Veterans Say: Afghan Peoples Deserve Better
If you’re a veteran or civilian ally that wishes to join us in making these demands, sign here.
As post-9/11 military veterans, we support the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. We are furious that the nature of that withdrawal has been carried out with such obvious disregard for the well-being of the peoples of Afghanistan. The US must accelerate all efforts to evacuate as many refugees as possible to safety as quickly as possible. To this end, we call on the Biden administration to leverage its power and resources now.
We believe that it is of the utmost importance that the U.S. government fully acknowledge the dire situation in Afghanistan; and stop deflecting responsibility for decades of conflict and violence. This war was doomed from its inception. Over the past 20 years, countless veterans have spoken out, shared their experiences, lost their lives, suffered immense moral injury, PTS and struggled to grapple with what it was all for.
The 2019 release of the Afghanistan Papers shines light on decades of failed policy, severe lack of strategic visioning, and reckless arrogance towards any responsible exit. What we know for sure, U.S. presidents: Bush, Obama, Trump and now Biden abused their powers in the ways they misled the American people, Afghan Peoples and our allies. To that end, our entire government is accountable to failed policies that have put our Afghan interpreters, their families, and neighbors at severe risk of life.
The US must enact a responsible draw down of military operations that centers Afghan peoples and their needs. We stand in strong solidarity with the Afghan community demanding action and accountability from President Biden and lift up their demands for support as laid out here.
We continue to make the following demands:
Evacuate Afghan peoples — Provide continuous protection and security to Kabul airport and ensure it remains safe and operational
Accept refugees and asylum seekers — the United States, European Union, and all NATO allies must adopt an open-door refugee policy and welcome every Afghan person seeking refuge and safe haven
Remove red tape by:
1) Increasing refugee quotas for Afghanistan and expediting processing for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) and Priority 1, 2, and 3 (P1, P2, and P3) applicants;
2) Giving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to all Afghan persons in the U.S. to avert any threat of deportation;
3) Broadening the scope of the P2 program to include vulnerable Afghan peoples — especially women and girls, activists, the LGBTQI+ community, and ethnic and religious minorities; and
4) Expediting and prioritizing humanitarian parole and family reunification applications for processing.
5) Provide an emergency humanitarian aid package to meet the basic needs of millions of Afghan peoples
Given these unprecedented and uncertain times; we appreciate our peers, neighbors, and allies for their efforts and leadership highlighting the truth of war. We are ready to work with you and learn with you to see that the needs of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable and marginalized be met during this extraordinary time.
We’ve compiled a list of ways members and allies can support at this moment, here. In the coming days and weeks we will continue to support and uplift our Afghan allies who know what must be done for their peoples.
If you want to sign onto this letter as a veteran or civilian ally, click here.
Artwork from DE-MIL-I-TA-RISE portfolio with JustSeeds.
List of signers:
Andrew Kincare, Air Force
John S. Parton, Air Force
Ksenia Voropaeva, Air Force
Natasha Erskine, Air Force
Nathanial Getchel, Air Force
Virginia Donohue, Air Force
Bradley J Geyer, Air Force
Adrienne Kinne, Army
Alan Leggitt, Army
Austin Green, Army
Comrade Revan, Army
Edward Rengers, Army
Eric Mulder, Army
Esty Dinur, Army
Gil Versailles, Army
Hart Viges, Army
John Michael Poklar, Army
Jovanni Reyes, Army
Oliver Valenzuela-Nettell, Army
Tim Carman, Army
Vince Dijanich, Army
Malorie Kennedy, Army
Aaron Hughes, Army National Guard
Brian Mickey, Army National Guard
Corey Brown, Army National Guard
Jeremiah Knowles, Army National Guard
Jay Gilbert, Coast Guard
Matt Harris, Coast Guard
Amelia Fowler, Marine
Charlie Osburn, Marine
Hipolito Arriaga III, Marine
Josh Smith, Marine
Juaynita Mikele, Marine
Ramon Mejía, Marine
Stephen Funk, Marine
Bill Both, Navy
Bob Hanson, Navy
Brenda Lee Smith, Navy
Dick Hogle, Navy
Edward Fisher, Navy
Erica Caldwell, Navy
Jason S. Cordova, Navy
Jeremiah Nyhan, Navy
Joseph T. Miller, Navy
Nicholas Przybyla, Navy
Professor Kallas, Navy
Rev. James L Swarts, Navy
Robert Kimmel, Navy
Rodney Arent, Navy
Civilian Allies: Akankha Perkins, Angela Castille, Ann Worth, Arlene Rakoncay, Barbara Schieb-Gibbons, Barbara Wynroth, Becca VB, Betty A. Reardon, Betty McElhill, Boryana Tacconi, Brian Hoban, Carolyn Hunter, Cecilia Ball, Charles Fredrick, Cheryl Dzubak, Chris Aoabrien, Christi Kramer, Christopher Lish, Cindy Piester, Elaine Fischer, Elia Alifeis, Elizabeth Enright, Emily Forman, Felicity Figueroa, Frances Goff, Glen Anderson, Haneiro Perez, Ileana Renfrew, Iris Edinger, James A Clark Jr, James Wilson, Janet Pielke, Janet Weil, Jelica Roland, Joan Poss, Joel Weisberg, John Templin, Josephine Girardin, Karen Berger, Karen Jacques, Kathleen Hernandez, Kevin Butts, Lauren M. Tozzi, Lauren Murdock, Libby Frank, Lori Stefano, Luis Vega, Margaret Murphy, Mari Stachenfeld, Marsha Weiner, Michelle Chen, Miriam Kaplan, Molly Nolan, Nadia Sindi, Nan Levinson, Nina Wickett, Pamela Vasquez, Patricia Riker, Patsy Martinson, Paul Werst, Rena Lewis, Sara Koopman, Sharon Byers, Sheree Silvey, Stanley N Taylor, Susan Spivack, Teresa Gill, Vikki Burns
