Most Americans don’t know we still have U.S. soldiers in Syria. Not had. Have. Ask around at the grocery store, a football game, or a school board meeting and you’ll get blank stares—followed by “Wait, we’re still there?” That ignorance isn’t accidental. It’s the byproduct of a political class that has mastered the art of keeping wars just visible enough to signal “strength,” but quiet enough that no one asks why American blood is still being spent.
Syria is not a declared war. There is no Syria-specific Authorization for Use of Military Force. There is no victory condition, no end state, no honest explanation that survives five follow-up questions. Instead, we have a few thousand troops scattered across hostile terrain, tasked with “deterrence,” “stability,” and “messaging”—the kind of vague language politicians use when they want the benefits of war without the accountability.
And here’s the part no one likes to say out loud: using National Guard soldiers makes it easier to keep the charade going. They’re cheaper on paper, easier to rotate, and far less likely to trigger sustained national outrage when something goes wrong. No massive base protests. No nightly news countdowns. Just a hometown funeral, a folded flag, and a moment of silence before everyone moves on.
This isn’t because Guard soldiers are expendable—quite the opposite. It’s because they’re politically convenient. They allow Washington to maintain the illusion of global dominance while pretending the costs are manageable. No draft. No surge. No national debate. Just citizen-soldiers pulled from civilian lives to stand watch in a country most Americans couldn’t find on a map.
Let’s be honest: Syria is a chessboard for politicians, not a battlefield with a mission. We’re there to signal resolve to adversaries, reassure allies, and posture for press releases. That signaling doesn’t deter mortars, drones, or rockets. It doesn’t harden outposts. It doesn’t bring soldiers home alive. It just keeps the map shaded the right color in briefing slides.
When soldiers die in a war the public doesn’t even know exists, that’s not tragedy alone—that’s failure. Failure of Congress to do its job. Failure of leadership to define objectives. Failure of honesty with the American people. Calling it “force protection” or “regional stability” doesn’t change the reality that lives are being spent to preserve political narratives.
The men and women serving in Syria aren’t symbols. They’re not leverage. They’re not background noise for foreign policy theater. If the mission isn’t important enough to explain clearly, debate openly, and authorize properly, then it isn’t important enough to keep killing Americans.
And if that makes people uncomfortable—good. It should.
If you enjoyed this article, then please REPOST or SHARE with others; encourage them to follow AFNN. If you’d like to become a citizen contributor for AFNN, contact us at managingeditor@afnn.us Help keep us ad-free by donating here.
Substack: American Free News Network Substack
Truth Social: @AFNN_USA
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/afnnusa
Telegram: https://t.me/joinchat/2_-GAzcXmIRjODNh
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfnnUsa
GETTR: https://gettr.com/user/AFNN_USA
CloutHub: @AFNN_USA