WEBVTT FILE

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Downloaded from
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX

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Let's start at the beginning.

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How... how did this all come about?

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I mean, one minute

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you're at Tim Kennedy's

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house working on his book,

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and the next minute

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you've been in the Middle East

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in Afghanistan for the past seven,

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eight days.

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Yeah,

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I can definitely say

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that I never expected

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to be on a mission like this.

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You know, the...

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the Taliban

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just blasted through Afghanistan so fast

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that it put

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both our troops

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and our allies

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in a really precarious position.

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Is the Department of Defense surprised

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at how quickly

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it seems that the Afghan National Army

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has collapsed under Taliban pressure?

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Is... is the military

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or the Pentagon or the administration

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everyone surprised

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by how fast the Taliban

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has been able

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to move through parts of the country,

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taking these major cities

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like Kandahar, Herat? Lashkar Gah

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looks like it's fallen.

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Can you...

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offer any guarantee

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to the Americans and Afghan allies

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that if they remain there past

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the end of the month, U.S.

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troops will help them evacuate

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past the end of the month?

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Our focus right

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now is on doing the work at hand.

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On July the fifth,

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in the middle of the night,

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the Americans left Bagram for good

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without telling the base's
Afghan commander.

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This map shows Taliban controlled

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areas in red,

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contested territory in yellow,

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and regions under government control

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in blue.

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The embattled government controls

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only the capital, Kabul,

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and the areas marked in blue.

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I cannot believe the world

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abandoned Afghanistan.

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Our friends are going to get killed.

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They're going to kill us.

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Our women are not going

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to have any more rights.

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It was so frightening for me

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when I heard their stories like girls

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weren't allowed to go to school.

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Boys were needed to obey

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what Taliban told them.

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Like,

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it was so horrible for me

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that when I heard the girls

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need to marry at a very young age

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to a man that they don't want to.

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And that was just devastating.

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And then watching, just being like

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everyone in America glued to the news,

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watching the Taliban march

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across a country that had held U.S.

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troops for 20 years,

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many of whom took their,

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you know, had their last moments on earth

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occur there or left pieces of themselves

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there, literally and otherwise.

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And it was just devastating.

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Helping liberate

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those people and...

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And send little girls to school

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and all these things we did.

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And it came at a cost.

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And we... we lost so many American lives.

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I buried 15 friends

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personally that served in Afghanistan.

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So it was always personal to me.

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To the community of people

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who either had lost

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a loved one in Afghanistan

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or whose lives had been forever

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impacted by Afghanistan,

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we had to do something to try to,

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not only make them whole, but

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make it all count.

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Having uncles that were in Vietnam,

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both of them were texting me

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while Afghanistan was falling and

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painfully pointing out the similarities

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between the two.

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It didn't look like

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the government

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was going to be able to react fast enough

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to get people out.

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Our good friend

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Chad Robichaux had been trying

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to get his interpreter out.

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He had done ten deployments

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with this interpreter named Aziz.

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You're forward deployed

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and it's kind of

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just you and an interpreter sometimes.

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And Aziz was his interpreter.

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He quickly became my teammate

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and then my sole teammate.

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He and I worked together

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on hundreds of combat missions.

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I knew that if I

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didn't personally intervene,

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Aziz would die.

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He was individually already identified.

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He was on the run.

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His days were numbered

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and he was going to die.

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These people are being slaughtered.

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We made a promise to them.

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They're being slaughtered.

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They're being hunted for
the crime of fighting alongside

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our own military.

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For six years

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I had been fighting
to get this guy the visa

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he deserved. A SIV, special immigrant visa.

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And that process is only supposed

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to take nine months.

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To not be able to get
him here in six years.

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And a nine month process

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was really disturbing to me.

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And he was getting desperate

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because it didn't look like

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the government had... had a plan in place

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that was going to get him out in time.

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So he was

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he was planning a trip of just four

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or five guys

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just to get Aziz out

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and started making connections.

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For me, it was a choice of

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do I do

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nothing or do I

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save my friend's life who saved mine?

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I knew I needed

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not only help, but the right help.

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People that had the experience,

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but also people I trusted.

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Chad and I connected.

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We had worked together

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over the last several years

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and I just said, you know, how can I help?

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While I was talking to Chad,

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Nick,

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who is here writing Scars

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and Stripes with me,

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is talking to Sarah Verardo,

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both asking us the same question of,

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Can you go?

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But more importantly,

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giving us and providing us the answer with

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this is what we're doing.

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They were

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figuring out a way to land some planes

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into Kabul.

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Initially, it was a very clear mission,

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which was to go

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rescue Aziz.

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As we were putting that plan together

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we kind of pause for a second and said,

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Hey this great, we're
going to go help Aziz,

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but I'm talking to this
orphanage over here.

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That's 3500 orphans that need help, too.

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Why don't we help them?

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And I think there was another pause

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and we said, man,

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we really have the right
group of people here.

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We have the skills.

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We have the ability to do this.

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The passion's there.

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Let's not just help this limited group.

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Let's help as many people as we can.

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Interpreters and their families,

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women and children
that would be vulnerable.

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Christians that would be persecuted

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for their faith,

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these different vulnerable groups.

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Let's help as many people as we can.

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And so I started

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just putting together

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different lists and trying to help.

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We knew it would be a difficult situation,

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but we thought that we had,

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you know, a couple of weeks

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to make real substantial change.

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And as these requests started to build

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and we started vetting

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these requests, resources

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also started to be organized.

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And so Tim and I

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just looked at each other and said, okay.

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Then we're getting on a plane.

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24 hours later, tickets are booked.

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We're boarding a flight to the Middle East.

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100.

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70.

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60, 50, 40.

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We get through all COVID screening

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and we arrive at the UAE

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military's headquarters for their officers,

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like their officer academy.

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We just jumped right into the rotation.

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There was no time for like,

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oh, we're going to sleep.

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We're going to...

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you know... we're
going to figure things out.

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We're still in a whirl

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trying to figure out what everything is,

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where everything is.

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Sean Lee, who works for Sarah Verardo,

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he had already arrived in UAE

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and they had set up a forward TOC.

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UAE is our Lily Pad
launch base and our forward

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Tactical Operations Command Center.

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Nick and I were basically running

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the evacuation

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of 2500 people

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from two cell phones and a laptop.

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So we just kept working

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and working and working.

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A number of people

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in Congress, in the Senate,

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in the State Department, D.O.D.,

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were happy to have us.

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People wanted to help.

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And so it was just connecting

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people who wanted to help

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that would be effective at helping.

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Back home in the States,

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Sarah Verardo set up

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operation center in Washington, D.C.

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to process people that needed help, help

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vet people, work

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directly with the Joint Chiefs

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to make sure that we're vetting our groups.

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Senator Tillis, his team,

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I mean,

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it was really whatever we needed, they were

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they were doing

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they were legitimizing our efforts.

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DOD was legitimizing our efforts.

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We saw so many great people

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drop their lives and do
whatever was needed.

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One of our team members

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had a personal relationship with the

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royal family in United Arab Emirates.

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We thought,

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hey, let's ask them

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if they want to participate

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in this and help. So we asked for support.

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I got several Congress members on a call.

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We basically proposed to the UAE

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what we're going to do.

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And they had faith in us.

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They believed that we could do it.

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I knew I would be more of an asset

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working with whoever's on the ground.

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Nick and Tim are in Abu Dhabi and are like,

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Can we do a kind of a quick call?

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And so I'm thinking, okay,

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we're going to get on the phone

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and they're going to talk about

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getting on a plane

285
00:10:41.182 --> 00:10:43.350
landing and loading people and going back.

286
00:10:43.351 --> 00:10:44.768
And they were like, Yeah,

287
00:10:44.769 --> 00:10:45.686
we're going to do a little bit

288
00:10:45.687 --> 00:10:46.770
more than that.

289
00:10:46.771 --> 00:10:49.732
Leaving the officer's club, it is Joe

290
00:10:49.982 --> 00:10:51.608
who was the

291
00:10:51.609 --> 00:10:53.736
the originating contact for the UAE.

292
00:10:54.195 --> 00:10:57.448
He throws myself and Nick in a truck.

293
00:10:57.823 --> 00:10:59.032
We grab our bags,

294
00:10:59.033 --> 00:11:00.075
check my body armor,

295
00:11:00.076 --> 00:11:01.743
change my batteries in my night vision,

296
00:11:01.744 --> 00:11:02.328
change the batteries in

297
00:11:02.329 --> 00:11:03.620
my thermal imager,

298
00:11:03.621 --> 00:11:05.372
did a couple of tests in a new country

299
00:11:05.373 --> 00:11:06.207
with a new country code

300
00:11:06.208 --> 00:11:08.041
with my SAT radio and my satcom.

301
00:11:08.042 --> 00:11:12.922
Then we drove to the military airstrip.

302
00:11:13.381 --> 00:11:14.631
And shortly thereafter

303
00:11:14.632 --> 00:11:17.259
we were on a flight
from Abu Dhabi to Kabul.

304
00:11:17.468 --> 00:11:21.055
And Nick and I boarded a 737, a very weird,

305
00:11:21.097 --> 00:11:24.433
eerie feeling of getting on a 737

306
00:11:24.809 --> 00:11:25.975
with no one on it

307
00:11:25.976 --> 00:11:27.686
besides the crew,

308
00:11:27.687 --> 00:11:29.939
which are all people from Afghanistan.

309
00:11:30.231 --> 00:11:33.108
And the pilots were three pilots

310
00:11:33.109 --> 00:11:34.068
from Afghanistan.

311
00:11:34.069 --> 00:11:35.276
They asked us

312
00:11:35.277 --> 00:11:37.153
if we could get their families out,

313
00:11:37.154 --> 00:11:39.364
and we promised that we would try

314
00:11:39.365 --> 00:11:40.157
and we meant it.

315
00:11:40.157 --> 00:11:40.491
You know,

316
00:11:40.492 --> 00:11:41.908
we got everybody's information

317
00:11:41.909 --> 00:11:42.785
and built

318
00:11:42.786 --> 00:11:44.787
a manifest and tried to get locations

319
00:11:45.579 --> 00:11:47.164
and all that.

320
00:11:48.124 --> 00:11:49.375
And we...

321
00:11:50.751 --> 00:11:52.919
went wheels up around sunrise to fly

322
00:11:52.920 --> 00:11:54.422
into Afghanistan.

323
00:12:19.697 --> 00:12:21.239
Everything you've ever known about

324
00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:25.035
an airfield is wrong here.

325
00:12:25.411 --> 00:12:28.581
I've never seen an airstrip as wild as...

326
00:12:29.790 --> 00:12:31.583
People are everywhere.

327
00:12:31.584 --> 00:12:33.168
There's no tower.

328
00:12:33.169 --> 00:12:34.711
It's like one guy on a radio

329
00:12:34.712 --> 00:12:37.214
running the airstrip. Just nuts.

330
00:12:41.510 --> 00:12:43.512
I mean, it is a mess.

331
00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:44.971
Plane lands.

332
00:12:44.972 --> 00:12:47.558
Taxi stops in front of Ramp nine.

