The ISOF has been such a success that it ought to be widely known and a source of national pride. It’s time to feel good about our work.

ISOF is doing the heavy lifting of U.S. Foreign Policy in Iraq. We’ve sent a great many service members over, but they aren’t in the fight. The advanced forces, SOF, sit afar and help direct traffic and orchestrate CAS from Observation Points. When the Lions of Mesopotamia attack the center of Mosul, it’ll be the ISOF.

Although ISOF is the most used force in Iraq, and probably the Middle East. They’ve still been abandoned and our presence and help has never been the same since the more formal war ended. It’s sad – because they were in part dependent on us and they know it. We know it, too, but it doesn’t matter to politicians who either don’t consider or cannot comprehend ground realities of war.

For this, and many other reasons, Congressman should enlist veteran panels of those who have been there – from their district – to mull over their talking points. I listened to many primary debates and many regurgitated party talking points on Foreign Policy. They didn’t sound confident – and it didn’t sound like they knew what they were talking about, either.

When we discuss Iraq, we should discuss the forces we employ and utilize in our Foreign Policy. When we discuss Iran, we should mention and discuss the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and their Quds forces. The mechanisms that work against us matter. So do the forces that are on our side, like the ISOF.

Earlier today, I had a conversation with a co-worker about Foreign Policy. He was lambasting leadership for this and that and everything in-between abroad. But, what really bothered me is that he’s my age. He says he cares and is willing to argue over Foreign Policy. He runs marathons, keeps himself fit. He has a clearance and has been a contractor on odd jobs his entire adult life. He has no substantive life experience, not like what he’d get at war. He beats a war drum rhetoric but has not nor did he ever have skin in the game.

In my book, some of these ISOF operators. The guys who have been fighting alongside USSF since OIF kicked off – are Americans. They’ve earned their freight. I would be more inclined to help one of these guys make it in America than many of the veterans who are asking for handouts in life (it’s not all, but it’s some and it’s a problem).

Why aren’t we as a nation proud of the Jordanians? Proud of the Iraqi Special Operations Forces? They’re fighting the same war. We do it side by side – together. It really is, in many ways, one team one fight. Why was the PBS piece on King Abdullah news to so many people? He should be one of America’s favorite, if not the favorite, Foreign Leader. We’re so pre-occupied with so many things we dumb down Foreign Policy into easily digestible talking points. It does a great disservice and robs our partners of their well-earned and deserved credit. It’s upsetting, to say the least.

Featured image courtesy of YouTube.