Tell me what's happening in Afganistan (no CR. Can't we all just get along?)

[Parliament 13979]

Can we use this thread for just the facts?  The best DT threads are so good for that.  I've asked immamac to move political posts in this thread over to the CR.  immanac, we're depending on you, Buddy.

 

This CNN news thread is pretty good:

https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-18-21/index.html

[blacklab 11808]

I'll be monitoring as well. Please report political posts in this thread. I'm not going to move, just going to delete. If I delete more than 2 of your posts you'll be taking a day off.

If you want to discuss what biden/trump/obama/bush should have done or who's fault it is please go to the CR.

Please post news/stories about the evacuation here.

[RamjetFDO 10543]

For all my brothers/sisters, friends, and complete strangers who served in OIF/OEF - we're proud of you.  

If you know someone who served in either theater, reach out to them today.  Just do a "battle buddy check" and let them know their service was appreciated.

[Parliament 13979]

I did the same.  He served in the Navy and planned air strikes.  My dad is a Vietnam veteran, and I'm worried about how similar the images from Kabul are to the fall of Saigon.

Sounds like the evacuation of foreign nationals is not going well.  We have the airport secure, and flights are fine.  But right outside is a gong show, and folks can't get in.  That's what has me most worried.

[Harrison Bergeron 1798]

33 minutes ago, Parliament said:

I did the same.  He served in the Navy and planned air strikes.  My dad is a Vietnam veteran, and I'm worried about how similar the images from Kabul are to the fall of Saigon.

Sounds like the evacuation of foreign nationals is not going well.  We have the airport secure, and flights are fine.  But right outside is a gong show, and folks can't get in.  That's what has me most worried.

That's the concerning part. I am pretty shocked we would just pick up and leave with that many left behind. Not something I had paid attention to before this week, but I was surprised there were so many non-military folks there. Not sure if those are all government folks or private. I would not want to be an American in Kabul right now. I am praying we do not get a public execution(s).

[dcar00 13861]

27 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Amen. This mess was made by the Suits. Not by the Boots. 

meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

1 minute ago, dcar00 said:

meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?

[gyroprotagonist 2591]

love 'em or hate 'em, but NPR has done a ton of stories on this.  interviewing people in Kabul everyday to get their take on the situation with the Taliban taking over. 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

44 minutes ago, RamjetFDO said:

For all my brothers/sisters, friends, and complete strangers who served in OIF/OEF - we're proud of you.  

If you know someone who served in either theater, reach out to them today.  Just do a "battle buddy check" and let them know their service was appreciated.

Just heard one of the NGO's I support has a few Americans missing in Helmand. Hope these chucklekfucks did not decide to drive to Kabul. 

Yeah, I worked with lots of bad ass US and NATO troops. Getting drunk with the Macedonians was the highlight of my dealings with Internationals. Oh, and Indian Whiskey which comes in a can is really bad, but was available in Helmand. Just drink it with Orange Soda. 

OK, Back to the news. 

There are uprisings against the Talibs going on. on the thread to never be mentioned I highlighted where these are. Panshir (of course), J-bad, and in the center. Hearing rumors I cannot confirm of Logar province as well. This is big since it would isolate the Talibs from the south and the north. When the Khost Defense Forces ran, well did they? They can block the Taliban from the south. They could also be used to create a safe corridor. 

Hearing Talibs are gonna Talib and they may be losing control of their rank and file. Got to remember the Beach Talibs (Thank you Mr. Pelton for the term) ARE NOT in control of combat forces. What they say means about as much as aggy championships on their stadium. 

This shit ain't over and will keep posting what I hear. 

Keep the faith and non-political please. Hug a vet, send 10 bucks to a good NGO, adopt an Afghan.

[InkaUtexas 24822]

33 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Amen. This mess was made by the Suits. Not by the Boots. 

Well yes, but a lot of the boots (and contractors) could have been a bit nicer. Saw and heard a lot of shit. Cars being pushed off the road by convoys, the term Wogs, etc. When the surge came in we saw a change in mentality. It went from a SF/Advising approach to Iraq lets get em. 

