Afghanistan anniversary: America must keep its promise to our Afghan allies

One year has passed since the tragic events of our evacuation from Afghanistan and yet Americans have largely stopped talking about the end of our longest war. Many are keen to move on, hoping that the more distance we put between ourselves and the Hindu Kush the better. Unfortunately, there are many who cannot afford the convenience of forgetting the past 20 years.

America’s servicemembers and veterans made immense sacrifices for our mission against terrorism and the Taliban. The events on screen struck a deeply personal chord for those of us who had served. The images of crowds at the gate, Afghans holding onto wheels of our planes, and faces we couldn’t help will stick with us long after they fade from news channel screens.

Many felt betrayed as they watched all their years of service swept away by a resurgent Taliban that retook the country over a long weekend and with little resistance. This sense of betrayal remains strong within the military community and America must find a way to right our wrongs if we are to continue asking our men and women to bet it all on our country and her security. However, America owes a debt to more than just our military. 

BIDEN'S AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL REMAINS CATASTROPHE OF AMERICAN WEAKNESS A YEAR LATER

Afghan allies had been promised safe passage to the United States for their service alongside us. Yet at the time of the announced withdrawal date, thousands of applications still had to be vetted and processed. Even worse, America’s promise to her allies did not appear to be a priority for our State Department.

While few could have anticipated the disaster of America’s withdrawal, there were some of us who could see the storm clouds gathering and chose to act. When the Biden administration announced the date of America’s withdrawal, those of us who had spent their careers in the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community knew there was no time to waste. 

That is when my organization, Special Operations Association of America (SOAA), jumped into action. As an organization dedicated to bridging the divide between SOF voices and our political representatives, we were able to leverage our connections in both worlds.

Two months after the U.S. withdrawal date was announced, we stood before the Capitol in Washington, D.C., with members of Congress by our side, to ensure that our leaders would not forget those who had served our nation. While our actions met some success, many Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants were still left behind. This administration might have decided to turn the other cheek on our former enemies, but the Taliban has not been so charitable towards those Afghans who had taken our side.

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Many wondered why the government had failed to foresee what every veteran could have predicted.We place these failures at the feet of a burdensome bureaucracy and firmly believe that if our leadership had heard more from the SOF community then many mistakes made could have been avoided. 

SOF units worked closest with local allies and viewed them as brothers. Each would be able to tell you a story of how an Afghan ally made sure their family never received a folded flag.

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As it became clear that Kabul would fall, SOF members and veterans from all over the country joined the evacuation efforts. To date, we have helped to evacuate over 7,000 people from Afghanistan. The partnership of active-duty and veteran SOF members in the evacuation efforts demonstrated what the best of America’s military community had to offer. My belief is that by bringing our best to Washington, we will get the best out of Washington.

I was not alone in my efforts to evacuate our allies and the work of countless private citizens showed the world that we are not a people who sit helplessly by. However, it should not become a habit that our government abandons its promises and leaves the mess to those it claims to represent. This is a key reason for the anger and disillusionment among both our veterans and active-duty soldiers.

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While thousands of our steadfast allies have been evacuated from Afghanistan, many remain trapped and fear for the lives of their families. They hide while their SIV applications get lost in the federal bureaucracy and D.C. focuses on midterms. 

If this administration wants to show Americans that we are a country that takes care of our own, they could start by keeping our promise to our Afghan allies.