Sean Smith spent a month embedded with the US Army's 501st Parachute Regiment in June this year. With inadequate vehicles, relations with Afghan security forces at a standstill and the constant threat of IEDs, the soldiers are losing heart for a fight they feel their presence is only prolonging.

This is a stunning video in a lot of ways. The utter uselessness of the Afghan army is an open secret. So is the fact that the Afghans by and large just want us gone.