The United States may have to take difficult routes to withdraw all of its equipment from Afghanistan. The Washington Post
In Afghanistan Drawdown, U.S. Forced To Take Costly Option In Transporting Military Gear Out -- Washington Post
As it intensifies its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the U.S. military is being forced to fly massive amounts of gear and equipment out of the country instead of using cheaper overland and sea routes, according to Pentagon officials.
Military logisticians would like to send home 60 percent of their equipment and vehicles by trucking them into Pakistan and then loading them onto ships — the least expensive method by far. But cargo is flowing out on that route at only one-third the planned rate, the officials said.
Officials declined to elaborate on the reasons for their heavy reliance on the more expensive methods of transport. They said, however, that Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter and other Pentagon officials are scheduled to arrive Friday in Kabul to meet with senior Afghan officials on the issue.
Carter will also meet with U.S. troops before touring other countries in the region.
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More News On The Logistics And Costs Of Leaving Afghanistan
US military looks to cut cost of Afghanistan pullout -- AFP
U.S. Wants to Triple Afghan Cargo Leaving Through Pakistan Route -- Bloomberg Businessweek
US seeks to move more gear out of Afghanistan via Pakistan -- Stars and Stripes
My Comment: What caught my eye was this ....
.... By the end of next year, U.S. officials say, they need to pull out 24,000 vehicles and 20,000 shipping containers, one way or another. The Pentagon has budgeted $5 billion to $7 billion to ship all that gear home.
That is a lot of stuff that needs to be pulled out.
Here is an impressive photo gallery on America's withdrawal from Afghanistan.
