As a soldier in the Air Force, I flew in combat missions in the Middle East, fighting terrorists and working to defend America’s security. Then, the botched withdrawal from this mission killed 13 American soldiers, including Red Oak native Cpl. Daegan Page, and abandoned hundreds more Americans behind enemy lines.
This was not a military failure by men and women on the ground but a political one by the White House. This week’s hearing in the House Foreign Affairs Committee exposed the many failures from the White House:
When the United States ends a military mission, we need to have a plan. That didn’t happen in this case:
-
The deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers at the Abbey Gate bombing, abandonment of hundreds of Americans, and sentencing to death of countless Afghan allies could have been prevented had the White House not ignored warnings or the advice of top military officials.
-
Poor planning, ignored intelligence, and a rushed timeline from the White House made this withdrawal chaotic, deadly, and a complete disaster.
Nonetheless, we still saw patriotism and heroism from American servicemembers like Cpl. Page. In their memory, our work isn’t done yet. My mission to get accountability will not rest until the perpetrators of this disaster are held fully accountable!
To ensure you get all the information about future events, please join me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. You can also sign up for our news alerts list here to make certain you don’t miss out:
