Military and Veteran Community Remains Critical of Biden’s Afghanistan forces withdrawal 

Sept. 15, 2021

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton and Keely Bastow

In the wake of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony this week before Congress on the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, veterans reacted with concern over the strategy and rescue efforts for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs).

Blinken defended the decision to withdrawal by saying, “”Had he not followed through on his predecessor’s commitment, attacks on our forces and those of our allies would have resumed and the Taliban’s nationwide assault on Afghanistan’s major cities would have commenced,”

The deadline for a complete evacuation of American forces from Afghanistan nearly 20 years after the first troops arrived was originally planned to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks but was moved up to Aug. 31 because some said a pull out on the anniversary might appear in poor taste.

The terms for the withdrawal were laid out in an agreement between the Trump administration and the Taliban in February 2020, the Biden administration reminded Congress and the American people.

The weeks leading up to the deadline were characterized by chaos at Hamid Karzai International Airport as civilians attempted to flee while the Taliban regained control of key cities.

The chaos was then followed by twin bombings at the airport that killed 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghan civilians, as reported by the New York Times.

Many military veterans reacted with concern about the chaos and timing of the withdrawal, even though they believed U.S. forces should leave the country.

A poll released from VoteVets during the evacuation in August found that 63% of veterans support U.S. forces leaving Afghanistan.

Monica Gilmore, a retired sergeant of the U.S. Army and chairman of the Women’s Veteran Group from the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA), says she’s “glad our Armed Forces and civilians are back in the United States,” but veterans she has spoken to are disappointed by the failure of the Afghan army to protect their own people.

American Veterans (AMVETS) put out a statement that said the exit was “tragic, chaotic, and utterly disappointing.”

“It has left many more soldiers, Marines, airmen, members of the Coast Guard, and veterans questioning if their service in this 20-year war was worthwhile,” said the AMVET statement.

James McCormick, retired U.S. Army Captain and national commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, added that ire from veterans extends beyond the battlefield and into the arena of care.

“You know there’s a lot of little bits of red tape that’s going to be increased dramatically with a massive influx of thousands of more veterans into an already overtaxed system that is woefully unbudgeted, woefully underserviced,” McCormick said.

Another top concern for veterans is the allies left behind in Afghanistan. The Mission Continues, a non-profit which deploys veteran volunteers to work alongside nonprofit partners and community leaders to improve underserved communities, made a statement asking leaders to help get these allies who worked with U.S. personnel in Afghanistan out.

“We promised them SIV status so that they could one day bring their families to America, and it would be unacceptable for us to leave them behind now when their lives depend on us keeping that promise,” the statement said.

Jamie Smith, the chief of staff for Rep. Gerry Connelly (D-Va.) echoed this sentiment, saying the office “has 20,000 names that we submitted to the State Department, and we’re working with them to try to make sure anybody who’s in danger is able to leave.”

Congress has opened an investigation with a full Senate committee into the withdrawal, and some members are asking questions that veterans like McCormick have about the level of collaboration between politicians and the military.

Sen. John Thune (R-SD), said in a GOP leadership press conference Tuesday that there “needs to be a public accounting by the diplomatic, the military, the intelligence leadership in this country to the American people who deserve answers.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the Biden administration’s handling of the withdrawal Monday and Tuesday during hearings before the House and Senate Foreign Affairs Committees.

Blinken said in his testimony Tuesday the decision to withdraw troops came from the Trump administration and that the deal made with the Taliban left President Biden with the option of either ending the war or further escalating it.

Senate Republicans questioned Blinken on the rushed withdrawal during his testimony with Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho) saying, “The rushed and embarrassing retreat is a stain on America’s credibility that will have implications for years to come.”

Closed Senate hearings on the withdrawal are expected later this week as Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement Tuesday vowing further hearings.