Roland,
You tell us what you think about the causes for the Tower being unmanned then preach to us.
My money is it became a routine and the Taliban tweaked.....and thus used that point for entry as they knew it to be a weak point.
One does not have to attend the Base to understand the benefit of aggressive Patrolling in preventing attacks by the bad guys on fixed defenses. That is a concept taught at every level of Infantry training or physical security school.
Pinkerton rent-a-cops get that taught to them so why would the British/American/Tongan/Afghanistan forces assigned to defend the Base not adhere to that policy?
Large bases are hard to protect....but then does that come as a surprise to anyone....or should it be a surprise as it seemed to have been?
Excuses don't cut it in combat.....there is no "Try"....either you do or you do not.
Failing to do right gets people killed.