especially after all the investment made.