FUCHS

a. It does matter how far you can see, because you may well be seeing people who are shooting at other people who are closer to them. - or trying to stop them moving around and across terrain you cannot secure, except by fire.

b. Combat has to be accepted as and when it occurs. Terrain is not homogeneous. Even in Jungles you may be engaged by a 14.5 AAMG a 1000m across the other side of the valley - as happened to a friend of mine in Laos.

c. I agree that the Taliban are not a well trained opponent, but you do not have to be that good to be that lethal so that it counts. Combat is not defined by absolutes. It's very context specific and all very relative. Good enough merely has to be "better than."

What is more, NO good Army will take the tactical conduct of operations in A'Stan as being illustrative of anything other than irregular warfare against a 2nd rate opponent.