The publication is reproduced in full below:
LETTER FROM VETERANS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ONGOING EVACUATION
EFFORTS IN AFGHANISTAN
______
HON. JASON CROW
of colorado
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Mr. CROW. Madam Speaker, as a combat veteran who served three tours of duty, both in Afghanistan and Iraq, I understand the danger and lasting implications of war. We mourn for the U.S. servicemembers killed in the August 26 attack in Kabul. These service members were engaged in a mission to save the lives of others, and we should never forget their service and sacrifice.
As we grieve with the rest of America, we must commit to evacuating U.S. citizens and our Afghan partners, regardless of the August 31st deadline. I recognize this operation is not without risk, but I believe it is both a moral and national security imperative to see this evacuation to completion.
Therefore, I include in the Record the following letter signed by 600 veterans on the importance of continued evacuation efforts. I look forward to our continued work to bring our brave service members, U.S. citizens, and Afghan partners to safety.
Veterans' Letter to President Biden on Afghanistan
August 25, 2021.President Joe Biden,The White House,Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President: As veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, we are writing to express our strong and unwavering support for the ongoing evacuation efforts for U.S. citizens and our Afghan allies being led by the United States at the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Throughout our military service, we have seen firsthand the importance of not just the interpreters who worked alongside our troops on the battlefield, but also the thousands of Afghans who directly supported our American mission through U.S.-funded NGOs, contractors, and other implementers.
These civilian operations--led by the Afghans working on U.S. funded projects--have been vital for U.S. national security and for empowering millions of women and girls. The grave danger now faced by these Afghan allies and their families cannot be overstated.
We are also deeply worried that this group of Afghans--individuals who qualify for Priority 2 refugee status--could be largely left behind by the current U.S. military evacuation efforts. We fear that the U.S. will fail in its moral duty to protect these individuals who stood directly with America.
Therefore, we write with three specific and urgent requests for your Administration:
1. Prioritize U.S.-led evacuations for potential and qualifying Priority 2 applicants and their families for evacuation efforts alongside potential Special Immigrant Visa
(SIV) applicants and U.S. citizens.
2. Extend the evacuation mission past August 31, 2021--not just for U.S. citizens--but for all our Afghan allies that worked alongside us in the military and U.S. civilian missions, assuming everyone cannot be evacuated by the deadline.
3. Ensure safe corridors for evacuees to access the Kabul airport.
Thank you for your attention and leadership to help get all our Afghan allies to safety. As we all know, time is of the essence.
Very respectfully,
Russell McLachlan, Joseph Snowden, Anne Hobbs, Birmingham, Neil Rafferty, Dena Contri Cook, Chris Perry, Paulette Risher, John Hamilton, Mike Ball, William Turkoski, Al Wood, Stephen Charles, Danielle Bennett, Tim Smithpeters, Donald Becka, Betty Carlene Gilio, Wade Rutt, Luis Cardenas Camacho.
Edward Logan, Henry Wade, Sean Till, Bruce Pagel, Terell Welch, Tim Cullison, John Phelps, Sol Jaffe, Brett Hunt, Rick Erickson, Richard Chapman, Kees Rietsema, Jon Miller, Robert Welch, Wanona Fritz, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Flanigan, Jeff Tennen, Jason Tomlinson, Robert Hayward, John Steele.
Bob Rieman, Elton Johnson, Joanne Johnson, Thor Gjerdrum, James Boarman, Tommaso DeAngelis, Tony Priestley, Diana N Richard Rabe, Bianca Garilli, Penny Doswell, Lupita Palacios, Cheryl Shipman, Leon Persaud, Cindy MacDonald, Presley Guio, David Taliaferro, Edward Post, Bill Holen, Jim Glenn, Donna Abenroth, John Brackney, Bear McConnell, Joseph Reagan, Peter Mueller, Corey Tucker, Randy Garcia.
Joanna McConnell, Jeffrey Samet, David French, Donald VanGilder, Michael Crader, Joe Rice, David Skaggs, Otis McGregor, Brittany Bartges, Ron Struthers, Sally Ireland, Christopher Rivers, Jeremy Rodrigues, George Mitchell, William Card, Robert Rains, Jeff Steele, Nick Riffel, Sean Sorbie, Scott Cooper, David Anderson, Larry Reed, Ronald Blanck, Dawan Collick, Rick White, Klint Krieger, Anthony Hardie, Mike Bontell, Bruce Jones, Andrew Learned, Christopher Charo, Diane Maye Zorri, Stphen Leisenring, William Oshell, Laura Waters, John Miller, Ron Fithen Sr., Wayne Hoyt, Kirby Wedekind.
