Afghan 13, Service Members Remembered

 

I don't want for the Afghan 13 to be forgotten. These American service members perished in the suicide bombing at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. These were unnecessary deaths triggered by the incompetence that now runs the White House.

In honor of the fallen service members, I will do a final Roll Call to remember the sacrifices they made for American and their efforts to protect the vulnerable at the Kabul Airport.

“ROLL CALL!”

-        Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts, assigned to 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

-        Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California, assigned to Combat Logistics Battalion 24, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

-        Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah.

-        Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California, a rifleman.

-        Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska, a rifleman.

-        Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana, a rifleman.

-        Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri, a rifleman.

-        Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming, a rifleman.

-        Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, a rifleman.

-        Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California.

-        Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio, assigned to 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California.

-        Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee. Knauss was assigned to 9th PSYOP Battalion, 8th PSYOP Group, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

Biden withdrew troops in the middle of the night from the only US military base near Kabul (40 miles), Bagram Airfield-BAF, on Friday July 2, 2021, as reported from Fox News on July 5, 2021. It shocked most people, even the Afghan Base Commander.

"We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram," Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, immediately hid behind process and the typical ‘following orders’ bit. According to PJ Media, “Securing Bagram is a significant level of military operating forces,” Milley says. “It would also require external support from the Afghan security forces. Our task, given to us at that time, our task was to protect the embassy,” Milley said (emphasis added).

Austin and Milley were grilled in Congress for the pathetic and devastating surrender these two men operated. They poorly explained the reasoning for abandoning Bagram, and said they felt their option was to defend the American Embassy and Kabul Airport.

“If we were to keep both Bagram and the embassy going, that would be a significant number of military forces…that may have exceeded what we had, or stayed the same as what we had,” Milley continued. “So you had to collapse one or the other. And the decision was made, the proposal was made, from CENTCOM commander and the commander on the ground, Scottie Miller, to go ahead and collapse Bagram. That was all briefed and approved and we estimated that the risk of going out of KIA, or the risk of going out of Bagram, were about the same, so going out of KIA was the better tactical solution…in accordance with getting the troops down to a 600, 700 number.”

Senator Mitch McConnell voiced a concern that Potato Joe was untruthful in an interview with George Stephanopoulos. McConnell says Biden was not taking the advice of the military brass that recommended keeping 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. These troops were essential to maintain military superiority against Taliban forces; which would have made the Bagram Air Base even more valuable for Afghanistan stability. Potato Joe told Stephanopoulos not one military general disagreed with him. Which was debunked under scrutiny when Congress grilled them during hearings.

 

I must point out that in the Stephanopoulos interview Potato Joe acted annoyed as he said, “nobody is dying”. When just days before we saw disturbing images of people falling from planes leaving in a hurry as the looming invasion of the Taliban grew. A photo I have saved was taken by a person on one of those plans and it showed a body still attached and obviously dead. Even worse is Potato Joe promised to not leave Afghanistan until every American wanted out.

And then August 26, 2021, ISIS-K members, likely released from jail by the Taliban at Bagram, set off a suicide bomb at one of the gates to the Kabul Airport. This killed 13 US service members and nearly 200 Afghans. I understand many more were injured, as well as other service members. Apparently, passengers that had already been cleared to enter the Airport were forced back outside the gate by military brass. I remember just before the bomb went off that there was a warning an attack was eminent. Why then would the military shove panicked people back out the gate to upset the surroundings around the gate and distracted the US troops standing guard.

 

I learned from the Glenn Beck Show, that Beck had arrangements for Christians and allies to board planes. I believe Beck explained that some of the people killed and injured were those passengers. A truly emotional Beck explained he was able to get a – yes singular- a mother out from Afghanistan. He has had success with his Nazarene Fund and raised over $50M in a few days. But the White House and State Department have been sabotaging the Fund’s efforts. Passengers aboard one of the planes rented was known to have been rerouted back to Kabul. In mid-flight, the country meant to accept the passengers rejected their landing after the US State Department contacted the country demanding the rejection of any rescued AMERICANS, ALLIES, CHRISTIANS, WOMEN.

As of today, American and Allies are still being held hostage as Taliban try “diplomacy” to make deals with America. What is happening is Washington and Potato Joe are are now dealing with terrorists demands of ransom. This administration is guilty of war crimes and treason. I pray justice will prevail and our people held hostage in Afghanistan are rescued and made well.

 

NEVER NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS

Sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-left-afghan-airfield-at-night-didnt-tell-new-commander

https://nypost.com/2021/09/16/13-troops-killed-in-kabul-in-line-for-congressional-gold-med https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/bryan-preston/2021/08/18/the-general-who-recommended-abandoning-bagram-air-base-has-already-left-afghanistan-hm-n1470790als/

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2021/08/28/here-are-the-names-of-the-13-service-members-who-died-in-afghanistan-attack/

 

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