View From the Front Lines
BALDWIN: Grim news from Afghanistan today. We've heard about this military helicopter. It's gone down. Nine U.S. service members have been killed. Take a look at the map with me. This happened in the southern part of Afghanistan where coalition and Afghan troops have been battling the Taliban for nine years. This year, by the way, the deadliest so far for coalition troops -- 526 reported killed, 350 of them American. And coalition commanders say part of the reason is more boots on the ground. As combat troops pull out of Iraq, more U.S. troops have been going into Afghanistan. Our very own Pentagon correspondent Chris Lawrence was there just a couple of months ago, really getting a taste of what troops are facing overseas. He is now back with us at the Pentagon. Chris, I think that was April -- correct me if I'm wrong -- April, when you were over there.</s>CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Yes.</s>BALDWIN: And I'm just curious, given the news of this helicopter crash, and so much else coming out of Afghanistan -- you keep in touch with the troops who you met when you were over there -- how is morale today compared to what it was in April?</s>LAWRENCE: Well, you know, Brooke, there's this one young Marine. I actually met him back in December at Camp Lejeune. His unit was going to be one of the first to go to Afghanistan as part of President Obama's surge. Then, a few months later, just by coincidence, I ended up embedding with his unit at a really remote base down there in Helmand. Spent a couple weeks there living together, eating together, going out on patrols with these guys. And I remember when we were with him in April, every day those units would go out. They were getting hit by the IEDs. No big injuries. A lot of the MRAPs were taking the brunt of it. But then I saw him just about a month ago here at the pentagon. He was part of the Wounded Warrior Tour. He had lost his leg. And we have just been e-mailing back and forth. And he told me, "I know you had some questions about what happened to me." He had gone into a building. He was the second guy in. The bomb blew up, and he said he almost blacked out. And he looked down and he said, "I knew my leg was gone." But it just really kind of reinforced -- you know, even though you hear about these nine deaths, even sometimes here in the Pentagon you get glazed over with some of the numbers. But when you start to put faces and families to it, it really brings it home -- Brooke.</s>BALDWIN: It brings it home. I was at Walter Reed -- I think it was about last month -- and I met a young man who lost both of his legs in an IED. And you're right, I think a lot of people, it's tough to hear these stories of these young people coming back, if they are coming back.</s>LAWRENCE: Exactly.</s>BALDWIN: And yet, at the same time, Chris, I saw this recent CNN poll which gives a different perspective. Americans reached an all- time high with unpopularity with the war in Afghanistan. So it's like you have this juxtaposition of men and women have a duty to perform overseas, yet many people here at home sort of nonplused with what's happening over there.</s>LAWRENCE: That's right. And I think there is definitely a disconnect between the American people's view of Afghanistan and the actual troops on the ground. You know, official views may be one thing. There's a lot of problems, you know, folks have at the official level with the things that are happening in Afghanistan. A lot of military officials are dissatisfied with, say, the progress in President Karzai's regime and sort of, you know, negotiating with the Taliban, or taking steps to reform corruption within their government. But when you talk to the actual troops on the ground, the sergeants, the captains, the men and women who are really doing the bulk of the fighting, they still are very upbeat about their mission. And again, you've got to remember, they have each got specific, smaller missions. They're not looking big picture, how is the entire country doing? They're looking at, are we making a change in this small area where we are? And I think for the most part, even when you're seeing higher levels of violence, you still see the troops very committed to what they're doing there.</s>BALDWIN: Still, so tough to hear the numbers, especially these nine dead from this helicopter crash. Chris Lawrence, I remember your reporting from Afghanistan. It was excellent. Thanks for talking to me today about all of this. Appreciate it.</s>LAWRENCE: Thanks, Brooke.