333
00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:49.392
Honestly, I was thinking

334
00:12:49.393 --> 00:12:50.685
how impressive

335
00:12:50.686 --> 00:12:51.936
everybody was,

336
00:12:51.937 --> 00:12:55.064
how hard everybody was working,

337
00:12:55.065 --> 00:12:57.151
and then how bad it was on the ground.

338
00:12:57.234 --> 00:12:59.612
Like, the media is not doing it justice.

339
00:13:00.196 --> 00:13:01.738
I mean, the humanity of it.

340
00:13:01.739 --> 00:13:05.034
Like, you know, kids are
sleeping on the ground.

341
00:13:05.493 --> 00:13:08.621
There's... there's, you know, literally

342
00:13:09.538 --> 00:13:11.790
piss and shit everywhere.

343
00:13:11.791 --> 00:13:13.542
There's very little food.

344
00:13:14.919 --> 00:13:15.419
There's

345
00:13:15.420 --> 00:13:18.964
just mounds of plastic bottles.

346
00:13:19.048 --> 00:13:21.801
Nick hops in a side by side with Seaspray

347
00:13:21.842 --> 00:13:22.967
to start going

348
00:13:22.968 --> 00:13:23.636
and helping

349
00:13:23.637 --> 00:13:25.470
these people load onto this aircraft

350
00:13:25.471 --> 00:13:26.554
and start documenting

351
00:13:26.555 --> 00:13:27.889
what is happening on the ground.

352
00:13:27.890 --> 00:13:31.227
And I'm off to go do work.

353
00:13:31.560 --> 00:13:33.436
You know, I open the door to this up

354
00:13:33.437 --> 00:13:35.146
armored Land Cruiser.

355
00:13:35.147 --> 00:13:36.231
The four guys that end up being

356
00:13:36.232 --> 00:13:38.608
there are Seaspray, Dave,

357
00:13:38.609 --> 00:13:40.193
Sean G, and myself.

358
00:13:40.194 --> 00:13:42.571
So our team was comprised of

359
00:13:43.113 --> 00:13:43.864
some of the best

360
00:13:43.864 --> 00:13:44.573
in the business

361
00:13:44.574 --> 00:13:46.241
in terms of special operations

362
00:13:46.242 --> 00:13:47.992
and extraction professionals.

363
00:13:47.993 --> 00:13:50.871
I flew over to Abu Dhabi.

364
00:13:51.288 --> 00:13:52.664
I speak French, Russian, Arabic.

365
00:13:52.665 --> 00:13:54.707
I'm a former Special Forces guy

366
00:13:54.708 --> 00:13:55.708
and I'm a former Army

367
00:13:55.709 --> 00:13:56.960
strategist and planner.

368
00:13:56.961 --> 00:13:58.503
So I thought I'd be in Abu Dhabi

369
00:13:58.504 --> 00:14:00.548
in an operation center helping out to plan.

370
00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:03.341
So I found myself on the runway with

371
00:14:03.342 --> 00:14:05.301
Sean and Seaspray for a couple of days,

372
00:14:05.302 --> 00:14:08.931
and then we had Tim Kennedy roll in.

373
00:14:09.181 --> 00:14:10.640
Sean G's first question is,

374
00:14:10.641 --> 00:14:11.850
"What do you need?"

375
00:14:11.851 --> 00:14:13.351
I need a gun,

376
00:14:13.352 --> 00:14:15.019
I need some local comms,

377
00:14:15.020 --> 00:14:17.063
and I need to know what we're doing.

378
00:14:17.064 --> 00:14:19.148
Sean G and Seaspray

379
00:14:19.149 --> 00:14:20.316
who are already on the evac team

380
00:14:20.317 --> 00:14:22.485
and man, immediately

381
00:14:22.486 --> 00:14:23.445
I think Tim was on the ground

382
00:14:23.446 --> 00:14:25.071
and walking and getting briefed

383
00:14:25.072 --> 00:14:26.614
and walking out of the wire.

384
00:14:26.615 --> 00:14:28.116
The military was not allowed to

385
00:14:28.117 --> 00:14:29.869
go outside the wire, period.

386
00:14:31.161 --> 00:14:33.163
That was the rules of engagement.

387
00:14:33.205 --> 00:14:34.164
They were not allowed

388
00:14:34.165 --> 00:14:36.834
to go outside of the wire.

389
00:14:37.501 --> 00:14:40.129
The way the White House set this up,

390
00:14:40.170 --> 00:14:41.546
they took the NEO operation,

391
00:14:41.547 --> 00:14:42.922
the noncombatant evacuation

392
00:14:42.923 --> 00:14:43.507
operation away

393
00:14:43.508 --> 00:14:44.883
from the Department of Defense

394
00:14:44.884 --> 00:14:46.426
and gave it to the State Department,

395
00:14:46.427 --> 00:14:48.721
which is not the way

396
00:14:49.013 --> 00:14:50.263
things are supposed to be done.

397
00:14:50.264 --> 00:14:51.514
And so when that happened,

398
00:14:51.515 --> 00:14:52.474
the State Department

399
00:14:52.475 --> 00:14:55.977
treated the NEO operation in the airport

400
00:14:55.978 --> 00:14:56.896
like an embassy.

401
00:14:56.897 --> 00:14:59.522
So now the US military can only support

402
00:14:59.523 --> 00:15:00.482
what's inside.

403
00:15:00.482 --> 00:15:01.442
They can't go outside

404
00:15:01.443 --> 00:15:02.942
and help people. Americans.

405
00:15:02.943 --> 00:15:04.319
Something can happen
right in front of them.

406
00:15:04.320 --> 00:15:05.695
They can't go outside and help.

407
00:15:05.696 --> 00:15:07.823
They can't go outside and get interpreters.

408
00:15:07.865 --> 00:15:09.616
They have to control that airport.

409
00:15:09.617 --> 00:15:11.784
The way that you wage war.

410
00:15:11.785 --> 00:15:13.661
You have kind of four different elements

411
00:15:13.662 --> 00:15:14.787
you have diplomatic, information,

412
00:15:14.788 --> 00:15:15.997
military, and economic.

413
00:15:15.998 --> 00:15:17.540
On the ground in Afghanistan,

414
00:15:17.541 --> 00:15:19.792
all of those are currently being controlled

415
00:15:19.793 --> 00:15:20.835
by the Taliban.

416
00:15:20.836 --> 00:15:22.922
The Taliban now control the airport.

417
00:15:23.088 --> 00:15:26.424
You'll hear people say
that the U.S. military did.

418
00:15:26.425 --> 00:15:27.176
Anybody who knows

419
00:15:27.177 --> 00:15:28.384
military strategy knows that

420
00:15:28.385 --> 00:15:29.469
whoever controls the outside

421
00:15:29.470 --> 00:15:31.472
perimeter, controls that ground space.

422
00:15:31.722 --> 00:15:33.598
So anybody inside of that perimeter

423
00:15:33.599 --> 00:15:34.016
was there

424
00:15:34.016 --> 00:15:34.975
only because the Taliban

425
00:15:34.976 --> 00:15:36.309
allowed them to be there.

426
00:15:36.310 --> 00:15:38.519
Who's coming on to bases?

427
00:15:38.520 --> 00:15:40.855
How the military is going to be screening?

428
00:15:40.856 --> 00:15:43.232
Who's coming on? Who's taking passports?

429
00:15:43.233 --> 00:15:45.443
Like, that's happening by the Taliban.

430
00:15:45.444 --> 00:15:46.694
A lot of people were murdered

431
00:15:46.695 --> 00:15:49.657
right outside of the wire by the Taliban

432
00:15:51.033 --> 00:15:52.451
to show that they could do it.

433
00:16:03.504 --> 00:16:06.215
Soldiers used to shoot...
shoot with their guns

434
00:16:06.382 --> 00:16:08.425
to avoid the crowd. But in between,

435
00:16:08.926 --> 00:16:11.052
I saw people dying over there.

436
00:16:11.053 --> 00:16:12.929
They got hit by the bullets.

437
00:16:12.930 --> 00:16:14.389
I saw them dying there.

438
00:16:14.390 --> 00:16:16.349
The ground was full of blood.

439
00:16:16.350 --> 00:16:19.310
I saw children crying over their mothers.

440
00:16:19.311 --> 00:16:20.311
Worried that the time

441
00:16:20.312 --> 00:16:21.479
to take care of their kids,

442
00:16:21.480 --> 00:16:22.730
their small babies.

443
00:16:22.731 --> 00:16:24.775
I saw some of the
babies fell on the ground.

444
00:16:25.067 --> 00:16:27.318
People were running on them.

445
00:16:27.319 --> 00:16:30.239
That was the most horrible part.

446
00:16:35.828 --> 00:16:37.745
Another team had a woman

447
00:16:37.746 --> 00:16:39.038
put on the hood of their car

448
00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:40.540
and as the Taliban looked right at them,

449
00:16:40.541 --> 00:16:42.417
they just executed the woman on the hood

450
00:16:42.418 --> 00:16:43.960
just to try to elicit a response.

451
00:16:43.961 --> 00:16:44.837
Just to be like,

452
00:16:44.838 --> 00:16:46.462
just so we're super clear

453
00:16:46.463 --> 00:16:48.047
about who is in charge here,

454
00:16:48.048 --> 00:16:49.048
I'm going to murder this woman

455
00:16:49.049 --> 00:16:50.091
right in front of you.

456
00:16:50.092 --> 00:16:50.676
And there's nothing

457
00:16:50.677 --> 00:16:52.135
that you can do about it.

458
00:16:52.136 --> 00:16:54.346
This is the Taliban I know.

459
00:16:54.513 --> 00:16:55.555
And this is the Taliban

460
00:16:55.556 --> 00:16:57.516
that is outside the gates of HKIA.

461
00:17:23.125 --> 00:17:23.792
It was probably one

462
00:17:23.793 --> 00:17:25.293
of the more traumatic things

463
00:17:25.294 --> 00:17:25.711
I've been through.

464
00:17:25.712 --> 00:17:27.962
I've been in

465
00:17:27.963 --> 00:17:30.590
six or so conflicts, in two wars.

466
00:17:30.591 --> 00:17:32.425
I have two combat infantry badges.

467
00:17:32.426 --> 00:17:34.136
I've seen a lot of stuff.

468
00:17:34.261 --> 00:17:36.555
Refugees are innocent civilians.

469
00:17:37.056 --> 00:17:38.514
So when something happens to them

470
00:17:38.515 --> 00:17:39.932
intentionally,

471
00:17:39.933 --> 00:17:40.559
you know, yes,

472
00:17:40.560 --> 00:17:42.060
you have collateral damage in a war,

473
00:17:42.061 --> 00:17:44.062
but something happens
to them intentionally.

474
00:17:44.063 --> 00:17:45.813
It really hits home hard.

475
00:17:45.814 --> 00:17:49.026
It's impossible to explain the

476
00:17:50.694 --> 00:17:54.156
the level of desperation that people felt.

477
00:17:54.490 --> 00:17:56.741
I mean if you just think
about the first couple of days

478
00:17:56.742 --> 00:17:57.950
when people were trying

479
00:17:57.951 --> 00:18:00.204
to hang on to the bottom of C-17s.