And I am on record being quite pro military. Dad retired as a deputy commander for a SF Regiment. I am also pro DOS. Mom was a troubleshooter for them. Good people on both sides. 

[strangulation! 1694]

3 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

the Beach Talibs

what does this mean?

['stache 21490]

University of Tulsa is offering 2 full ride scholarships to Afghan refugees. I wish it were more, and I hope every college does something similar. We owe the good people of Afghanistan support, especially those who helped us and remained loyal. If we can get them here, it should lessen any feeling of regret for the work our soldiers did over the last 20 years. It'll be tangible proof of some positive outcomes, especially if we can bring in and educate women and girls who dream of more freedoms than they'll be allowed under the new regime.

https://www.newson6.com/story/611c295b35de050bfb6c2429/university-of-tulsa-to-provide-2-afghanistan-refugees-with-fullride-scholarship

[InkaUtexas 24822]

12 minutes ago, Harrison Bergeron said:

That's the concerning part. I am pretty shocked we would just pick up and leave with that many left behind. Not something I had paid attention to before this week, but I was surprised there were so many non-military folks there. Not sure if those are all government folks or private. I would not want to be an American in Kabul right now. I am praying we do not get a public execution(s).

From what I can gather they are NOT DOS/DOD contractors, but NGOs, including quite a few US Evangelical groups. World Vision types working food security and health projects. But also teachers working in schools. No one I knew in Kabul thought it was going to go this fast. And it is not that easy to just Get to Kabul if your ass is in Herat, K-dar, etc. 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

1 minute ago, strangulation! said:

what does this mean?

The beach talibs are the ones in Doha negotiating. Robert Pelton came up with the name for them. They live in nice villas/hotels, meet with the international community, etc. 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

1 minute ago, 'stache said:

University of Tulsa is offering 2 full ride scholarships to Afghan refugees. I wish it were more, and I hope every college does something similar. We owe the good people of Afghanistan support, especially those who helped us and remained loyal. If we can get them here, it should lessen any feeling of regret for the work our soldiers did over the last 20 years. It'll be tangible proof of some positive outcomes, especially if we can bring in and educate women and girls who dream of more freedoms than they'll be allowed under the new regime.

https://www.newson6.com/story/611c295b35de050bfb6c2429/university-of-tulsa-to-provide-2-afghanistan-refugees-with-fullride-scholarship

know if they can already be in country? I have a few candidates. Come on UT. We can do at least 3. 

[MillerEP 30232]

Taliban held a press conference. Practically everybody asked if they would respect human rights and women's rights. They said they would in accordance with Sharia Law which isn't promising. Women are being told all around to go home and stay home. Don't come out unless you're with a man. If you had a job, you can't work it anymore, but a male relative of yours can. So far just head coverings are allowed, so they haven't completely forced women back to Burqas at the moment, but they're going around and whitewashing over all images of women they see, and there is a gruesome photo on twitter of a woman they shot "for refusing to wear a burqa," so who knows:

The media is going around posting headlines like "Have they changed!?" and "Is this a new woke Taliban?" But I think everybody else except them doesn't buy a word that the Taliban spokesmen are saying. Actions speak louder than words. Aside from the whitewashing in the tweet above and there are posts of people saying they're killing anyone they see with the old Afghanistan flag (not the white one) and showing videos of the Taliban going around and rounding people up, and shooting protestors:

Some journalists are saying the UK set up a mini embassy in the airport, and are committed to getting as many people out as possible. The 2 PARA (an airborne unit) is supposedly doing runs outside of the airport to rescue people trapped in Kabul when the "hunker down" order went into effect. They claim the CO of the UK troops and the US troops is tense and have turned into a few shouting matches. Supposedly the UK think the American leadership is incompetent and not doing enough (probably true), so they're running their own operations. So they're preparing a plan to defend the airport if the US decides to leave, by flying in some Scottish troops. The troops on the ground are also pissed at their leadership, but that's nothing new for the NCOs to bitch about Officers.

They also said that the UK are angry at the Germans, the German air force brought in an entire empty A400M for their own people. The UK offered to pay them to bring UK citizens with them, and the Germans said no and flew out anyway with only 7 people. 

