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Welcome to The Afghanistan Project, where wecover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today, we're talking about recent developments in Afghanistan involving decrees targeting Afghan women and border skirmishes between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Beth also discusses the incredible guests who came on during the last 12 months and some of the incredible stories and updates they shared.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
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Welcome to Episode 78 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Art Conaghan, a public affairs specialistin the UK who was a Parliamentary Chief of Staff for an MP in Northampton, outside of London, at the time of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. This is probably one of several episodes that Art could fill with stories about the groups he helped as he effectively became a human smuggler in the midst of the withdrawal.
In this episode, Art talks about how he was drawn intohelping Afghans as the country fell under Taliban control over the summer of 2021. We discuss many of the groups he attempted to – or successfully – aided as well as the means that he used to secure assistance for various groups of Afghans.
Art also discusses the impact that the evacuation effort hashad on his life.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
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Welcome to Episode 77 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
My guest today is an esteemed representative of theGovernment of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, His Excellency Mohammed Ashraf Haidari.
Ashraf served as the Ambassador of Afghanistan to Sri Lankaand Deputy Ambassador to the United States and India. He held numerous roles in the former Afghan Government’s Foreign Ministry and National Security Council from 2004 until the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, Ashraf also worked as the Director-General of the South Asia Cooperative Environment Program.
Ashraf is a TV and radio commentator, and has held a numberof senior research and visiting fellowship positions in esteemed think tanks like the World in 2050 associated with the Diplomatic Courier, the New America, the Observer Research Foundation, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies, and the Delhi Policy Group. He frequently writes in major US and international publications, analyzing the nexus between human security and protective security with a focus on conflict, climate change, poverty and displacement. He holds his Masters in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and his Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Wabash College.
Ashraf discusses the factors that led to the dissolution ofthe former Afghan government and the changes witnessed within Afghanistan after the Taliban took power in the country. Ashraf also discusses what will be required to return the country to a successful path.
About the guests:
Follow M. Ashraf Haidari on X: https://x.com/MAshrafHaidari
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
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Welcome to Episode 76 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today’s guest is Geeta Bakshi, a former CIA counterterrorism officer and founder of Famil, a national nonprofit organization which provides support to Afghan allies, particularly members of the Zero Units, elite Afghan forces who were supported and trained by the CIA. Geeta is a 14-year veteran of the CIA, and spent several years of her career in Afghanistan.Geeta discusses her career in Afghanistan and the deep trust it instilled for Afghan partners, including the Zero Units. She tells the story of her involvement post-withdrawal, and how she began creating Famil, which was quickly “adopted by” the Zero Units.Geeta talks about the difficulties the Zero Units have faced, including large numbers of members separated from their families for more than three years following the withdrawal due to bureaucratic holdups that cause endless harm to Afghans and American volunteers. She discusses the mental health battles the Zero Units face as they assimilate into a new culture while watching their homeland fall to terrorism and about the hurdles faced by Zero Unit members who are amputees and require financing for prosthetics, medical equipment, and therapy. Geeta also notes that the members of the Zero Units are already giving back to the communities across America that they have become part of.Find Famil :Website: https://www.familusa.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/familusa/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/famil.usa/About the host:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
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Welcome to Episode 75 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Shawn VanDiver, a 12-year veteran of theU.S. Navy, and the founder and president of the #AfghanEvac coalition, an umbrella of multiple volunteers and professionals across the government and private sector who aim to fulfill the promises the U.S. made to its Afghan allies.
Shawn discusses the frustrations he felt with President JoeBiden’s failure to address shortcomings in our Afghanistan withdrawal and policy, and his hopes for change under the incoming Trump administration.
Shawn also provides updates on and concerns regarding thePriority-1 and -2 programs within the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and the likely closure of humanitarian parole as a path for safety for Afghans. He notes the concerns that the larger volunteer community has about the second- and third-order impacts that could be felt by Afghans if certain refugee programming is cut.
About Shawn VanDiver and #AfghanEvac:
Follow Shawn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shawnjvandiver
Follow #AfghanEvac on Twitter https://twitter.com/afghanevac
Or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/afghanevac/
Or on their website: https://afghanevac.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operationsas a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
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Welcome to Episode 74 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guests today are John Moses, Elizabeth Lynn, and Terry Symula, all of whom are intimately involved in cases where Afghan families separated as a result of the noncombatant evacuation operations are struggling to achieve reunification.
We discuss several reunification cases, the incredible burden that separated families face, and the need to increase support and information to these families under the incoming Trump administration.
About the guests:
John Moses, co-founder of the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance, an organization that is supporting Afghanallies who have located around Massachusetts. John is also a 23-year veteran of the US Army, a veteran fellow at The Hoover Institution, and the Director of Operations at Wizardline Technologies, Inc.