480
00:18:03.457 --> 00:18:04.540
That's desperation

481
00:18:04.541 --> 00:18:06.167
that Americans... like Americans

482
00:18:06.168 --> 00:18:08.169
don't understand that level of desperation.

483
00:18:08.170 --> 00:18:10.756
I don't... I don't understand.

484
00:18:11.006 --> 00:18:12.006
Yeah, I think...

485
00:18:12.758 --> 00:18:14.133
I don't think the news captured it.

486
00:18:14.134 --> 00:18:14.843
And I don't think people

487
00:18:14.844 --> 00:18:16.427
could really comprehend

488
00:18:16.428 --> 00:18:18.221
the environment of HKIA.

489
00:18:18.222 --> 00:18:20.681
So many guys that I know

490
00:18:20.682 --> 00:18:22.683
that have tremendous amount

491
00:18:22.684 --> 00:18:24.185
of experience in combat

492
00:18:24.186 --> 00:18:25.269
and special operations

493
00:18:25.270 --> 00:18:26.938
and seeing horrific things,

494
00:18:26.939 --> 00:18:28.731
all describe it as one of the most chaotic

495
00:18:28.732 --> 00:18:30.983
and horrific things they have ever seen.

496
00:18:30.984 --> 00:18:34.112
I've never seen desperation

497
00:18:34.113 --> 00:18:36.198
like what I saw

498
00:18:36.448 --> 00:18:40.119
in Kabul, what I saw in HKIA.

499
00:18:40.953 --> 00:18:42.411
You know, the Afghans knew

500
00:18:42.412 --> 00:18:43.663
that we would take children.

501
00:18:43.664 --> 00:18:44.914
So if it was an infant,

502
00:18:44.915 --> 00:18:46.207
we would take the infant.

503
00:18:46.208 --> 00:18:48.501
Not that the troops were trying to.

504
00:18:48.502 --> 00:18:49.294
But if somebody, like,

505
00:18:49.295 --> 00:18:51.129
climbed up the wall and handed,

506
00:18:51.130 --> 00:18:53.172
you know, a Marine or one of the 82nd

507
00:18:53.173 --> 00:18:54.967
Airborne guys, an infant, they were taken.

508
00:18:56.260 --> 00:18:57.260
Well...

509
00:19:00.180 --> 00:19:02.098
people got desperate

510
00:19:02.099 --> 00:19:02.724
and...

511
00:19:02.725 --> 00:19:03.891
so that you understand

512
00:19:03.892 --> 00:19:07.688
it's like people were crowd surfing babies.

513
00:19:08.230 --> 00:19:09.730
They were passing babies

514
00:19:09.731 --> 00:19:11.315
so that the babies would get up front

515
00:19:11.316 --> 00:19:13.234
so that they could then, you know,

516
00:19:13.235 --> 00:19:15.361
hand them to troops.

517
00:19:15.362 --> 00:19:17.321
And this was their best hope

518
00:19:17.322 --> 00:19:19.115
that that child might live,

519
00:19:19.116 --> 00:19:20.283
that their best hope was

520
00:19:20.284 --> 00:19:21.659
that they could beach ball

521
00:19:21.660 --> 00:19:23.828
a child forward into the crowd

522
00:19:23.829 --> 00:19:25.163
and that some soldier

523
00:19:25.164 --> 00:19:27.206
or Airman or Marine

524
00:19:27.207 --> 00:19:28.083
on top of this wall

525
00:19:28.084 --> 00:19:30.293
could reach down, pull this child up,

526
00:19:30.294 --> 00:19:32.378
and this child would have a better chance

527
00:19:32.379 --> 00:19:37.176
at life than staying in Afghanistan.

528
00:19:37.509 --> 00:19:39.511
These troops down on that wall,

529
00:19:40.220 --> 00:19:44.099
just having people beg all day, all night,

530
00:19:44.141 --> 00:19:45.349
please get them out.

531
00:19:45.350 --> 00:19:46.684
And... and,

532
00:19:46.685 --> 00:19:47.561
you know,

533
00:19:47.561 --> 00:19:48.395
if they don't get in,

534
00:19:48.396 --> 00:19:50.730
they're probably going to die.

535
00:19:50.731 --> 00:19:51.981
And then some people,

536
00:19:51.982 --> 00:19:52.900
you know, I don't...

537
00:19:52.901 --> 00:19:54.650
I don't know what level of desperation

538
00:19:54.651 --> 00:19:56.152
you need to be at to do this.

539
00:19:56.153 --> 00:19:59.031
But there were people that threw the babies

540
00:19:59.656 --> 00:20:00.656
over the wall

541
00:20:00.657 --> 00:20:03.118
when Americans didn't take them.

542
00:20:03.368 --> 00:20:05.704
This is like a frail, small Afghan woman

543
00:20:06.580 --> 00:20:08.080
taking her infant child

544
00:20:08.081 --> 00:20:10.625
and throwing this child as hard

545
00:20:10.626 --> 00:20:12.335
and as high as she could

546
00:20:12.336 --> 00:20:13.045
in the hopes

547
00:20:13.046 --> 00:20:15.379
that somebody might catch this baby.

548
00:20:15.380 --> 00:20:17.924
Not realizing that on the other side of

549
00:20:17.925 --> 00:20:20.260
the wall was concertina.

550
00:20:21.803 --> 00:20:22.429
So like there were

551
00:20:22.430 --> 00:20:24.096
some babies that,

552
00:20:24.097 --> 00:20:25.223
you know, that bled out

553
00:20:25.224 --> 00:20:27.266
on the concertina wire.

554
00:20:27.267 --> 00:20:28.267
Um...

555
00:20:30.854 --> 00:20:32.021
And that's...

556
00:20:32.022 --> 00:20:33.023
That's...

557
00:20:33.315 --> 00:20:35.775
That's the desperation that you...

558
00:20:35.776 --> 00:20:37.152
that you can't...

559
00:20:37.903 --> 00:20:39.612
you can't put that on TV.

560
00:20:39.613 --> 00:20:40.489
You know, you don't...

561
00:20:40.490 --> 00:20:43.784
you don't see that anywhere.

562
00:20:44.284 --> 00:20:47.120
And as I'm moving past these gates,

563
00:20:48.747 --> 00:20:51.041
whether it's Black Gate or Abbey Gate or,

564
00:20:52.793 --> 00:20:54.335
you know, the U.N. gate,

565
00:20:54.336 --> 00:20:57.213
those babies are still
in the concertina wire

566
00:20:57.214 --> 00:20:59.423
and those women are still stuck out there

567
00:20:59.424 --> 00:21:01.927
screaming. The nightmares and like the...

568
00:21:04.972 --> 00:21:07.474
So everything that
was outside of that lane,

569
00:21:08.016 --> 00:21:09.600
you know, like I'm focused on this

570
00:21:09.601 --> 00:21:10.685
with everything

571
00:21:10.686 --> 00:21:13.562
I'm trying to save a
woman and her children,

572
00:21:13.563 --> 00:21:15.983
but off to like five feet away from me

573
00:21:16.775 --> 00:21:18.901
is a... is a dead child.

574
00:21:18.902 --> 00:21:21.363
You know, is... is a
smoldering, burning body.

575
00:21:21.905 --> 00:21:24.533
And having smelled bodies

576
00:21:24.908 --> 00:21:26.617
my whole entire adult life,

577
00:21:26.618 --> 00:21:29.036
but then seeing it's a small one.

578
00:21:29.037 --> 00:21:31.290
And that's a burning body of a child

579
00:21:31.748 --> 00:21:34.000
that was lit by the Taliban.

580
00:21:34.001 --> 00:21:34.793
There's nothing I could do about...

581
00:21:34.794 --> 00:21:36.795
That's already gone. But I'm still here.

582
00:21:38.130 --> 00:21:39.840
But it was just...

583
00:21:41.675 --> 00:21:42.884
everywhere.

584
00:21:52.769 --> 00:21:53.186
The only way

585
00:21:53.187 --> 00:21:55.689
to effectively evacuate

586
00:21:55.856 --> 00:21:56.606
those who were the most

587
00:21:56.607 --> 00:21:59.066
vulnerable was to go out and get them.

588
00:21:59.067 --> 00:22:01.320
I'll just say special units.

589
00:22:03.363 --> 00:22:05.489
And so our ground team was essentially

590
00:22:05.490 --> 00:22:07.199
one of those special units

591
00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:09.118
that were allowed to go outside the wire.

592
00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.454
We were targeting specific individuals

593
00:22:11.455 --> 00:22:13.664
that were passport and SIV holders

594
00:22:13.665 --> 00:22:15.082
that were external to the base

595
00:22:15.083 --> 00:22:17.127
and needed to get on in a safe way.

596
00:22:17.586 --> 00:22:18.586
Couldn't necessarily

597
00:22:18.587 --> 00:22:20.672
go through the Taliban checkpoints

598
00:22:21.089 --> 00:22:23.007
because they had been working

599
00:22:23.008 --> 00:22:24.467
with the United States.

600
00:22:24.468 --> 00:22:25.968
The Taliban knew

601
00:22:25.969 --> 00:22:28.304
which women were educated and could read.

602
00:22:28.305 --> 00:22:29.472
The Taliban knew

603
00:22:29.473 --> 00:22:30.681
who the Christians were like,

604
00:22:30.682 --> 00:22:31.807
"These are all the targets."

605
00:22:31.808 --> 00:22:33.017
And back in the JOC,

606
00:22:33.018 --> 00:22:33.310
you know,

607
00:22:33.311 --> 00:22:35.728
we were communicating with these targets

608
00:22:35.729 --> 00:22:37.856
before we would pass them on to the guys.

609
00:22:38.398 --> 00:22:39.565
And, you know,

610
00:22:39.566 --> 00:22:41.317
we put target packages together

611
00:22:41.318 --> 00:22:42.943
and we'd be talking to them

612
00:22:42.944 --> 00:22:44.153
and sending the information

613
00:22:44.154 --> 00:22:45.364
down to the ground team.

614
00:22:46.365 --> 00:22:49.368
But a lot of these targets would go dark.

615
00:22:56.083 --> 00:22:57.208
Looking at this problem set,

616
00:22:57.209 --> 00:22:59.378
you know, it's really no different

617
00:23:00.003 --> 00:23:02.004
than any other situation,

618
00:23:02.005 --> 00:23:05.092
you know, that involves a mass movement.

619
00:23:05.884 --> 00:23:07.802
It's a logistic challenge,

620
00:23:07.803 --> 00:23:08.136
you know,

621
00:23:08.137 --> 00:23:10.180
but it's based on the same framework

622
00:23:10.972 --> 00:23:12.056
of any NEO.

623
00:23:12.057 --> 00:23:14.351
So we go out to do a

624
00:23:15.477 --> 00:23:18.814
recon of a potential evacuation site.

625
00:23:19.106 --> 00:23:21.983
As we approach the first spot,

626
00:23:22.734 --> 00:23:24.652
I see some Taliban overwatch positions

627
00:23:24.653 --> 00:23:27.405
on top of a few two, three story buildings,

628
00:23:27.406 --> 00:23:29.323
and those observation

629
00:23:29.324 --> 00:23:31.618
positions can clearly see

630
00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:33.744
pretty much everything in that area.

