He's their commander in chief, and it is good for the troops to know he cares about their fate and their mission.
UPDATE: Article here. Now keep him safe. A presidential trip to Afghanistan is only a successful morale builder for the troops if the President goes home safe and sound.
UPDATE: My concern over safety was triggered by a worry that the news was reported before he took off to leave Afghanistan:
According to news pool reports from Air Force One, already White House officials are investigating how the news embargo was dangerously broken first by ABC News and then CNN and MSNBC. ...
The agreement between any administration and the news media is that on such dangerous forays into war zones, news of the trip is embargoed until the president is on the ground or in some cases already departed the area.
The reality, however, is that even before a landing, hundreds if not thousands of people are aware of a secret trip. And the destination is obvious.
The reality is that it doesn't matter if thousands near Washington, D.C., know what is obvious. It matters whether someone with anti-aircraft weapons finds out in time.
As an aside, I'll note with some amusement that the dreaded FOX news was not fingered as an early leaker. In fact, FOX stuck to the agreement and reported on the arrival after the president arrived. Oh, the irony. I was a bit worried that the news was reported before he left Afghanistan, since I heard it on FOX. Had I known it was reported earlier, I'd have really worried.
There are policy implications, too--the president will stick with the mission:
... He's staying the course.
Obama is confident that what he began one year ago is working: an infusion of U.S. troops to take back the fight against a resurgent Taliban and to speed up training of Afghan forces so they can take charge of their own security.
He's talking with ever more sureness even as the signs of improvement, and their durability, are precarious.
"Thanks to your service, we are making important progress," Obama said Friday to more than 3,500 troops in this U.S. operations hub. "You are protecting your country. You are achieving your objectives. You will succeed in your mission."
The beginning of drawing down the surge will still begin in July 2011. That's fine, as long as it is driven by conditions on the ground. I've long been uncomfortable having 100,000 troops on the ground at the end of dicey supply lines. I still think we could have won with 70,000 troops, although admittedly it would take longer.
It is good for the troops and Afghans--friend, foe, and neutrals--to hear in person from President Obama that we will stay to win. He has chosen to win, it seems. Which is something I've always thought important.