Find Massachusetts Afghan Alliance here: https://massafghanalliance.org/
Elizabeth Lynn is director of government operations at Operation Recovery, where she directs the Afghanistan and Grow America Farm Corps initiatives. Elizabeth served in the U.S. Air Force and the Navy Reserves, and has received multiple commendations for her service. After holding a variety of positions with the U.S. Postal Service, USCIS, IRS and other U.S. government institutions, Elizabeth retired in 2020. She came out of retirement shortly thereafter to help Afghans left behind in their homeland.
Find Operation Recovery here: https://operationrecovery.org/
Terry Symula is a volunteer at Ascentria Care Alliance, where she leads a Neighborhood Support Team that welcomes Afghan families to the area. In Terry’s small town of Harvard, she was at one point supporting 36 Afghans. Terry’s background is in computer technology sales and marketing management, but she began volunteering in the field of resettlement 8 years ago to support a Rwandan family who arrived in Worcester, Massachusetts in the middle of the winter with numerous medical needs.
Find Ascentria Care Alliance here: https://www.ascentria.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 73 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guest today is Andy Sullivan, the Chief Advocacy Officer for No One Left Behind, a nonprofit organization that supports the wartime allies whom we promised assistance through the special immigrant visa program.
Andy takes listeners through the latest SIV numbers for an update on the number of primary applicants in the pipeline, and efforts underway to preserve the program and add additional visas for the remaining applicants.
Andy discusses legacy data from the SIV program under the former Trump administration as a way to provide some optimism about the program’s fate under the new Trump administration.
We also discuss serious impediments with the program that need addressing, and tell the story of “Tahir,” an SIV applicant recovering from mental health crisis in Pakistan after being endangered by his service to the U.S. government.
Find No One Left Behind via:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/n1leftbehind
Website: http://nooneleft.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/no-one-left-behind/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nooneleftbehindus/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 72 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is Jason Howk, a veteran of the U.S. Army who was involved firsthand in key periods of our twenty-year effort to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.
Our discussion revolves around the reasons that an incoming Trump Administration should be concerned about the status quo in Afghanistan, which include the growth of terrorism, gross violations of human rights, and the economic promise within Afghanistan that is now being realized by the Chinese.
Jason gives a handful of policy recommendations, including empowering Afghan leaders who could provide a stable future for a country currently in turmoil and ensuring that any future efforts are Afghan-led.
Jason concludes with a plea about the vital importance of addressing the suicide epidemic within the veteran community.
About Jason Howk and Global Friends of Afghanistan:
Find Jason on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason_c_howk
Find Global Friends of Afghanistan at their website, https://www.globalfriendsofafghanistan.org/
Follow GFA on Twitter https://twitter.com/GFAfghanistan
Or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/global-friends-of-afghanistan-gfa/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 71 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guest is the journalist and author Lynne O’Donnell, who has been fearlessly covering Afghanistan since shortly after September 11, 2001 and continues to document the atrocities of the de facto government today. Lynne has been a senior correspondent for Reuters, and worked as the Kabul Bureau Chief for the AFP and the AP between 2009 and 2017. Lynne has also worked in strategic communications, and now is a columnist for Foreign Policy. She also hosts a weekly podcast for 8AM Media, which many viewers here know is an excellent place to find the ground truth of what is happening in the Taliban’s Afghanistan.
Lynne discusses the highlights of her years of war coverage in Afghanistan leading up to the U.S. withdrawal from the country. We also cover her incredible coverage of the withdrawal, and of the past three plus years. We also discuss in depth her return to the country in summer 2022, and her arrest by the Taliban, who forced her to publicly denounce her journalism in a manner that, as she warned the authorities who forced her confession, made them look silly.
Follow Lynne on Twitter: https://x.com/lynnekodonnell
Follow Lynne’s podcast with 8AM Media, “Insights,” here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/insights/id1752507469
Find Lynne’s book, "High Tea in Mosul," mentioned in the episode, here: https://www.amazon.com/High-Tea-Mosul-Englishwomen-War-torn/dp/1905736096/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to The Afghanistan Project Podcast. For this special pre-election episode, I'm bringing back return guest Lt. Col. (R) Will Selber for an awesome update about the increased efforts to whitewash the Taliban regime in the leadup to U.S. presidential elections. We discuss a New York Times piece that gallingly talks of the great hope that terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani allegedly presents to the world, the voices lending unearned legitimacy to the Taliban, and what our presidential hopefuls bring in terms of Afghanistan baggage into this election cycle. We also discuss major world events of the moment.About Will Selber:Will Selber is a retired Middle East Foreign Area Officer who spent 4 1/2 years in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was an active member of Operation Sacred Promise and has helped relocate 100+ Afghans. He is founder of Grumpy Combat Veteran + Friends (https://www.gcvfriends.com), where he shares important news commentary and his podcasts, Shoulder to Shoulder Podcast and Stories from my Brothers: Tales of the Afghan Security Forces. You can follow him on X at @AggieWill00 About the hosts:Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.For Afghan listeners:If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 70 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war inAfghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today’s guest is Brent Huffman, a documentary filmmaker and professor at Northwestern University, where he is director of documentary journalism. Brent is the director, producer, cinematographer and editor of the 2014 documentary “Saving Mes Aynak,” which won over 30 awards and has been broadcast in over 50 countries.