631
00:23:33.745 --> 00:23:34.912
We start exploring a couple

632
00:23:34.913 --> 00:23:36.580
more evacuation spots.

633
00:23:36.581 --> 00:23:38.667
I clamber up to this gate and

634
00:23:39.835 --> 00:23:40.794
I realize really

635
00:23:40.795 --> 00:23:43.170
quickly that there's just one single bolt

636
00:23:43.171 --> 00:23:44.463
on the inside of this gate,

637
00:23:44.464 --> 00:23:45.132
keeping this gate

638
00:23:45.133 --> 00:23:47.217
closed from the outside of the Taliban

639
00:23:47.509 --> 00:23:50.261
and access to this big empty parking lot.

640
00:23:50.262 --> 00:23:52.430
That just has a bunch of these buses

641
00:23:52.431 --> 00:23:53.014
lined up.

642
00:23:53.015 --> 00:23:54.056
And the buses were perfect

643
00:23:54.057 --> 00:23:55.599
because it provides cover.

644
00:23:55.600 --> 00:23:57.351
And then immediately adjacent to that

645
00:23:57.352 --> 00:23:58.727
were these

646
00:23:58.728 --> 00:24:00.020
retention, I don't know

647
00:24:00.021 --> 00:24:02.356
if they're oil or water tanks,

648
00:24:02.357 --> 00:24:04.150
maybe a kilometer of them,

649
00:24:04.151 --> 00:24:07.611
and then moved into this urban, albeit

650
00:24:07.612 --> 00:24:09.113
very poor

651
00:24:09.114 --> 00:24:12.909
suburb, and that seemed mostly vacant.

652
00:24:13.034 --> 00:24:16.872
This was a not observed portion of our

653
00:24:17.372 --> 00:24:19.206
perimeter for HKIA.

654
00:24:19.207 --> 00:24:20.000
Nobody would notice

655
00:24:20.001 --> 00:24:22.168
some people moving through there

656
00:24:22.169 --> 00:24:22.794
and there were people

657
00:24:22.795 --> 00:24:24.753
kind of constantly moving through there.

658
00:24:24.754 --> 00:24:25.505
So it looked awesome.

659
00:24:25.506 --> 00:24:28.091
They were just

660
00:24:28.675 --> 00:24:30.342
pulling targets through the wire

661
00:24:30.343 --> 00:24:32.803
all night, nonstop,

662
00:24:32.804 --> 00:24:34.638
and they were coming back in the wire

663
00:24:34.639 --> 00:24:36.682
around the time the sun came up.

664
00:24:36.683 --> 00:24:38.642
Before leaving UAE,

665
00:24:38.643 --> 00:24:39.519
we kind of set up

666
00:24:39.520 --> 00:24:41.520
the five W's for initial linkup.

667
00:24:41.521 --> 00:24:42.897
What proves to be

668
00:24:42.898 --> 00:24:44.398
the most difficult thing in

669
00:24:44.399 --> 00:24:46.443
the evacuation is linkup.

670
00:24:46.651 --> 00:24:47.444
So we start building

671
00:24:47.445 --> 00:24:48.777
these packages of people

672
00:24:48.778 --> 00:24:50.905
with information to validate who they were,

673
00:24:50.906 --> 00:24:52.990
and that would build manifest.

674
00:24:52.991 --> 00:24:55.284
And those manifest would get...

675
00:24:55.285 --> 00:24:57.077
Will get sent to the Joint Chiefs

676
00:24:57.078 --> 00:24:58.162
to get approved.

677
00:24:58.163 --> 00:24:59.371
There were some lists

678
00:24:59.372 --> 00:25:01.499
that were DOD approved,

679
00:25:01.500 --> 00:25:02.791
but not DOS approved.

680
00:25:02.792 --> 00:25:03.627
There were some lists

681
00:25:03.628 --> 00:25:04.752
that were DOS approved,

682
00:25:04.753 --> 00:25:06.337
but not DOD approved.

683
00:25:06.338 --> 00:25:07.671
There were some lists

684
00:25:07.672 --> 00:25:09.716
that were Pentagon approved.

685
00:25:09.925 --> 00:25:11.634
DOD, Pentagon, DOS

686
00:25:11.635 --> 00:25:13.762
approved, but not Taliban approved.

687
00:25:22.103 --> 00:25:23.188
So night looks like this:

688
00:25:24.856 --> 00:25:26.398
sun goes down.

689
00:25:26.399 --> 00:25:30.820
I pre-position at a linkup location

690
00:25:31.446 --> 00:25:33.280
where I say, at the corner

691
00:25:33.281 --> 00:25:35.909
of this outside of this gate at this time,

692
00:25:36.910 --> 00:25:39.870
you're going to do a far recognition.

693
00:25:39.871 --> 00:25:41.080
And then once they get close

694
00:25:41.081 --> 00:25:42.790
they have to do the near security check.

695
00:25:42.791 --> 00:25:45.334
Maybe it's a proword, maybe it's

696
00:25:45.335 --> 00:25:46.335
a secret phrase,

697
00:25:46.336 --> 00:25:47.254
maybe it's a word

698
00:25:47.255 --> 00:25:48.963
that you have to slip into a sentence.

699
00:25:48.964 --> 00:25:49.964
And there were lots of different

700
00:25:49.965 --> 00:25:51.173
far and near recognition

701
00:25:51.174 --> 00:25:52.424
signals that we were using

702
00:25:52.425 --> 00:25:54.218
and we were changing them every few hours.

703
00:25:54.219 --> 00:25:56.972
Once we had that near recognition signal,

704
00:25:57.722 --> 00:26:00.516
then I need to confirm that

705
00:26:00.517 --> 00:26:02.393
the documents that you digitally sent to us

706
00:26:02.394 --> 00:26:03.061
were the documents

707
00:26:03.062 --> 00:26:04.562
that you physically have in hand.

708
00:26:04.563 --> 00:26:05.771
Basically the places

709
00:26:05.772 --> 00:26:07.439
where nobody would actually want to go,

710
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:09.233
that's how they were bringing people in.

711
00:26:09.234 --> 00:26:10.110
And they had...

712
00:26:10.111 --> 00:26:12.696
They had four different good rat lines

713
00:26:13.280 --> 00:26:14.780
into the complex.

714
00:26:14.781 --> 00:26:18.742
Even preplanned routes,
as I'm like looking at a map,

715
00:26:18.743 --> 00:26:21.078
and I'm having to go
from point A to point B,

716
00:26:21.079 --> 00:26:23.539
I might set up one, two, three, four, five

717
00:26:23.540 --> 00:26:24.915
different routes to get there.

718
00:26:24.916 --> 00:26:27.376
Well, my life and the life of
these people that we're trying

719
00:26:27.377 --> 00:26:28.497
to get out is on the line...

720
00:26:28.628 --> 00:26:29.921
And... um...

721
00:26:30.589 --> 00:26:33.132
Figuring out multiple
ways to get right back

722
00:26:33.133 --> 00:26:37.303
onto HKIA proves...
um... to be pretty important.

723
00:26:37.304 --> 00:26:39.972
They were crawling through sewage,

724
00:26:39.973 --> 00:26:42.934
ditches, gross... you
know, literally through crap

725
00:26:44.060 --> 00:26:47.897
under... under concertina and barbed wire.

726
00:26:49.024 --> 00:26:50.483
Digging holes.

727
00:26:58.283 --> 00:27:00.784
Sneaking past Taliban checkpoints

728
00:27:00.785 --> 00:27:03.705
and then sneaking onto the airbase

729
00:27:03.955 --> 00:27:07.333
and then through the airstrip to our hangar

730
00:27:07.334 --> 00:27:09.419
to be manifested for the next flight out.

731
00:27:09.669 --> 00:27:11.504
Let's say each of those takes

732
00:27:12.756 --> 00:27:14.882
45 minutes to 90 minutes.

733
00:27:14.883 --> 00:27:17.176
Multiply that by the ten,

734
00:27:17.177 --> 00:27:19.596
11 hours of darkness.

735
00:27:19.846 --> 00:27:21.931
That's the night.

736
00:27:23.058 --> 00:27:24.391
We slept maybe an hour a day

737
00:27:24.392 --> 00:27:25.101
and just some moving...

738
00:27:25.102 --> 00:27:26.685
it became a blur.

739
00:27:26.686 --> 00:27:28.520
The second day, we got 800 people out

740
00:27:28.521 --> 00:27:30.190
and then again it became a blur.

741
00:27:53.338 --> 00:27:54.963
My phone would die like three

742
00:27:54.964 --> 00:27:56.675
times in a 24 hour period.

743
00:27:57.634 --> 00:27:59.343
I knew that I lost my voice

744
00:27:59.344 --> 00:28:00.386
probably like around

745
00:28:00.387 --> 00:28:02.764
August 19th, temporarily,
just because I had...

746
00:28:03.181 --> 00:28:04.723
I just didn't stop talking.

747
00:28:04.724 --> 00:28:06.642
I didn't stop collecting information.

748
00:28:06.643 --> 00:28:08.143
Sean G is off

749
00:28:08.144 --> 00:28:09.978
talking to thousands of people

750
00:28:09.979 --> 00:28:11.230
on his seven different phones

751
00:28:11.231 --> 00:28:12.272
that he's using.

752
00:28:12.273 --> 00:28:13.482
If you have the ability to help someone,

753
00:28:13.483 --> 00:28:14.067
you help someone.

754
00:28:14.068 --> 00:28:15.150
And like I've always

755
00:28:15.151 --> 00:28:17.111
I've always believed that so strongly.

756
00:28:17.112 --> 00:28:19.321
And so I was willing to use

757
00:28:19.322 --> 00:28:24.326
any ounce of political capital or anything

758
00:28:24.327 --> 00:28:25.828
I had to throw it at this problem

759
00:28:25.829 --> 00:28:26.579
knowing that, like,

760
00:28:26.580 --> 00:28:28.247
maybe this is like my one favor

761
00:28:28.248 --> 00:28:29.581
I'm ever going to ask of this person

762
00:28:29.582 --> 00:28:30.375
in my lifetime.

763
00:28:30.376 --> 00:28:32.585
And now this is what I've been waiting for.

764
00:28:32.752 --> 00:28:35.170
Like this is the time
to use it and to do it.

765
00:28:35.171 --> 00:28:36.714
I'm able to make a far recognition,

766
00:28:36.715 --> 00:28:37.590
near recognition.

767
00:28:37.591 --> 00:28:39.091
Their paperwork aligns with the paperwork

768
00:28:39.092 --> 00:28:40.051
that are sent digitally.

769
00:28:40.052 --> 00:28:41.385
They were vetted, it's approved.

770
00:28:41.386 --> 00:28:42.636
I'm able to bring them in

771
00:28:42.637 --> 00:28:43.721
and behind them,

772
00:28:43.722 --> 00:28:45.931
as I'm bringing in these four people,

773
00:28:45.932 --> 00:28:48.183
behind them was another 40 people

774
00:28:48.184 --> 00:28:50.269
that those four people had told

775
00:28:50.270 --> 00:28:50.854
they're going to be able

776
00:28:50.855 --> 00:28:52.938
to get onto the base and maybe get out.