US is sending in more Marines to secure the airport:

 

Meanwhile, The "resistance" in Panjshir province got beefed up a bit, but they started negotiating with the Taliban, so people expect them to fold to the Taliban eventually:

 

 

 

['stache 21490]

2 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

know if they can already be in country? I have a few candidates. Come on UT. We can do at least 3. 

Here are the requirements, as reported by the media. It looks like, yes, they can already be here if they fled previously. I would add that any Afghan refugee should have an easy path to legal presence in the U.S. and be able to avoid some of the more onerous red tape of the current system.

 

Apply as a first-time undergraduate for a bachelor’s degree.

Have fled Afghanistan and can legally enter, or have legally entered, the U.S.

Demonstrate they would not have the financial means to attend TU otherwise.

Be able to lawfully study in the U.S. full time.

[InkaUtexas 24822]

1 minute ago, 'stache said:

Here are the requirements, as reported by the media. It looks like, yes, they can already be here if they fled previously. I would add that any Afghan refugee should have an easy path to legal presence in the U.S. and be able to avoid some of the more onerous red tape of the current system.

 

Apply as a first-time undergraduate for a bachelor’s degree.

Have fled Afghanistan and can legally enter, or have legally entered, the U.S.

Demonstrate they would not have the financial means to attend TU otherwise.

Be able to lawfully study in the U.S. full time.

Appreciate it. Sent to my interpreter. He was studying to teach Dari and Philosophy. His wife (also in the US) wants to be a nurse. But Alim is a smart dude who busted his as for me and a few SF units. Now he drives a semi. His father was a very solid professor and if we could get him out I would beg him to apply. 

Again, thank you for posting. 

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

16 minutes ago, gyroprotagonist said:

love 'em or hate 'em, but NPR has done a ton of stories on this.  interviewing people in Kabul everyday to get their take on the situation with the Taliban taking over. 

BBC News too. It's amazing to read perspectives from other news sources that don't have the US political spin to them.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-58219963

 

 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

Meanwhile, The "resistance" in Panjshir province got beefed up a bit, but they started negotiating with the Taliban, so people expect them to fold to the Taliban eventually:

 

Damn good post @MillerEP

Have some good intel the Panshiris came south, hammered Charikar and can hold it. Thoughts? That is a great place in the country to go defensive. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Taliban getting more aggressive:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/taliban-block-routes-to-kabul-airport-hampering-evacuations-from-afghanistan-11629279556

[dcar00 13861]

7 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

Just heard one of the NGO's I support has a few Americans missing in Helmand. Hope these chucklekfucks did not decide to drive to Kabul. 

Yeah, I worked with lots of bad ass US and NATO troops. Getting drunk with the Macedonians was the highlight of my dealings with Internationals. Oh, and Indian Whiskey which comes in a can is really bad, but was available in Helmand. Just drink it with Orange Soda. 

OK, Back to the news. 

There are uprisings against the Talibs going on. on the thread to never be mentioned I highlighted where these are. Panshir (of course), J-bad, and in the center. Hearing rumors I cannot confirm of Logar province as well. This is big since it would isolate the Talibs from the south and the north. When the Khost Defense Forces ran, well did they? They can block the Taliban from the south. They could also be used to create a safe corridor. 

Hearing Talibs are gonna Talib and they may be losing control of their rank and file. Got to remember the Beach Talibs (Thank you Mr. Pelton for the term) ARE NOT in control of combat forces. What they say means about as much as aggy championships on their stadium. 

This shit ain't over and will keep posting what I hear. 

Keep the faith and non-political please. Hug a vet, send 10 bucks to a good NGO, adopt an Afghan.

That would be great.  I'm concerned about the Talibs getting our equipment but the biggest thing is no air support(if that is the case).

[washparkhorn 9894]

The Airport is essentially protected - ground troops and air superiority. 

Getting to the Airport means navigating Taliban checkpoints. And that is just Kabul. 

[dcar00 13861]

8 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Taliban getting more aggressive:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/taliban-block-routes-to-kabul-airport-hampering-evacuations-from-afghanistan-11629279556

once news gets out that people are resisting the crackdown is going to get way worse.

