WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (Kan.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.) – members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) – last week introduced a resolution honoring the veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces and civilian volunteers who organized evacuations during the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Afghanistan fell to the Taliban on August 15, 2021, resulting in a humanitarian and global security crisis. In the months following the collapse of Afghanistan, thousands of Americans, Afghans and foreign nationals sought refuge from the Taliban. The U.S. evacuation led to the greatest military airlift operation since World War II and the death of 13 American servicemembers.
“Our military personnel worked tirelessly to coordinate flights in and out of Kabul, but another force behind these efforts lies with groups of veteran volunteers who refused to leave their Afghan partners behind,” said Sen. Moran, ranking member of SVAC. “These volunteer veteran groups shared information, drafted flight manifests and coordinated food and supplies to be delivered to families who were in hiding. Without these volunteers, many of Afghan men, women and children would have suffered greatly or lost their life. Today, we offer this resolution to officially recognize and thank the veteran volunteers for their efforts to save their Afghan partners from the clutches of the Taliban.”
“The heroic actions of our nation’s veterans and civilian volunteers saved the lives of countless Afghan allies,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “For two decades, these essential translators, interpreters, and guards for the U.S. mission provided our soldiers and diplomats with invaluable support. As they sought refuge from assured torture and death at the hands of the Taliban, Americans back home stepped up to protect the allies that had once protected them. This resolution is a tribute to these veterans and volunteers, and the thousands of Afghan allies still alive today because of their relentless work.”
The resolution named and honored 26 veteran groups – many of which included civilian volunteers as well – who utilized their resources to help evacuate Afghan refugees out of the country.
The resolution can be found here.