Washington needs more leaders, not politicians
The author, a 22-year Air Force veteran, reflects on the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, describing it as a moment of profound leadership failure by the Biden administration. He argues that the decision to adhere to the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline, despite ongoing evacuation efforts and a Taliban ultimatum, demonstrated weakness and contributed to the deadly Abbey Gate attack that killed 13 American service members. The experience motivates his call for more military-experienced leaders in Congress who can project strength and make tough national security decisions.
- ▪The author was an Air Force pilot involved in the Afghanistan evacuation missions in August 2021.
- ▪Thirteen U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate on Aug. 26, 2021.
- ▪The author commanded the final U.S. military flight out of Kabul on Aug. 31, 2021, marking the end of America's longest war.
- ▪He criticizes President Joe Biden for accepting the Taliban's withdrawal deadline and not confronting terrorism more forcefully.
- ▪A Gallup poll cited in the article shows Americans value military experience in political candidates for leadership and national security judgment.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The moment is still seared into my memory and remains a defining point of my professional life. It was late on Aug. 24, 2021. I had just returned from flying another evacuation mission during the Afghanistan withdrawal when I caught a glimpse of a television screen. A Taliban spokesman was speaking. Recommended Stories What the Trump-Anthropic fight reveals about US policy during AI race against China Medicare proposal misses the point of cancer prevention Global fight against harms of social media shines spotlight on US inaction At the time, we were already racing against the clock to meet an arbitrary Aug. 31 deadline for evacuating thousands of people. On the ground, we all understood the reality of the situation.
…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Washington Examiner.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from Washington Examiner
