2. a) Why did Gen. McChrystal ban alcohol at his Kabul headquarters in September?
b) Do you agree with the General's ban? Explain your answer.

3. What closures has Gen. McChrystal ordered for Bagram and Kandahar bases?

4. For what reasons has he given these orders?

5. Sergeant-Major Hall explains the General's decision further in his blog post with several points:

• ...Bazaars and businesses which employee Afghans and feed the local economy will still continue to operate.
• What won't change or be diminished are the facilities that cater to service members' well being and morale. Physical fitness centers will be equipped with cardio and weight equipment. We are working hard to get more bandwidth in country so we can provide troops throughout Afghanistan with faster, more reliable and more affordable (perhaps even free) Internet services and access to phones to stay connected with loved ones.
• Some will say the decision to do away with these amenities is meant only to make things harder for deployed service members, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Closing these facilities will free up much-needed storage facilities at both Bagram and Kandahar, space which is critical as 30,000 additional American and up to 7,000 international troops flow into Afghanistan over the next several months.
• As the expansion continues, especially throughout the winter months, having a place to secure equipment will prove vital to outfitting units with basic items and essential equipment. These closures will also lessen the amount of flight and ground convoy traffic across, and in and out of, Afghanistan, reduce both local and military security requirements, free up ramp space on airfields, and drastically reduce the water and electricity needs required to operate these businesses.
• We have an important mission here in Afghanistan, and its one the world is watching and paying attention to. We have a responsibility to outfit our troops with everything they need to be successful. Efficiently providing troops what they need to accomplish the mission is the right thing to do.

a) Do Gen. McChrystal's orders make more sense after reading more of Sgt.-Major Hall's explanation? Explain your answer.
b) Do you agree with the General's closures? Explain your answer.