777
00:28:52.939 --> 00:28:53.898
And then I have to look at those

778
00:28:53.899 --> 00:28:55.316
other 40 people and be like,

779
00:28:57.861 --> 00:29:00.613
No, bro, like, I can't
do anything with you.

780
00:29:01.531 --> 00:29:02.740
Yeah, we're making differences.

781
00:29:02.741 --> 00:29:04.491
We're picking up pieces of sand

782
00:29:04.492 --> 00:29:05.410
and you pick up enough of them,

783
00:29:05.411 --> 00:29:06.411
you'll eventually have a bucket.

784
00:29:06.411 --> 00:29:07.411
But...

785
00:29:07.871 --> 00:29:10.038
I'm looking at a beach,

786
00:29:10.039 --> 00:29:12.291
you know, and I'm moving a grain of sand

787
00:29:12.292 --> 00:29:13.126
at a time.

788
00:29:13.127 --> 00:29:17.212
We're so focused on what we had to do that

789
00:29:17.213 --> 00:29:19.173
every one of those

790
00:29:19.174 --> 00:29:21.717
pieces of sand was a life.

791
00:29:21.718 --> 00:29:24.052
A life that fought for us, and a life

792
00:29:24.053 --> 00:29:25.721
that deserved

793
00:29:25.722 --> 00:29:27.473
to live and a life that deserved

794
00:29:27.474 --> 00:29:28.891
a better opportunity than

795
00:29:28.892 --> 00:29:31.770
what the Taliban was going to give them.

796
00:29:33.813 --> 00:29:36.064
You know, we're a drop in the bucket.

797
00:29:36.065 --> 00:29:37.025
And every life

798
00:29:37.026 --> 00:29:38.192
that has moved off that beach

799
00:29:38.193 --> 00:29:40.277
and into a bucket is a life that is

800
00:29:40.278 --> 00:29:41.362
that is saved from...

801
00:29:43.406 --> 00:29:45.825
indescribable acts.

802
00:30:05.637 --> 00:30:07.471
Now it's how many people can we get out

803
00:30:07.472 --> 00:30:08.223
in the little bit of time

804
00:30:08.224 --> 00:30:10.474
that we have before, ultimately,

805
00:30:10.475 --> 00:30:12.142
that base crumbles.

806
00:30:12.143 --> 00:30:12.852
Finally, as things were
starting to get tight,

807
00:30:12.853 --> 00:30:15.145
New Caption

808
00:30:15.146 --> 00:30:17.105
that a whole lot of government agencies

809
00:30:17.106 --> 00:30:19.442
had their people still out there by name.

810
00:30:19.859 --> 00:30:21.777
We knew we were getting close to the end.

811
00:30:21.778 --> 00:30:24.155
So we... our team

812
00:30:24.906 --> 00:30:28.201
physically bought seven buses.

813
00:30:28.493 --> 00:30:30.995
We had a location for 300 orphans.

814
00:30:31.204 --> 00:30:35.291
We had a location for about 100 Christians.

815
00:30:35.834 --> 00:30:37.584
And then we had

816
00:30:37.585 --> 00:30:39.086
several high value

817
00:30:39.087 --> 00:30:41.129
individuals that were requested

818
00:30:41.130 --> 00:30:43.842
by government entities for us to pick up.

819
00:30:44.509 --> 00:30:47.303
And then we also had the families of

820
00:30:49.305 --> 00:30:52.684
the crews that had been
flying the charter airplanes.

821
00:30:53.226 --> 00:30:56.937
We send out buses to multiple places

822
00:30:56.938 --> 00:30:58.021
throughout the city.

823
00:30:58.022 --> 00:31:00.900
The most elite intelligence agencies

824
00:31:01.651 --> 00:31:02.734
in the world

825
00:31:02.735 --> 00:31:04.820
have their people on these buses.

826
00:31:04.821 --> 00:31:07.406
Afghan Special Forces commandos,

827
00:31:07.407 --> 00:31:10.535
interpreters, Christians, orphans.

828
00:31:10.827 --> 00:31:12.870
All of these on these buses.

829
00:31:12.871 --> 00:31:14.413
The guys worked all night

830
00:31:14.414 --> 00:31:17.165
and then filled those buses

831
00:31:17.166 --> 00:31:19.835
with those individuals.

832
00:31:19.836 --> 00:31:20.587
We thought we could

833
00:31:20.588 --> 00:31:22.797
we could just get one
big, big lump through.

834
00:31:22.839 --> 00:31:24.089
We had this great little gate

835
00:31:24.090 --> 00:31:24.799
that we had arranged

836
00:31:24.800 --> 00:31:26.008
ahead of time with the Marines.

837
00:31:26.009 --> 00:31:27.676
We have five of them

838
00:31:27.677 --> 00:31:29.845
lined up at this

839
00:31:29.846 --> 00:31:31.972
at this one gate; Black Gate.

840
00:31:31.973 --> 00:31:33.265
I got a SAT call.

841
00:31:33.266 --> 00:31:35.309
Hey, we got

842
00:31:35.310 --> 00:31:37.312
300 orphans, 100 Christians,

843
00:31:37.937 --> 00:31:41.607
the HVT's, and the families of about

844
00:31:41.608 --> 00:31:43.943
half the crew through the gate.

845
00:31:44.235 --> 00:31:45.319
We danced a jig.

846
00:31:45.320 --> 00:31:47.696
Like we were like, you know, fuck yeah.

847
00:31:47.697 --> 00:31:50.366
Like... one of the happiest moments

848
00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:53.244
that we had during the whole event.

849
00:31:53.453 --> 00:31:54.745
Nick and I,

850
00:31:54.746 --> 00:31:55.746
as the call came in

851
00:31:55.747 --> 00:31:56.788
that they were approaching the gate

852
00:31:56.789 --> 00:31:57.956
and that they were
getting ready to come in,

853
00:31:57.957 --> 00:31:59.875
were high fiving

854
00:31:59.876 --> 00:32:01.168
and kind of jumping around.

855
00:32:01.169 --> 00:32:02.628
And it's 3:00 in the morning,

856
00:32:02.629 --> 00:32:04.296
there's nobody else around.

857
00:32:04.297 --> 00:32:06.924
And we're doing as much as we can

858
00:32:06.925 --> 00:32:08.133
as fast as we can.

859
00:32:08.134 --> 00:32:09.968
But we can't make mistakes.

860
00:32:09.969 --> 00:32:10.178
You know,

861
00:32:10.179 --> 00:32:12.220
we can't let one person

862
00:32:12.221 --> 00:32:14.724
through that shouldn't have gotten through.

863
00:32:15.183 --> 00:32:17.602
And so we're being thorough.

864
00:32:17.852 --> 00:32:20.647
And we were talking to one of the

865
00:32:21.314 --> 00:32:22.607
government representatives

866
00:32:23.942 --> 00:32:25.108
who is the regional

867
00:32:25.109 --> 00:32:27.027
representative for that agency.

868
00:32:27.028 --> 00:32:28.904
Calls are going up chains of command,

869
00:32:28.905 --> 00:32:30.698
and ultimately

870
00:32:31.115 --> 00:32:32.157
the full bird Colonel

871
00:32:32.158 --> 00:32:35.244
who is in charge of the base arrives on...

872
00:32:36.037 --> 00:32:38.164
on scene at Black Gate.

873
00:32:46.130 --> 00:32:48.799
And he just makes the call,

874
00:32:48.800 --> 00:32:50.592
"Turn everybody around...

875
00:32:50.593 --> 00:32:52.260
put everybody back out...

876
00:32:52.261 --> 00:32:53.679
I don't care who they are."

877
00:32:53.680 --> 00:32:55.514
Tim calls on the SAT phone.

878
00:32:55.515 --> 00:32:56.974
He's like, they're kicking them out.

879
00:32:56.975 --> 00:32:58.350
They're going to kick them all out.

880
00:32:58.351 --> 00:32:59.518
I got a message from Sean Lee

881
00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:02.145
that says a colonel from the 82nd

882
00:33:02.146 --> 00:33:03.230
is seriously about to kick out

883
00:33:03.231 --> 00:33:05.190
300 orphans

884
00:33:05.191 --> 00:33:07.652
and Christians and American citizens.

885
00:33:27.755 --> 00:33:30.048
G... tried to talk sense into them.

886
00:33:30.049 --> 00:33:32.551
Can we at least go through all these people

887
00:33:32.552 --> 00:33:33.511
and make sure we pull out

888
00:33:33.512 --> 00:33:34.761
the American citizens

889
00:33:34.762 --> 00:33:36.513
and the green card holders?

890
00:33:36.514 --> 00:33:37.473
Pump the brakes here.

891
00:33:37.474 --> 00:33:39.234
Let's talk about this.
And he's like, "Nope.

892
00:33:40.435 --> 00:33:41.060
It's my decision.

893
00:33:41.060 --> 00:33:41.561
It's a command."

894
00:33:41.562 --> 00:33:44.104
Like, well, I'm not in the military.

895
00:33:44.105 --> 00:33:45.856
I'm not here for the military.

896
00:33:45.857 --> 00:33:47.900
And that's not really a lawful order.

897
00:33:47.942 --> 00:33:49.318
Let's talk about this.

898
00:34:07.086 --> 00:34:08.587
Like, is this an unlawful order

899
00:34:08.588 --> 00:34:11.424
or is he just a terrible human being?

900
00:34:11.591 --> 00:34:12.591
What is happening?

901
00:34:12.675 --> 00:34:16.053
From his perspective,
even though Tim wasn't

902
00:34:16.054 --> 00:34:16.971
the team leader,

903
00:34:16.972 --> 00:34:18.973
Tim was the only guy that he knew.

904
00:34:24.312 --> 00:34:26.898
He thought, "This is some fuckin' guy

905
00:34:28.274 --> 00:34:31.444
that's just showing up in Afghanistan

906
00:34:32.070 --> 00:34:34.071
running seven buses in,

907
00:34:34.072 --> 00:34:34.447
you know,

908
00:34:34.448 --> 00:34:36.656
fuck this guy, I want to kick him out."

909
00:34:36.657 --> 00:34:38.992
These were people that fought

910
00:34:38.993 --> 00:34:41.120
and had their relatives die for us.

911
00:34:41.370 --> 00:34:42.829
They lost their limbs for us.

912
00:34:42.830 --> 00:34:45.500
They lost their adult lives and youth and

913
00:34:46.042 --> 00:34:47.627
their innocence for us.

914
00:34:48.127 --> 00:34:49.461
Yes, they're fighting for Afghanistan.

915
00:34:49.462 --> 00:34:50.837
Yes, they're fighting for their people.

916
00:34:50.838 --> 00:34:52.672
But they are fighting with us.

917
00:34:52.673 --> 00:34:53.633
That's who... that's who

918
00:34:53.634 --> 00:34:55.342
we're trying to save here.

919
00:34:55.343 --> 00:34:57.887
From our perspective,

920
00:34:58.471 --> 00:35:01.849
this was possibly the most valuable load

921
00:35:02.058 --> 00:35:06.104
of people we had brought in thus far.

