Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough appeared on CNN This Morning on September 6th. While he claimed pride in the rescue efforts, he makes it sound like it should be some great surprise that the veterans of Afghanistan were crushed by seeing it fall so fast.
“Look, we have seen real manifestations of moral injury because so many of our troopers dedicated so much of their lives to that remarkable effort in Afghanistan. And so, we have seen a big impact. But I’ll tell you what I’ve also seen is, across the country, veterans still fighting to get their interpreters, their drivers, Afghans who worked with them, make sure that they get them here to the US.”
Continuing to sing their praises, he added, “We see that in every community across the country. I’m really proud of the work that our vets are doing to watch out for, as I said, their interpreters, their drivers, their mates. It’s really America at its finest.”
These veterans look out for them because they are a part of their family. With so many doing back-to-back tours, especially in the early years of Afghanistan, they often traded out to a new unit and returned to the same base at some point. For many, this meant seeing translators, guides, and interpreters from previous deployments.
Spending so much time together, close bonds and a brotherhood are formed. Given the promises the US Government made to these people and their families for the risk they were being presented with, it became easy to see how they would develop tight-knit relationships quickly. To watch a known date approach and to see no rush until the Taliban called Biden’s agreement was sickening.
For many of these Veterans, they saw the same failed promises many of them had made to them at various stages. From dishonest recruiters and MEPS officials to bald-faced lying commanders who only cared about their own careers. Not to mention the largely failed physical and mental health care at the VA. These brave souls have been lied to every step of the way, and yet they are still pushing on. They wanted to see their Afghan brethren taken care of. That would make their sacrifice and the deceit worth it in some small way.
Yet Biden and other officials seemed determined that the Afghan National Army could hold the line. Americans and their allies would just be able to waltz right out, and it would be a successful mission. Sadly, that was just another horrific lie these officers told themselves, and something they would have known the truth about by listening to their lower enlisted members for just 10 minutes.
Reading passages and speaking to locals, it was clear to see how this would turn out. The same lowly troops on both sides would talk. As a form of bonding, interrogation tactics, or simply from boredom, they would find common ground. This meant Afghanis and others would eventually drop their guard. They would let them in.
Those who took the time to listen learned one immutable truth- the Taliban and other organizations were there before the CIA and FBI helped train Bin Laden and his fighters against the Russians. They might have been known under different names and held differing ideologies, but they all benefitted from this knowledge of the country and where we would be most challenged.
A formidable opponent, we brought the fight to them for over 20 years. In the end, thousands on both sides lay dead. Nobody won this conflict. Yep, we finally got Bin Laden, but for the thousands who came home, they all left parts of themselves there. Sights, sounds, smells, and tastes can transport them back in a moment.
So when you tell them that their buddies died just for the same shitbags to take the country back before we even leave, it’s going to hurt like all hell. It’s going to trigger memories they don’t want. Perhaps McDonough will figure out that the southern border isn’t closed next.
