Body Count
As a metric, it is of questionable value. However, it is important to instill the concept of BDA and verification. As a commander in Zabul, I half-jokingly would say, "Its not a TIC if you ain't got the body." You lay scunion on an AO, you better be willing to hump up that hill and verify what you did. A number of wins to this approach.
1. An aggressive, manuevering force will quickly break and scatter the enemy. If you are passive, the TB is more aggressive and capable. Simply put, closing in is safer.
2. If you own the ground and the bodies, you control the IO (or STRATCOM) high ground as well. Can't claim its a farmer when you got the pics to prove it isn't.
3. If you #### up, you can mitigate. TB initiated an ambush on my forces with a 10 year old goat herder in between. WE shot the boy. We humped the 600M up hill to close with the enemy and found the boy who took 2 7.62 (one to the head). We medevac'd and treated the boy and held a Shura 2 days later explaining our actions, apologizing and showing the elders how the TB were responsible. As a TB rep was at the Shura, it was pretty funny watching him lose his cool. The boy lost an eye but otherwise recovered. The boy's father was actually very grateful that instead of leaving him to die and driving away, we "fought like pashtoons" on foot. What could have been an IO disastor became an IO victory.
4. Pashtoon society respects bravery. While we know the scariest part of AFG is driving around waiting for IEDs, they see this as cowardice. Fighting on foot is what they respect and, for the babas, differentiates us from the Soviets, which is critical.
5. Body snatching while macabre, hurts TB recuiting. After we claim a body, we give it to the ANP. The local TB family has to go and grovel for their son's body which is humiliating for an elder. Instead of dying a great martyr and being buried by the TB at the site of the great battle, they are buried days later, after the family made cash payments to the Police and not on the battlefield. Knowing that if they die, instead of being a hero, they embarass their family has great effect on TB. Not to mention the fact that americans in body armor (with ANP) are going to climb up hills and kill you is scary. Combine that with Apaches and ISR and its down right terrifying to be a TB.
6. Body in hand allows you to BAT/HIIDE and verify who you killed. Also get their cell phones/ICOMs which can be exploited. You can verify their logistics status by seeing how well the bodies were supplied.
7. Free motorcylces!
YMMV.
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