922
00:35:11.901 --> 00:35:13.527
I said, Hey, look, I'm

923
00:35:13.528 --> 00:35:14.278
a West Pointer too.

924
00:35:14.279 --> 00:35:15.403
I've been to your school.

925
00:35:15.404 --> 00:35:15.988
Trust me on this.

926
00:35:15.989 --> 00:35:17.447
We have the manifest for you.

927
00:35:17.448 --> 00:35:19.528
He said, "I don't care
where you've been to school".

928
00:35:23.329 --> 00:35:24.538
But the next decision he made

929
00:35:24.539 --> 00:35:26.081
was just unconscionable.

930
00:35:26.082 --> 00:35:28.375
It embarrassed me for the Army.

931
00:35:28.376 --> 00:35:29.960
If I have somebody with a blue passport,

932
00:35:29.961 --> 00:35:30.670
if I have an American

933
00:35:30.671 --> 00:35:32.295
hold up a blue passport,

934
00:35:32.296 --> 00:35:33.755
can that person get on a bus?

935
00:35:33.756 --> 00:35:35.090
If I have somebody hold up

936
00:35:35.091 --> 00:35:36.383
an SIV,

937
00:35:36.384 --> 00:35:37.884
a special immigration visa,

938
00:35:37.885 --> 00:35:39.678
can that person get back on the bus?

939
00:35:39.679 --> 00:35:41.722
If I have a P1, if I have a green card,

940
00:35:42.223 --> 00:35:44.141
I have a spouse of an American citizen...

941
00:35:44.142 --> 00:35:45.976
can these people get
back on these buses?

942
00:35:45.977 --> 00:35:47.978
"No, I don't care who they are.

943
00:35:47.979 --> 00:35:49.104
You get back on those buses

944
00:35:49.105 --> 00:35:50.897
and those buses go back into Kabul.

945
00:35:50.898 --> 00:35:51.940
Get them off this base."

946
00:35:51.941 --> 00:35:53.943
Can we just keep the blue passport holders?

947
00:35:54.110 --> 00:35:55.152
Tim yells.

948
00:35:55.153 --> 00:35:56.486
And he says,

949
00:35:56.487 --> 00:35:58.530
"Everybody goes back on these buses

950
00:35:58.531 --> 00:36:00.700
and I want them escorted
back off the base."

951
00:36:01.409 --> 00:36:03.452
And the colonel said, kick them out.

952
00:36:52.627 --> 00:36:53.877
Whoever just made the decision

953
00:36:53.878 --> 00:36:54.754
to turn his bus around

954
00:36:54.755 --> 00:36:56.004
essentially just killed...

955
00:36:56.005 --> 00:36:57.714
Just murdered... these people.

956
00:36:57.715 --> 00:37:00.009
And by the way, some of those people

957
00:37:00.885 --> 00:37:01.968
are children

958
00:37:01.969 --> 00:37:03.261
and some of these people were women.

959
00:37:03.262 --> 00:37:05.096
But some of these people are Americans

960
00:37:05.097 --> 00:37:07.642
that we just sent back to the Taliban.

961
00:37:08.100 --> 00:37:09.684
Whoever got killed by the Taliban

962
00:37:09.685 --> 00:37:10.811
because of that decision,

963
00:37:11.854 --> 00:37:13.813
that decision was on him.

964
00:37:13.814 --> 00:37:16.483
And I called Senator Tillis.

965
00:37:16.484 --> 00:37:19.903
Senator Tillis called multiple generals.

966
00:37:19.904 --> 00:37:21.780
Those generals called to the ground.

967
00:37:21.781 --> 00:37:22.864
But by the time

968
00:37:22.865 --> 00:37:24.157
the generals connected

969
00:37:24.158 --> 00:37:26.868
with the colonel to stop it,

970
00:37:26.869 --> 00:37:30.206
he had already kicked the buses off.

971
00:37:31.832 --> 00:37:34.085
And we... we did not see them again.

972
00:37:35.044 --> 00:37:37.004
Every Taliban

973
00:37:37.380 --> 00:37:38.546
around the airport

974
00:37:38.547 --> 00:37:40.590
saw them come through the gate

975
00:37:40.591 --> 00:37:42.843
on a bus with Americans

976
00:37:43.719 --> 00:37:46.846
and now every Taliban member

977
00:37:46.847 --> 00:37:49.432
at the gate was going to see them leave

978
00:37:49.433 --> 00:37:51.017
and go back into Kabul.

979
00:37:51.018 --> 00:37:52.602
And that's heart wrenching.

980
00:37:52.603 --> 00:37:55.730
There's not enough emotional capacity left

981
00:37:55.731 --> 00:37:58.734
in my soul to be able to mourn

982
00:37:59.402 --> 00:38:02.113
four busloads of people
that are about to die.

983
00:38:03.531 --> 00:38:06.533
Because the time spent in anguish

984
00:38:06.534 --> 00:38:08.285
and mourning, is time

985
00:38:08.286 --> 00:38:09.494
that could have been spent

986
00:38:09.495 --> 00:38:10.912
trying to save other people.

987
00:38:10.913 --> 00:38:12.414
We continued to do what we had to do

988
00:38:12.415 --> 00:38:12.957
because we knew these

989
00:38:12.957 --> 00:38:13.791
people were counting on us.

990
00:38:13.792 --> 00:38:15.834
We knew that the guys,

991
00:38:15.835 --> 00:38:16.752
our friends

992
00:38:16.753 --> 00:38:18.461
who were at HKIA trying to help

993
00:38:18.462 --> 00:38:20.464
people needed us to do this work.

994
00:38:21.007 --> 00:38:23.425
The Afghans trying to get into HKIA

995
00:38:23.426 --> 00:38:24.551
needed us to do this work.

996
00:38:24.552 --> 00:38:27.178
So we put it behind us and put our noses

997
00:38:27.179 --> 00:38:29.180
the grindstone and continued working.

998
00:38:29.181 --> 00:38:30.933
And we worked for the rest of that day.

999
00:38:51.996 --> 00:38:53.789
The guys,

1000
00:38:54.123 --> 00:38:56.542
unwilling to quit,

1001
00:38:56.792 --> 00:38:58.919
tripled their efforts and worked

1002
00:39:00.046 --> 00:39:03.382
and pulled out hundreds
more people that night.

1003
00:39:15.811 --> 00:39:18.856
Everything is starting to collapse on HKIA.

1004
00:39:19.440 --> 00:39:20.648
People are breaking down,

1005
00:39:20.649 --> 00:39:22.192
people are loading up,

1006
00:39:22.193 --> 00:39:23.777
they're taking bulldozers

1007
00:39:23.778 --> 00:39:25.320
and driving them over night vision.

1008
00:39:25.321 --> 00:39:26.946
You see Marines with sledgehammers

1009
00:39:26.947 --> 00:39:28.156
going into aircraft

1010
00:39:28.157 --> 00:39:30.951
and starting to smash
control panels to aircraft.

1011
00:40:04.985 --> 00:40:06.653
Like, everything is starting to crumble

1012
00:40:06.654 --> 00:40:09.532
and fall back to like this last Alamo.

1013
00:40:09.782 --> 00:40:12.283
The only thing staying out is security.

1014
00:40:12.284 --> 00:40:13.868
And one of those security checkpoints

1015
00:40:13.869 --> 00:40:15.328
is at the Abbey Gate.

1016
00:40:15.329 --> 00:40:15.996
And the Abbey Gate

1017
00:40:15.997 --> 00:40:18.790
was one of the few places where

1018
00:40:18.791 --> 00:40:20.376
if you had all the documentation,

1019
00:40:21.627 --> 00:40:23.461
the American government would

1020
00:40:23.462 --> 00:40:24.963
vet and proof you there.

1021
00:40:24.964 --> 00:40:26.506
And if you were on their list,

1022
00:40:26.507 --> 00:40:28.133
you could come through that gate.

1023
00:40:28.134 --> 00:40:30.093
There are offshoots,

1024
00:40:30.094 --> 00:40:32.095
factions of the Taliban.

1025
00:40:32.096 --> 00:40:33.388
Name them whatever you want.

1026
00:40:33.389 --> 00:40:35.014
ISIS-K. I don't care what you call them.

1027
00:40:35.015 --> 00:40:37.226
It's the Taliban. It's just factions.

1028
00:40:37.518 --> 00:40:39.394
They're pragmatically organized.

1029
00:40:39.395 --> 00:40:42.481
So the Taliban sent in a suicide bomber

1030
00:40:43.023 --> 00:40:45.693
to that gate, an IED, and... um...

1031
00:40:48.696 --> 00:40:49.780
blew it up.

1032
00:40:57.788 --> 00:40:59.998
The attack took place at Hamid Karzai

1033
00:40:59.999 --> 00:41:02.585
International Airport
in Kabul, Afghanistan.

1034
00:41:02.960 --> 00:41:04.586
As a result of this attack,

1035
00:41:04.587 --> 00:41:07.756
13 of our nation's best and brightest,

1036
00:41:08.424 --> 00:41:09.674
our heroes

1037
00:41:09.675 --> 00:41:11.426
paid the ultimate sacrifice

1038
00:41:11.427 --> 00:41:12.552
in an effort to save the lives

1039
00:41:12.553 --> 00:41:14.053
of American citizens

1040
00:41:14.054 --> 00:41:15.930
and thousands of Afghans

1041
00:41:15.931 --> 00:41:18.517
during the Non Combatant
Evacuation of HKIA.

1042
00:43:04.415 --> 00:43:06.499
There's so much of their life

1043
00:43:06.500 --> 00:43:09.252
that is left to be lived.

1044
00:43:09.253 --> 00:43:11.004
So many things they haven't experienced.

1045
00:43:11.005 --> 00:43:12.380
So many things they don't know.

1046
00:43:12.381 --> 00:43:14.424
They haven't been married,
they haven't had children.

1047
00:43:14.425 --> 00:43:15.800
They haven't traveled the world.

1048
00:43:15.801 --> 00:43:16.801
They haven't,

1049
00:43:17.344 --> 00:43:19.972
you know, found what they're good at.

1050
00:43:20.306 --> 00:43:22.308
They... there's so much they don't know.

1051
00:43:22.891 --> 00:43:23.891
And... uh...

1052
00:43:24.602 --> 00:43:25.893
you know, and now they're gone.

1053
00:43:25.894 --> 00:43:28.647
And they were all kids, 13 kids, you know.

1054
00:43:28.981 --> 00:43:30.898
You know, they were out there

1055
00:43:30.899 --> 00:43:35.112
helping people, you
know, giving people aid,

1056
00:43:35.821 --> 00:43:37.906
helping people get through the wire,

1057
00:43:38.699 --> 00:43:41.367
trying to do the right thing,

1058
00:43:41.368 --> 00:43:44.787
trying to represent, you know, themselves,

1059
00:43:44.788 --> 00:43:45.581
the country,

1060
00:43:45.582 --> 00:43:47.915
the military in the
best way possible, like,

1061
00:43:47.916 --> 00:43:48.959
you know, just

1062
00:43:49.710 --> 00:43:52.421
absolute heroes.