Bobby Drummond, Michael Raynor, Gregory Martin, Scott Wuesthoff, Barbara Cooper, Paul Chevalier, Emilio Gonzalez, Andres Soberon, Lynare Robbins, Mark Kerr, Michael Bryan, Connie Crawford, Blake Locklar, Martha Marden, Dick Batchelor, William Toti, Ross Clemons, Walter Bondarchuk, Christopher Baker, Willie Berges, Jerry Rogers, Jeff Ponkratz, Houston Tucker, Dennis Stoneking, Elizabeth Masters.
Alfredo Anthony, Kevin Connelly, James Welch, Rosa Sanders, Daniel Hubbard, Bob Burleson, David Brady, Christopher Cano, Andrew Wilson, Bill Aquino, Houston Mc Gowan, John Ionoff, Jay Hood, Mark Campbell, Mike Brassaw, Steve Rutherford, Jeff Cathey, Mark Fetterman, Anthony Pawlisz, Thomas Trifiletti, John Mulholland, Chris Purdy, Frederick Lutz, WD Williams, Kevin Murray, Michael Karabasz.
Michelle Cain, William Howerton, Kevin Wince, Roger Harrison, David Snow, William Leverett, Angela Vinson, Robert Anderson, Christopher Drumhiller, Don Albertson, Peter Welch, Keith Luchtel, Robert Felderman, Steve Dodson, Ron Dardis, William Holderman, Richard Ritter, Chris Clark, Laura Hubka.
Steve Warnstadt, Miyoko Hikiji, Bernie Stone, Jim Durand, Jeff Dow, John MacDonald, Ken Holliday, Reo Felts, Everett Wohlers, Rudy Soto, Susan Megy, Brent Webb, Charles Tucker, Michael Hubbard.
Megan Everett, Theresa Eckard, Jennifer Mcintosh, Anil D'Souza, Kirk Samson, Sharon DeVary, Beverly Thompson, Matthew Brodycz, Chris Young, Lindsey Figgins, Andrew Gothreau, Gregory Runyon, Joseph Ellis, Gary Dillman, Brian Copes, Angela DeMaree, Matthew Piety, Charles Williams, Tabitha Bartley.
David Zipoff, Paul McKinney, Charles Winkle, James Wieser, Dr. Richard Marcantonio, Daniel Bradley, Otis Kerr, Doug Martin, Erika Steuterman, Jamie Richards, Rick Burns, Mike Denning, Doug Tystad, Aaron Estabrook, Barth Crouch, Gary Morsch, Jim Gartner, Seth Merrell, Jeff Mahan, Tim Hudgins.
Danny Davis, Lewis Walter, Robert Gadd, Joseph Tharp, Robert Durham, Doug Tirey, Vernon Black, Marty Smith, Sonny Greeson, James Santos, John Rice, Evette Mittin, Richard DeNoyer, Peter Prieto, Martha Barbone, Ken Murphy, John Caldwell, David Tohn, Stuart Dye, Kathryn Beasley, Lawrence Brill.
Andrew Fallon, Edward Slaughter, Christopher Ackerman, Ethan Dietrich, Joe Plenzler, Gregory Grunwald, Lyn McCall, Nicholas Albicocco, David Paschane, Arielle Berghammer-Ziegler, Charles Ray.
Richard Kessler, Stephanie Grant, Sharon Nelson, James Settele, Peter Kuniholm, Christian Trocchi, Alicia Barnes, Joe Schwarz, John Schwarz, Richard Van Buskirk, Travis Ernst, Joshua Lunger, PJ Mulford, Tom Niemela, Dennis Kooren, Jan Bakalyar, Kristy Janigo, Sheila Jessen, George Waldow, Matt Gill, Walter Kocemba, Shelia Jessen, John Baker, Thomas Cocchiarella, Rage Ali, Mathew Meyer, Mary Hafner.
