Utahns have mixed reaction to Obama's Afghanistan strategy

President Obama's Afghanistan speech rang through the minds of many Utahns Tuesday night, especially in light of the more than 50 Utah men and women who have died in service overseas.

Lisa Barnes said she listened with interest as Obama discussed sending an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, wishing there had been more troops around in October when her son, Pfc. Kimble Han, was killed in Afghanistan. Before his death, Han told his mother about the U.S. having far fewer troops in Afghanistan than Iraq and how so many died from roadside bombs, Barnes said.

"If they had more troops, maybe the enemy would be more frightened," she said. "But I'm just coming from a mom's viewpoint. I'd hate to see more kids go over there and die, but I feel like if they can get over there, they can get the job done."

Jennie Taylor, a 30-year-old mother whose husband, Brent, and his five brothers are all in the Army, said she'd rather see every soldier deployed overseas to get the job done quickly than have the conflict drag on for years.

"I don't want my husband to go over there," said Taylor, of Ogden. "We have neighbors who just lost their son recently."

First Lt. Brent Taylor, who recently returned home from Iraq, said it was clear from the beginning that more troops were needed overseas.

Liz Hunter remembers the promise her foster brother, Army Staff Sgt. Kurt Curtiss, made before he went overseas. He promised everything would be fine. But the 27-year-old soldier was killed in August in Afghanistan.

Following Obama's announcement to send more troops, Hunter was shocked and dismayed, still bitter over the memory of her foster brother.

"You might not see them again, no matter how much they promise you," she said. "They're not going to come back if they're sent over there."

e-mail: lgroves@desnews.com