1063
00:44:04.642 --> 00:44:05.975
We knew that we would not be able

1064
00:44:05.976 --> 00:44:07.435
to send another flight in

1065
00:44:07.436 --> 00:44:08.270
and we wouldn't be able

1066
00:44:08.271 --> 00:44:09.646
to get anybody else out.

1067
00:44:09.647 --> 00:44:12.650
When the last airplane lifted out of HKIA

1068
00:44:13.025 --> 00:44:15.319
at the end of August. That was their hope.

1069
00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:17.904
The United States ended its

1070
00:44:17.905 --> 00:44:20.157
20 year war in Afghanistan today

1071
00:44:20.366 --> 00:44:21.325
with the conclusion

1072
00:44:21.326 --> 00:44:23.076
of the largest noncombatant

1073
00:44:23.077 --> 00:44:24.952
airlift in American history.

1074
00:44:24.953 --> 00:44:28.289
I remember at one point Sean G

1075
00:44:28.290 --> 00:44:31.250
was still sending me names

1076
00:44:31.251 --> 00:44:32.711
and this was like

1077
00:44:32.795 --> 00:44:35.171
right around the time we were learning that

1078
00:44:35.172 --> 00:44:36.631
this would not be possible any more.

1079
00:44:36.632 --> 00:44:37.966
And he said,

1080
00:44:38.801 --> 00:44:40.927
"We have to keep making a list.

1081
00:44:40.928 --> 00:44:43.638
And this is going to
be a list of the people

1082
00:44:43.639 --> 00:44:45.556
that we were forced to leave behind."

1083
00:44:45.557 --> 00:44:48.102
And it just felt so haunting to

1084
00:44:49.061 --> 00:44:51.771
put their names in these spreadsheets,

1085
00:44:51.772 --> 00:44:54.400
knowing that we would have all kept going

1086
00:44:55.067 --> 00:44:56.109
as long as we were able.

1087
00:44:56.110 --> 00:44:57.777
And the choice was taken away.

1088
00:44:57.778 --> 00:44:59.696
And we just thought, we had more time.

1089
00:44:59.697 --> 00:45:00.656
We're waiting on the ramp.

1090
00:45:00.657 --> 00:45:02.365
The four of us are at the very back

1091
00:45:02.366 --> 00:45:03.616
with the air crew.

1092
00:45:03.617 --> 00:45:05.702
And as the ramp closes

1093
00:45:05.703 --> 00:45:07.705
and the last little bit of light

1094
00:45:09.248 --> 00:45:11.749
from Afghanistan finally

1095
00:45:11.750 --> 00:45:13.335
closes out,

1096
00:45:13.585 --> 00:45:14.585
it's...

1097
00:45:16.922 --> 00:45:19.883
It's like this resounding gong of failure.

1098
00:45:20.426 --> 00:45:22.677
I'm surrounded by hundreds of people.

1099
00:45:22.678 --> 00:45:23.262
We had a...

1100
00:45:23.263 --> 00:45:26.014
we had a woman that started fainting.

1101
00:45:26.765 --> 00:45:28.725
Is there a doctor here?

1102
00:45:28.726 --> 00:45:30.893
14 people stand up.

1103
00:45:30.894 --> 00:45:33.104
All of them speak perfect English.

1104
00:45:33.105 --> 00:45:34.064
All of them have worked

1105
00:45:34.065 --> 00:45:36.149
for the Americans as doctors,

1106
00:45:36.150 --> 00:45:37.859
orthodontists, dentists,

1107
00:45:37.860 --> 00:45:39.235
and orthopedic surgeons

1108
00:45:39.236 --> 00:45:40.570
and open heart surgeons,

1109
00:45:40.571 --> 00:45:42.155
like they're on this plane.

1110
00:45:42.156 --> 00:45:43.740
That's who's on these planes.

1111
00:45:43.741 --> 00:45:45.241
These were amazing,

1112
00:45:45.242 --> 00:45:46.993
educated, hard working people

1113
00:45:46.994 --> 00:45:48.953
that worked and fought with Americans.

1114
00:45:48.954 --> 00:45:50.037
What our government did,

1115
00:45:50.038 --> 00:45:51.914
the decisions our government did

1116
00:45:51.915 --> 00:45:53.916
cost American lives.

1117
00:45:53.917 --> 00:45:54.917
They cost the lives of innocent

1118
00:45:54.918 --> 00:45:55.836
Afghan people.

1119
00:45:55.837 --> 00:45:57.587
And it made the world

1120
00:45:57.588 --> 00:45:59.338
a lot less safe of a place.

1121
00:45:59.339 --> 00:46:01.174
I didn't have to go pull a baby

1122
00:46:01.175 --> 00:46:02.216
out of the concertina wire.

1123
00:46:02.217 --> 00:46:03.301
But I saw it.

1124
00:46:03.302 --> 00:46:04.844
You know, I didn't
have to go and try to pull

1125
00:46:04.845 --> 00:46:07.598
baby up and over the wall. But I saw it.

1126
00:46:07.681 --> 00:46:08.307
You know, I didn't...

1127
00:46:08.515 --> 00:46:10.475
I didn't have to go pick a baby off

1128
00:46:10.476 --> 00:46:11.976
that was floating atop the crowd,

1129
00:46:11.977 --> 00:46:14.104
but I saw it. I was too busy.

1130
00:46:14.688 --> 00:46:16.355
And... and that hurts, too.

1131
00:46:16.356 --> 00:46:17.857
Like, I was too busy, you know?

1132
00:46:17.858 --> 00:46:19.567
Like did that life not value

1133
00:46:19.568 --> 00:46:20.277
more than this life,

1134
00:46:20.278 --> 00:46:21.278
especially with this life.

1135
00:46:21.279 --> 00:46:22.445
This mission got failed

1136
00:46:22.446 --> 00:46:23.613
or this mission got botched

1137
00:46:23.614 --> 00:46:24.947
or the Taliban interdicted

1138
00:46:24.948 --> 00:46:26.199
this group that's trying to link up with

1139
00:46:26.200 --> 00:46:27.283
and I never was able to make a link up

1140
00:46:27.284 --> 00:46:28.618
and I just lost 90 minutes of time

1141
00:46:28.619 --> 00:46:30.411
and had to flex off to another operation.

1142
00:46:30.412 --> 00:46:31.496
When I finally get there,

1143
00:46:31.497 --> 00:46:33.581
I link up and it's the wrong person,

1144
00:46:33.582 --> 00:46:34.749
or they brought too many people

1145
00:46:34.750 --> 00:46:35.626
and I have to tell those people

1146
00:46:35.626 --> 00:46:36.418
they can't stay. Like,

1147
00:46:36.419 --> 00:46:37.543
"You either come

1148
00:46:37.544 --> 00:46:39.879
and they stay or you don't come."

1149
00:46:39.880 --> 00:46:40.380
Like those are...

1150
00:46:40.380 --> 00:46:41.089
Those are calls

1151
00:46:41.090 --> 00:46:42.381
I shouldn't have to have had to make,

1152
00:46:42.382 --> 00:46:43.800
but those are the calls that we had to do

1153
00:46:43.801 --> 00:46:45.092
at that time, in that moment.

1154
00:46:45.093 --> 00:46:47.094
And that was just unfair.

1155
00:46:47.095 --> 00:46:48.346
It was kind of a bittersweet moment.

1156
00:46:48.347 --> 00:46:49.139
We were like,

1157
00:46:49.140 --> 00:46:50.848
okay, we got this many people out.

1158
00:46:50.849 --> 00:46:52.601
But we all knew at that moment

1159
00:46:54.061 --> 00:46:56.479
that as the United States military left,

1160
00:46:56.480 --> 00:46:59.190
we knew for a fact that there
were Americans still there.

1161
00:46:59.191 --> 00:47:01.234
And despite what the news was saying,

1162
00:47:01.235 --> 00:47:02.819
that there was 100 Americans,

1163
00:47:02.820 --> 00:47:04.195
we knew there was many more.

1164
00:47:04.196 --> 00:47:06.698
I'm feeling as if

1165
00:47:06.782 --> 00:47:07.907
a bit conflicted,

1166
00:47:07.908 --> 00:47:08.659
certainly,

1167
00:47:08.660 --> 00:47:09.784
because you can't

1168
00:47:09.785 --> 00:47:12.245
go into something like that

1169
00:47:12.246 --> 00:47:13.246
and think that you're going

1170
00:47:13.247 --> 00:47:15.039
to be 100% successful.

1171
00:47:15.040 --> 00:47:16.333
That's just the reality.

1172
00:47:43.235 --> 00:47:44.402
Everybody brought
something different to the table.

1173
00:47:44.403 --> 00:47:47.197
This perfect scenario.

1174
00:47:47.239 --> 00:47:48.781
People all came together

1175
00:47:48.782 --> 00:47:50.533
and converged at one moment.

1176
00:47:50.534 --> 00:47:51.909
It really is terrible

1177
00:47:51.910 --> 00:47:52.786
to get those messages, because

1178
00:47:52.787 --> 00:47:55.038
I feel like the world has quickly

1179
00:47:55.539 --> 00:47:58.041
tried as fast as they could
to forget these people.

1180
00:47:58.709 --> 00:48:01.878
You know, it's not okay.

1181
00:48:01.879 --> 00:48:03.254
I remember a member of Congress

1182
00:48:03.255 --> 00:48:05.048
saying to me,

1183
00:48:05.507 --> 00:48:06.507
"What's going to happen?

1184
00:48:06.508 --> 00:48:08.092
Like, we're going to be here

1185
00:48:08.093 --> 00:48:09.594
and they're going to still be messaging us

1186
00:48:09.595 --> 00:48:10.803
and we can't help them."

1187
00:48:10.804 --> 00:48:12.054
At the end of the day,

1188
00:48:12.055 --> 00:48:13.306
when you're getting

1189
00:48:13.307 --> 00:48:15.308
hundreds of texts from people

1190
00:48:15.309 --> 00:48:17.226
still pleading and begging

1191
00:48:17.227 --> 00:48:19.813
and asking for help to get out.

1192
00:48:20.814 --> 00:48:22.607
Well, you feel as though

1193
00:48:22.608 --> 00:48:24.108
maybe you didn't accomplish

1194
00:48:24.109 --> 00:48:25.735
quite as much as you might have.

1195
00:48:25.736 --> 00:48:26.570
We're still at it.

1196
00:48:26.571 --> 00:48:28.947
I mean, I can say we're...

1197
00:48:28.989 --> 00:48:30.615
we're not abandoning

1198
00:48:30.616 --> 00:48:32.533
our allies in Afghanistan. We can't.

1199
00:48:32.534 --> 00:48:32.993
It was sort of like

1200
00:48:32.994 --> 00:48:34.368
we've got to just get back to work

1201
00:48:34.369 --> 00:48:35.870
and figure out what comes next.

1202
00:48:35.871 --> 00:48:37.038
So just to throw ourselves

1203
00:48:37.039 --> 00:48:37.664
into, like, we're

1204
00:48:37.665 --> 00:48:38.831
still going to figure out

1205
00:48:38.832 --> 00:48:40.124
how to keep getting people out,

1206
00:48:40.125 --> 00:48:42.168
even if it's slowly.