[Muy Frio 182]

31 minutes ago, gyroprotagonist said:

love 'em or hate 'em, but NPR has done a ton of stories on this.  interviewing people in Kabul everyday to get their take on the situation with the Taliban taking over. 

Why do most NPR hosts sound like they have terrible sinus infection? 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

Just now, dcar00 said:

That would be great.  I'm concerned about the Talibs getting our equipment but the biggest thing is no air support(if that is the case).

What they got is not anything for us here to worry about. The comms equipment for me is the big issue, and I am sure we have experts who can chime in. A radio without the right crystals or repeaters is a brick. Weapons? Meh. Sucks for India, Pakistan and neighbors to the north. Drones? To see what? Their goat herds? 

Most of the aircraft is out. None of it was that modern. The Super Tucanos were pretty cool but limited for Close Air Support. They are not flying across the world and hitting anything. And they were out. The rest left was left cuz it could not fly. And shit, if you have 40K you can buy a hummer. I would take a Hilux over them anyways. 

 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

4 minutes ago, washparkhorn said:

The Airport is essentially protected - ground troops and air superiority. 

Getting to the Airport means navigating Taliban checkpoints. And that is just Kabul. 

Hell, navigating the drunk DynCorp teams on a Thursday on Chicken Street was just as dangerous!

 

[Muy Frio 182]

22 minutes ago, MillerEP said:

 

 

Meanwhile, The "resistance" in Panjshir province got beefed up a bit, but they started negotiating with the Taliban, so people expect them to fold to the Taliban eventually:

 

 

 

Is Panjshir known as a more secular province? Why is resistance based there?

[MillerEP 30232]

You don't need to be too worried about the captured weapons and vehicles if they stay in Afghanistan. The most likely outcome is most of that stuff gets sold to Iran if they maintain good relations with them (Remember Iran is Shi'ite Muslim, Taliban is a Pashto version of Suni). It's not easy for them to get American-made parts to the vehicles and aircraft, it'll be nearly impossible when we levy sanctions against the Taliban, so they'll all become pretty useless to them soon. American humvees and personnel carriers are also notorious gas guzzlers, which isn't a problem for US forces and US-supported forces, but again will be almost useless to them relatively quickly. So I imagine they'll resort back to the Toyota Hiluxes we were giving to the police, in which case that's about equivalent to what they already owned, so nothing to be gained there.

The same goes for the US weapons. We outfitted their military with M16 and M4s, which all use NATO ball rounds, which like vehicle parts, I imagine will not be easy to get, so they'll resort back to AKs, which is easy to ammo for.

[Parliament 13979]

Catching up on this thread.

When they send Scotsmen, shit done got real.

Are the Talib's gonna continue to let Americans through their checkpoints.  Even if the bosses order them to, the idiots on the ground might not follow orders very well.

Yesterday some US higher up would not commit to manning the airport after Aug 31.  I imagine that's what has the Brits upset.  They think they're gonna hafta hold it all on their own after that.

ETA

Miller, how much hign tech stuff was left?  Electronics, drones, etc?  You'd think the Chinese would pay good money for that stuff, if only to learn their capabilities.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Parliament

[InkaUtexas 24822]

VP is from there and it is the homeland of Shah Massoud, the most bad ass of the anti-russian fighters. The history of the valley is pretty cool. Never taken. 

His son called for the ANA troops to go there. They got guns and were the reason the Taliban never took the north in the 1990's. 

VP said he is the legitimate heir to the government per the Afghan Constitution which was agreed to by all the tribes. Modern Talibs say Islam is more important. Expect a fun guerrilla war. 

[Cheeseweasel 26437]

10 minutes ago, Muy Frio said:

Why do most NPR hosts sound like they have terrible sinus infection? 

They have Schweddy Balls.

 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

1 minute ago, MillerEP said:

You don't need to be too worried about the captured weapons and vehicles if they stay in Afghanistan. The most likely outcome is most of that stuff gets sold to Iran if they maintain good relations with them (Remember Iran is Shi'ite Muslim, Taliban is a Pashto version of Suni). It's not easy for them to get American-made parts to the vehicles and aircraft, it'll be nearly impossible when we levy sanctions against the Taliban, so they'll all become pretty useless to them soon. American humvees and personnel carriers are also notorious gas guzzlers, which isn't a problem for US forces and US-supported forces, but again will be almost useless to them relatively quickly. So I imagine they'll resort back to the Toyota Hiluxes we were giving to the police, in which case that's about equivalent to what they already owned, so nothing to be gained there.

