Funny that it takes a Navy SEAL to point out the obvious to the Army and Marine COIN experts that have been running the show over there for years.

At the same time, though, Sheppard said Western forces are partly to blame for stoking the belief that the coalition would always ride to the rescue. For years, the coalition funded many projects and programs, without involving higher levels of the Afghan government, and took the lead in solving a slew of problems, obviating the need for Afghan officials to seek aid from their government.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly criticized the provincial reconstruction teams for that approach, blaming them for undermining his government’s effectiveness and authority — a characterization Sheppard and others said is not without merit.

“They are accustomed to not getting what they need from the Afghan government and getting what they need from the coalition,” said Nancy Abella, a State Department representative who works on the PRT’s staff.