COIN Lessons via 80s Pop Culture

If the Sopranos was the must-see predeployment DVD, then here are two for AF/PAK. Add "The Beast of War" and "Rambo III" to your list.

One of the big things I advocate is cultural understanding over strategy. Once an individual has an understanding of the culture, the strategy starts to write itself. So here are a couple of cultural lessons taken from the two movies listed above.

Pashtunwali - See a full breakdown here




Buzkashi - The Afghan national sport. So much for handing out soccer balls. How good are you at handling a headless sheep?

Rambo Plays Buzkashi with the Locals