The same goes for the US weapons. We outfitted their military with M16 and M4s, which all use NATO ball rounds, which like vehicle parts, I imagine will not be easy to get, so they'll resort back to AKs, which is easy to ammo for.

This man fucks. 

Except 1 thing. They can get plenty of 556 from Russia for their opium. And hell, I always carried an AK. 

[washparkhorn 9894]

Getting to the Kabul Airport, for some, is a daunting challenge:

Quote

The Taliban were still tightening their grip on Afghanistan's capital city on Wednesday, with the militants controlling access to Kabul's airport. While U.S. nationals have reported being unable to get to the runway for scheduled evacuation flights, those flights were continuing to take off, carrying Western diplomats, workers and their families — and Afghans who've helped them — out of the country.

Back in Kabul, the crush to escape continued on Wednesday. A NATO security official told the Reuters news agency that 17 people were injured in a stampede at a gate to the airport as the U.S. and other Western nations ramped up evacuation efforts, facilitated by an expansion of flight clearance for a limited number of civilian a who tries to get out of the country.

As many as 10,000 U.S. nationals and their family members are still in Afghanistan. CBS News' Christina Ruffini received messages on Tuesday from one family who said they'd received an email from the U.S. government telling them to go to the airport for evacuation, but when they tried, they encountered gunfire and chaos and headed back to their home to hunker down.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghanistan-taliban-us-evacuations-americans-kabul/

 

[Parliament 13979]

And Russian Wolf 5.56 is plenty good stuff.  AMHIK.  The ACOG's we left them are absolutely indestructible. They'll be around for a long time.

Edited August 18, 2021 by Parliament

[InkaUtexas 24822]

Just now, Parliament said:

And Wolf 5.56 is plenty good stuff.  AMHIK.  I the ACOG's we left them are absolutely indestructible. They'll be around for a long time.

Yep. It is. They can buy imaging equipment from Pakistan. Again, trade it for opium. That does not worry me. We did not give anyone except maybe the the ANA's SF our best stuff. 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

Yes and no. Some people believe their community will protect them. Other's believe God cuz they are on a mission. Other's just do not want to listen. Other's think meh, we got it. 

They were alerted. That is the job of DOS. I saw this in Peru, El Sal, across Africa. When Lashkar Gah was getting hammered daily in 2006, before the USMC came in, I received a call from the brits at their PRT. They said Yank, go to the local airport (Not the NATO AIRBASE) since there is an American woman who flew in today and said she is a journalist. So we geared up and went out there. She was no Journalist. She lied. Her mission was to come to a messed up place to open up a factory for making dolls. 

We had her out 5 days later. Man she was a pain in the ass. 

[Parliament 13979]

So what would a proper evacuation have looked like?  Tell all American civilians to fly home immediately, and work to confirm they do.  Start with the furthest bases and move all the gear out.  Blow up what you can't move?  Something like that?  How long would a proper evac take?

[Muy Frio 182]

1 minute ago, InkaUtexas said:

Yes and no. Some people believe their community will protect them. Other's believe God cuz they are on a mission. Other's just do not want to listen. Other's think meh, we got it. 

They were alerted. That is the job of DOS. I saw this in Peru, El Sal, across Africa. When Lashkar Gah was getting hammered daily in 2006, before the USMC came in, I received a call from the brits at their PRT. They said Yank, go to the local airport (Not the NATO AIRBASE) since there is an American woman who flew in today and said she is a journalist. So we geared up and went out there. She was no Journalist. She lied. Her mission was to come to a messed up place to open up a factory for making dolls. 

We had her out 5 days later. Man she was a pain in the ass. 

Bitches be crazy 

[AUS-97HORN 11546]

47 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Demonstrate they would not have the financial means to attend UT otherwise.