In today’s episode, Brent talks about the impetus of his interest in Mes Aynak and what he saw and learned about the ancient Buddhist city while traveling there to document the heroic work of disaster archeologists who strived to keep the largely unexcavated remains from being destroyed by a Chinese mining company.
Brent also talks about the efforts he has taken to save Afghan archeologists who were Taliban targets during filming and have been unable to work since August 2021.
We discuss how Mes Aynak’s perpetual stay of execution seems to have come to an end, with mining efforts currently underway in the area. Though the Taliban promise that mining will take place underground in an effort to preserve the city, Brent expressed skepticism about trusting the group’s word, and reminds the audience that six villages have been destroyed to make way for mining and a further 174 face ruin from mining’s impact on the aquifer.
Finally, Brent talks about forthcoming documentary, due next year, about performing archeology in the midst of war in Yemen.
Follow Brent on Twitter: https://x.com/Brent_Huffman
Find “Saving Mes Aynak” on Amazon Prime Video here: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Mes-Aynak-Brent-Huffman/dp/B01MQFJDQ9
Watch Brent’s work free for a limited time at the 2024 Arkhaios Film Festival: https://arkhaiosfilmfestival2024.eventive.org/films?filterTags%5B6690491d13c78100a6420841%5D=true
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 69 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal. Today’s guest is Gaisu Yari, a human rights activist, writer, and speaker who has fought for freedom in Afghanistan and vocally opposed the Taliban's repressive rule there.
In today’s episode, Gaisu talks about her escape from Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and a project, Afghan Voices of Hope, that began as she processed the trauma of her experience in a refugee camp in Poland. Gaisu has now documented the Afghan experience throughout the U.S., in France, in Canada, and in Afghanistan in order to help develop and sustain the spirit of Afghanistan within Afghans who were spread around the world after the former government collapsed.
Find Afghan Voices of Hope here: https://www.afghanvoicesofhope.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 68 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war inAfghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
For today’s topic of military transition, I have three special guests: Jenn Noonkester, a retired Air Force senior NCO; Michael DeSerio, a 15-year Army senior NCO, and Rob Dufresne, a retired Army Special Forces senior NCO.
Jenn, Michael, and Rob talk about their experiences leaving the military, including the difficulties they experienced and the programs that were indispensable. We touch on SkillBridge, which Jenn utilized with great results, and the Army’s Master Resilience Training, which Michael is a particular advocate for.
While Jenn and Michael’s more recent transitions came with slightly more assistance from their military institutions, Rob’s experience during his service and during his transition in 2015 were vastly different. The spectrum of experiences and the similarities in the issues all three discuss will be helpful for any veteran preparing for transition, or still struggling with adjusting to post-military life. This episode will also be a game changer for civilians who want to understand the transitionprocess to better support their loved ones and friends during or after service.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 67 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast with guest Fazle Chowdhury, distinguished writer and global affairs analyst known for his in-depth exploration of Ukrainian, Iranian, and post-communist affairs.
Fazle talks about the origin of conflict in Southeast Asia, and how Peshawar, Pakistan changed during the conflict in neighboring Afghanistan. Fazle also discusses the importance of Afghanistan on the world stage, and its enduring legacy for those who love it.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 66 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast featuring a retired Air Force senior NCO Jenn Noonkester, who has been involved in efforts to support Afghans seeking to escape their homeland.
Jenn spoke about her military service prior to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the upheaval that occurred financially, physically, and mentally when Jenn became involved in evacuation efforts.
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity
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Welcome to Episode 65 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast featuring Afghan journalist in exile, Bilal Sarwary.
Bilal and I talk about many of the more nuanced aspects of Taliban rule that are not getting covered, either because journalists in the West lack a comprehensive source network inside Afghanistan, or because the Taliban have effectively quashed freedom of the press inside Afghanistan.
We chat about the continued cultivation of opium, despite the Taliban’s opium ban, as well as the growing trade in crystal meth. We also talk about the General Directorate of Intelligence, the powerful Taliban intelligence agency with ties to Al Qaeda that is creating a Hell on earth for Afghans it detains.