1207
00:48:42.169 --> 00:48:45.212
And also we're going to make a difference

1208
00:48:45.213 --> 00:48:47.299
and really set the example for a welcoming

1209
00:48:47.591 --> 00:48:49.551
our Afghan allies to America.

1210
00:49:19.790 --> 00:49:20.915
Regardless of what they believe,

1211
00:49:20.916 --> 00:49:22.083
regardless of where they came from

1212
00:49:22.084 --> 00:49:23.167
and who they are,

1213
00:49:23.168 --> 00:49:25.294
it was just humans helping other humans.

1214
00:49:25.295 --> 00:49:27.546
You know, everyone came together.

1215
00:49:27.547 --> 00:49:28.714
There were some kids

1216
00:49:28.715 --> 00:49:30.216
that were on one of the flights

1217
00:49:30.217 --> 00:49:31.509
that I took out.

1218
00:49:31.510 --> 00:49:33.553
The first time I saw them heads down.

1219
00:49:34.763 --> 00:49:37.349
No eye contact, very quiet

1220
00:49:37.683 --> 00:49:39.809
fear in their eyes, wondering,

1221
00:49:39.810 --> 00:49:41.477
you know, who are these Americans?

1222
00:49:41.478 --> 00:49:44.481
And you know, who are these UAE folks?

1223
00:49:45.107 --> 00:49:46.941
Are they going to hurt us?

1224
00:49:46.942 --> 00:49:50.278
And then three days
later, I see them again,

1225
00:49:50.529 --> 00:49:52.113
you know, at the refugee camp.

1226
00:49:52.114 --> 00:49:53.823
And now they're all running around and

1227
00:49:53.824 --> 00:49:55.282
laughing and giggling

1228
00:49:55.283 --> 00:49:57.743
in this, like, beautiful grass

1229
00:49:57.744 --> 00:49:59.871
in Albania on the ocean.

1230
00:50:08.130 --> 00:50:09.464
And it was like, man, like

1231
00:50:10.173 --> 00:50:12.425
these kids would still be in

1232
00:50:12.426 --> 00:50:14.010
Afghanistan right now.

1233
00:50:14.011 --> 00:50:16.929
But because of our group

1234
00:50:16.930 --> 00:50:19.766
here they are about to have

1235
00:50:20.434 --> 00:50:23.103
a totally healthy, normal life.

1236
00:50:33.780 --> 00:50:34.989
The seventh time was the first time

1237
00:50:34.990 --> 00:50:36.323
we were able to get into the airport.

1238
00:50:36.324 --> 00:50:38.284
And that was the time that

1239
00:50:38.285 --> 00:50:39.493
my whole life changed.

1240
00:50:39.494 --> 00:50:41.120
Finally, I can say being in

1241
00:50:41.121 --> 00:50:43.122
America is like staying

1242
00:50:43.123 --> 00:50:46.375
in a very nice place. Like, it is free.

1243
00:50:46.376 --> 00:50:48.127
You can do anything you want.

1244
00:50:48.128 --> 00:50:50.129
It's a place full of opportunities.

1245
00:50:50.130 --> 00:50:51.297
You can find what you want.

1246
00:50:51.298 --> 00:50:52.924
You can do what you want.

1247
00:50:54.176 --> 00:50:56.219
There is nothing going to stop you in here.

1248
00:50:56.636 --> 00:50:58.137
There's too much to say about it.

1249
00:50:58.138 --> 00:51:00.514
Like I cannot express my whole feelings

1250
00:51:00.515 --> 00:51:02.308
about staying in America.

1251
00:51:02.309 --> 00:51:06.062
I have never been more proud

1252
00:51:06.063 --> 00:51:09.149
to be an American in terms of more proud of

1253
00:51:09.274 --> 00:51:11.067
my fellow Americans

1254
00:51:11.068 --> 00:51:13.320
and maybe less proud of my government...

1255
00:51:14.905 --> 00:51:16.447
all at the same time.

1256
00:51:16.448 --> 00:51:18.115
Every person

1257
00:51:18.116 --> 00:51:20.659
had an obligation to do something about,

1258
00:51:20.660 --> 00:51:21.994
even if they didn't
know what that was, like,

1259
00:51:21.995 --> 00:51:23.537
pick up the phone. Call your senators.

1260
00:51:23.538 --> 00:51:24.622
I mean, the number of times

1261
00:51:24.623 --> 00:51:26.248
I was just copying and pasting saying

1262
00:51:26.249 --> 00:51:26.875
when people are like,

1263
00:51:26.876 --> 00:51:28.794
I don't know what to do.

1264
00:51:28.835 --> 00:51:30.962
Call your senators, call the White House,

1265
00:51:31.213 --> 00:51:32.254
make your voice heard.

1266
00:51:32.255 --> 00:51:34.298
Like, you know, this is

1267
00:51:34.299 --> 00:51:35.883
people's lives are at stake.

1268
00:51:35.884 --> 00:51:36.884
People were saying,

1269
00:51:37.803 --> 00:51:39.136
you know, I'll go to Afghanistan,

1270
00:51:39.137 --> 00:51:40.805
I'll send my plane.

1271
00:51:40.806 --> 00:51:42.849
I will sponsor a family, I'll do whatever.

1272
00:51:43.100 --> 00:51:45.059
The generosity of the American

1273
00:51:45.060 --> 00:51:46.936
people was inspiring

1274
00:51:46.937 --> 00:51:48.187
and just something that I do

1275
00:51:48.188 --> 00:51:49.230
hope stays in my heart.

1276
00:51:49.231 --> 00:51:50.523
And I remember forever.

1277
00:51:50.524 --> 00:51:51.358
I mean, I can't name

1278
00:51:51.359 --> 00:51:53.234
everybody that was on the team.

1279
00:51:53.235 --> 00:51:54.485
Obviously, it was

1280
00:51:54.486 --> 00:51:56.113
it was really, really

1281
00:51:56.238 --> 00:51:57.696
inspiring

1282
00:51:57.697 --> 00:51:58.739
to be with those people

1283
00:51:58.740 --> 00:52:00.699
and to feel like we
could make a difference.

1284
00:52:00.700 --> 00:52:02.201
I'm as proud of it

1285
00:52:02.202 --> 00:52:03.953
as I am about anything

1286
00:52:03.954 --> 00:52:05.037
that I've done in the military

1287
00:52:05.038 --> 00:52:06.497
or since the military.

1288
00:52:06.498 --> 00:52:07.790
I'm angry

1289
00:52:07.791 --> 00:52:10.251
(because A) it didn't have to be like this.

1290
00:52:10.252 --> 00:52:13.046
(But B) even after we got them out,

1291
00:52:13.797 --> 00:52:15.631
nobody wants to help them anymore.

1292
00:52:15.632 --> 00:52:17.883
It's not in the news anymore.

1293
00:52:17.884 --> 00:52:19.969
It's not in the stream of consciousness.

1294
00:52:19.970 --> 00:52:22.054
We owe the people of Afghanistan

1295
00:52:22.055 --> 00:52:23.556
more than we've given them.

1296
00:52:23.557 --> 00:52:25.475
The people who were left in Afghanistan.

1297
00:52:29.521 --> 00:52:32.148
I don't think we can ever repay

1298
00:52:32.149 --> 00:52:34.191
what they've done, because they've...

1299
00:52:34.192 --> 00:52:35.818
They're left with the problem.

1300
00:52:35.819 --> 00:52:38.155
It's a broken world, a chaotic place

1301
00:52:38.947 --> 00:52:40.614
where there's always going to be

1302
00:52:40.615 --> 00:52:42.366
people in harm's way.

1303
00:52:42.367 --> 00:52:44.660
And when governments don't respond,

1304
00:52:44.661 --> 00:52:45.620
there's going to be a need

1305
00:52:45.621 --> 00:52:48.081
for good men and women to step in and help.

1306
00:52:48.582 --> 00:52:51.042
This crossed all lines. It didn't matter.

1307
00:52:51.084 --> 00:52:53.962
Race, color, creed, religion. Nobody cared.

1308
00:52:54.421 --> 00:52:55.880
Everybody came together and said,

1309
00:52:55.881 --> 00:52:58.049
this is the right thing to do for humanity

1310
00:52:58.425 --> 00:53:00.801
and this is what we're
going to do together.

1311
00:53:00.802 --> 00:53:03.179
What made you leave your family behind

1312
00:53:03.180 --> 00:53:04.931
and go do this?

1313
00:53:05.182 --> 00:53:06.683
Yeah. You know,

1314
00:53:07.767 --> 00:53:10.770
America is supposed to stand for something.

1315
00:53:11.521 --> 00:53:14.107
A lot of people

1316
00:53:14.191 --> 00:53:16.734
took huge risks

1317
00:53:16.735 --> 00:53:20.822
to try to make their
country more like ours.

1318
00:53:20.989 --> 00:53:23.365
We think about risk here.

1319
00:53:23.366 --> 00:53:26.119
And we're talking about financial risk.

1320
00:53:26.786 --> 00:53:28.704
We're talking about pride.

1321
00:53:28.705 --> 00:53:29.872
We're talking about

1322
00:53:29.873 --> 00:53:31.625
what other people might think.

1323
00:53:33.710 --> 00:53:34.669
And these people are

1324
00:53:34.670 --> 00:53:36.670
talking about their lives.

1325
00:53:36.671 --> 00:53:39.049
I was either going to
be sitting on my couch

1326
00:53:39.799 --> 00:53:40.966
tweeting about how

1327
00:53:40.967 --> 00:53:43.220
this is all fucked up,
or I was going to be,

1328
00:53:44.596 --> 00:53:45.347
you know,

1329
00:53:45.348 --> 00:53:46.764
one of the 12 people

1330
00:53:46.765 --> 00:53:49.600
that was making it a little less fucked up

1331
00:53:49.601 --> 00:53:52.270
and a little more American.

1332
00:53:54.022 --> 00:53:57.442
What America is supposed to be.

1333
00:54:00.737 --> 00:54:02.989
So I just felt like I had to go.

1334
00:59:32.986 --> 00:59:35.737
Did you ever get to see all the guys that

1335
00:59:35.738 --> 00:59:36.905
rescued you and your family?

1336
00:59:36.906 --> 00:59:39.032
Did you ever get to meet them all?

1337
00:59:39.033 --> 00:59:40.367
Not all of them.

1338
00:59:40.368 --> 00:59:42.911
I met most of them, but not all of them.

1339
00:59:42.912 --> 00:59:44.121
I didn't get a chance to.

1340
00:59:44.122 --> 00:59:46.456
If they were all standing here right now,

1341
00:59:46.457 --> 00:59:48.625
what would you want to say to them?

1342
00:59:48.626 --> 00:59:52.797
I would stand up and hug them each one

1343
00:59:53.423 --> 00:59:54.965
and I would tell them,

1344
00:59:54.966 --> 00:59:57.802
thank you very much for saving my life.

1345
00:59:58.219 --> 00:59:59.970
And I owe

1346
00:59:59.971 --> 01:00:00.888
each one of them

1347
01:00:00.889 --> 01:00:03.641
my life and my family's life forever.