The morale problem was not indigenous to First Platoon. The morale problem extended across the board to all platoons. It stemmed from the tight, suicidal rules of engagement, from the Army’s new mission of serving as national police force for the Afghans, and from the un-soldier-like role of becoming recruiters for members the Afghan military and police force. The tightened rules, requiring battlefield lawyering at the moment of attack, made it much more difficult for soldiers to defend themselves. The strict rules had gotten so many Americans killed or had their limbs blown off, that Col.
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