 

you are a guest,  while I appreciate your information, its still a UT site.

[Not a cat 5596]

Just now, AUS-97HORN said:

you are a guest,  while I appreciate your information, its still a UT site.

Tulsa schollie, not UT.

[AUS-97HORN 11546]

1 minute ago, Not a cat said:

Tulsa schollie, not UT.

then I am the idoit and Oklahoma is the freakshow...       neg away boys, I deserve it.

[dcar00 13861]

24 minutes ago, InkaUtexas said:

What they got is not anything for us here to worry about. The comms equipment for me is the big issue, and I am sure we have experts who can chime in. A radio without the right crystals or repeaters is a brick. Weapons? Meh. Sucks for India, Pakistan and neighbors to the north. Drones? To see what? Their goat herds? 

Most of the aircraft is out. None of it was that modern. The Super Tucanos were pretty cool but limited for Close Air Support. They are not flying across the world and hitting anything. And they were out. The rest left was left cuz it could not fly. And shit, if you have 40K you can buy a hummer. I would take a Hilux over them anyways. 

 

oh I'm not worried about the Talibs with planes/helos other than potentially the chinese or russians getting access to what is in them.  It might not even matter then.  comms equipment was likely destoryed.

just in general less stuff from us is better if insurgients are trying to fight them but the chinese and russians can support the Taliban long term with equipment anyway.

[phdhorn 6224]

35 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

once news gets out that people are resisting the crackdown is going to get way worse.

I think another part of that is that the Taliban's march through Afghanistan has been so lightning-swift that they really haven't had time to pull back and set up their infrastructure. That's starting to happen now, they're beginning to allocate their members strategically.

And when that happens I wonder if they'll put up more resistance against the U.S., even if it's just pot shot type stuff.

 

[hayden_horn 11311]

12 minutes ago, Parliament said:

So what would a proper evacuation have looked like?  Tell all American civilians to fly home immediately, and work to confirm they do.  Start with the furthest bases and move all the gear out.  Blow up what you can't move?  Something like that?  How long would a proper evac take?

um, yeah. i imagine that it wouldn't take more than 3 months. 

while you control the real estate, you get people the fuck out, you disable anything functional, and you prepare for complete air retreat. hell the romans perfected this shit in the 0s ad. 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

We will be done by then. What I think they will do is push back to the villages before Winter, which really starts in October in the mountains. Afghanistan is cold. 

Few "talibs" are from the Northwest so they will want to go home. 

We have 30 days to operate. If they let us. I really think we will see either one hell of a deal or some light combat. 

[InkaUtexas 24822]

3 minutes ago, hayden_horn said:

um, yeah. i imagine that it wouldn't take more than 3 months. 

while you control the real estate, you get people the fuck out, you disable anything functional, and you prepare for complete air retreat. hell the romans perfected this shit in the 0s ad. 

30 if you had secured the core airports. 

And FYI. BBC has some good shows on today. Plus their journalist is easy on the eyes. 

[Trey3216 15298]

43 minutes ago, Muy Frio said:

Why do most NPR hosts sound like they have terrible sinus infection? 

It's really hard for them to breath with their nose held at so high an incline  

[52-80 18963]

1 hour ago, MillerEP said:

Taliban held a press conference. Practically everybody asked if they would respect human rights and women's rights. They said they would in accordance with Sharia Law which isn't promising. Women are being told all around to go home and stay home. Don't come out unless you're with a man. If you had a job, you can't work it anymore, but a male relative of yours can. So far just head coverings are allowed, so they haven't completely forced women back to Burqas at the moment, but they're going around and whitewashing over all images of women they see, and there is a gruesome photo on twitter of a woman they shot "for refusing to wear a burqa," so who knows:

 

['stache 21490]

19 minutes ago, Not a cat said:

Tulsa schollie, not UT.

The University of Tulsa adopted the old Big 8 convention of reversing the letters. (OU, KU, NU, CU, MU). I always assumed they did it to differentiate themselves from the older eastern and west coast schools which already used the U_ marketing convention. But I've never really looked it up. I think I read that Indiana is the only one that has it consistent as it is officially The Indiana University.

Edited August 18, 2021 by 'stache