09/12/2024
Our founder, Daniel Elkins, was quoted in the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Majority Party’s report on the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“As the founder of the Special Operations Association of America, our organization speaks as a voice for the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community who served in Afghanistan. Our members were significantly impacted by the catastrophic U.S. military withdrawal in August 2021. Our organization was among the few nonprofits on the ground in the region during this tragic event. We worked tirelessly to assist Afghan allies—interpreters and commandos—who had fought alongside us for over 20 years.”
“Forged by the bond of shared sacrifice, more of our community would be in Arlington National Cemetery today if it were not for those who stood shoulder to shoulder with us.”
“The moral injury from this withdrawal has been profound, leading to increased veteran suicides and a surge in VA crisis hotline calls. The trust built with our Afghan partners was shattered, and the consequences have rippled across the globe, undermining our alliances and national security.”
“The withdrawal was avoidable and highlights failures at every level. We must ensure that the sacrifices of our veterans and the lives of our Afghan allies were not in vain. We owe it to them to honor our promises and prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.”
The HFAC reports are just one step forward. Much work remains to be done so that the sacrifices made by our brothers and sisters were not in vain. There are legislative solutions that will hold the responsible leaders accountable and prevent this tragic history from being repeated. We will continue our work with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to accomplish just that. We are not done fighting for freedom for Afghanistan.
Please read HFAC’s reports:
Majority: https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/chairman-mccaul-releases-historic-comprehensive-report-on-biden-harris-administrations-afghanistan-withdrawal/
Minority:https://mcusercontent.com/e711646c72c197262ff8d3d32/files/d82144bd-991b-68aa-6b40-46255b17f853/HFAC_Democratic_Staff_Memo_Afghanistan_Investigation_FINAL_for_posting.pdf