Follow Bilal on X: https://x.com/bsarwary
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 64 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast with special guests Hillar Moore and Joe Maida.
Hillar Moore is the District Attorney for East Baton Rouge and has developed a reputation for fighting hard for victims, including those impacted by domestic abuse, fraternity hazing, and the rising opioid epidemic. As a member of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Hillar has been working on assisting Afghan prosecutors who were left behind after the U.S. withdrawal, and had no access to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program or the special immigrant visa program despite having worked to instill the rule of law in support of U.S. operations in Afghanistan.
Joe Maida IV is a former Texas prosecutor who supported the Afghan legal system’s growth between 2006 and 2013 on the ground, and focused on Afghanistan policy at U.S. Special Operations Command, and later at Special Operations and Combating Terrorism at the Pentagon through 2019. In August 2021, he supported the evacuation of an Afghan prosecutor with whom he worked and his family during the final days of the US presence. In December 2021, he started a group that has grown to over 130 members from different nations trying to support legal pathways for justice sector officials seeking to leave Afghanistan.
In this episode, Hillar talks about an upcoming Association of Prosecuting Attorneys fundraiser which hopes to raise at least $200,000 to support some of the around 1,500 Afghan attorneys who were left behind after the U.S. withdrawal and need to be resettled in safe countries. The APA estimates this will cost around $10,000 per family, or about $15 million together.
Joe Maida IV offers his expertise and stories from his time in Afghanistan, as well as his ongoing efforts to support prosecutors attempting to leave Afghanistan.
This week’s letter comes from “Asan,” an Afghan Air Force officer left behind and asking for assistance from the U.S. leadership to support the movement of other vulnerable Afghan military personnel from the country.
Find information about the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys’ Gala here: https://apat.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_mcform&view=ngforms&id=2212720#!/
For more on Afghan prosecutors’ plight, or to access the Fox article Beth (continually) references, go here:
https://www.foxnews.com/world/former-afghan-prosecutors-hunted-down-killed-taliban-three-years-after-us-withdrawal
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 63 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Our guest this week is Marine Corps veteran Gabby Southern Daiss, who was taking part in the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as an adjutant for Combat Logistics Battalion 24 when she was diverted to Hamid Karzai International Airport to assist with the withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Gabby is now a member of the board at Operation Allies Refuge Foundation.
Gabby gave an incredible overview of her decision to join the U.S. Marine Corps, and some of the challenges she overcame while going through Officer Candidate School and The Basic School. Then we launched forward to the MEU, and the point in June where Gabby and other female Marines began to identify the need to prepare for the eventuality that they might be needed in Afghanistan.
After receiving approval, female Marines with the MEU began to train as Female Search Teams (FSTs) which would assist with the process of searching women on the airfield. As Gabby explained, the advice from on high was that FST should prepare for a controlled situation, which was anything but what the Marines encountered.
The Marines headed to Afghanistan in mid-August, and Gabby began filling two roles at once: FST member, and adjutant. This gave her a firsthand view of not just North and East Gates, where she searched women who had often stashed their most valuable possessions beneath heavy layers of clothing, but also of the Evacuation Control Center and the Joint Operations Center, where the chaos outside was more controlled – except on Aug. 26, 2021.
Gabby describes the sights, sounds, and smells of HKIA in vivid detail, including her perspective after the Abbey Gate bombing.
She also details the ostracism she faced after returning to the boat, when male Marines seemed to believe that Gabby and other FST members were trying to avoid returning to their units.
Finally, Gabby and I talked about the awarding of Combat Action Ribbons at the end of the Afghanistan deployment, and the factors at hand in determining who rated what types of awards.
About Operation Allies Refuge Foundation
Find OAR Foundation on Instagram @OARFoundation
or on their website:https://www.operationalliesrefugefoundation.org/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to a short update from TheAfghanistan Project Podcast, where Beth talks about the impending return ofnormal episodes and highlights her new Substack account, where she will be sharingstories from Afghanistan that need telling.
Find the Substack account here and please sign up for updates: https://bwbailey85.substack.com/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected] include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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Welcome to Episode 62 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Our guest this week is Army veteran John Moses, a veteran fellow at the Hoover Institution and co-founder of the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance, an organization supporting Afghans building new lives in Massachusetts.
This week, John takes us through his participation in evacuation support during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Come for amazing and heart-wrenching stories of joyful success and heartrending failure, and stay for the mental images of John surviving on Zyn pouches and caffeine while he worked himself to the point of being mentally unhealthy to perform 68 miracles with the Evac Fellows.
About John Moses and Massachusetts Afghan Alliance
Find Massachusetts Afghan Alliance through their website: https://massafghanalliance.org/
Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/massafghanalliance/
Or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/massafghanalliance/
About the host:
Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners:
If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
- Se mer