Ronald Schwartau, Pat Finley, David Currey, Steven Clark, Robert Bennett, Pat Castillo, Jim Gwinner, Robert Speir, Michael Guiles, Bruce McDonald, Lee Mitchell, Sammy Martin, Missionary Cecil Fayard, Michael Philley, Moe Davis, Nick Justice, Richard Vosteen, Francis Proctor, Dennis Harris, Gene Stewart.
Michael Kingsley, Paul Dillon, Peter Aubrey, Kathy Greggs, Stacy Mathews, James Keith Grindle, Linda Barto, John Wilkinson, Craig Horn, Richard Cantwell, Dana Tucker, Kathleen Volandt, Frank Segal, Tomas Franklin Castillo, Stefanie Maloney, Aurelia Fedenisn, Larry Skogen, Murray Sagsveen, David Sprynczynatyk, Drew Combs, Frank Jessup, Kathy Lahners Rall, Thomas Janssen, Fred Tisdale.
John E. Nelson, Jesse Edwards, Chuck Nettleship, Paul Lloyd, Dave Porterfield, Carol Bartlett, Peter Burdett, Otto A. Busher III, Kenneth Clark, Al Baldasaro, Mark Aquino, Karen Merrill, William Yamaji, Corey Houghtaling, Bryan Dunn, Steven Hashem, Rhonda Spinelli, Jannell MacAulay, Peter Robinson, Robert Goff, Beverly Cover, Quentin Collins, Timothy Harrod, John Williams, Brian Maccormack-Burt.
Kathy Scariot, Sue Balderrama, Linnes Chester, Ross Bryant, Chaz Wellington, Joseph Godwin, Christopher Milan, Matt Carrescia, Emilia Montenegro-Stroud, Edward Vento, Steven Schwarzer, Mike Bolley, Ralf Schloss, William Andrews, Jerry Terhaar, Leslie Green, Eric Gardiner, Gerard Grant, Henry Grossman.
John Flynn, Mike Parks, John McCance, Richard Lauf, Gregory Johnson, Frank Titus, Frank LaRose, Jason Rafeld, Terry Lawson, Matt Eichmann, Gretchen Klingler, Al Burzynski, Robert Viney, George Hoffman, John Shaw, Robert Lees, Carl Miller, Bill Tate, Linda Davis, Patrick Williams, Brian Kennedy, David Butler, Howard Mckinnis, Seth Mccool, Timothy Lind, Will Meyer, Donald Dean, Rob Luster.
Jack McCutchen, Joseph Bautista, Charles Allen, Stephen McNamara, Thomas Rodriguez, Bob Sutton, John Strong, Bruce Bingaman, Jesse Hamilton, Bob McMahon, Richard Bugbee, Carl Witte, Joe Gullo, Glenn Geissinger, Irv Halter, Mark Liberman, Joe Witte, Michael Noonan, Robert Hoe, Bill Mccartan, Gary Freyberger, Todd Werley, Bradley Kenny, Joseph Albert, David Eisele, James W. Houck.
Dr. Karin Warner, Thomas Richards III, Joe Kirlin, Warren Gunderman, Matthew Peoria, Osvaldo Sanchez, Jose Cabrera, Tracey Rivkin, Ron Green, Samuel Hines, Bud Ferillo, Jeff Jacobs, Mike Dhunjishah, George Goldsmith, Steven Diaz, Allison Love, James Polasky, Samuel Boone, Harry Dean Cook, Jason Kramer.
George I. Boniface, Bob Cristian, Robert Brennan, Steve Stark, Robyn Grable, Melissa Watson, John Krenson, Richard LaMonica, Danny Hatcher, Wayne Culbreth, Robert Coughlin, Glasgow Rex, Charles Bowers, Robert Peal, Patrick Ryan, David Lambert, Joe M. Caraveo, Johnny Dickey, Michael Carroll.
Mike Valadez, John Gerlaugh, Michael LeCompte, Heather Herrera, Joe Cerami, J. Wayne Trimmer, Howard Schauer, Rene Chapa, Evelyn Quattrone, Alan Manley, David Sanders, Martin White, Jo Kat, David Lewis, Jeff Haynes, Sharon A Bataille, Jeremy Jordan, Tommy Gonzalez, Martin Martinez, Omar Williams, Juan Pablo Gmz, John Roe, Rafael Rodriguez, Shirby Ford, Jeffrey Kendall, Sam Tijerina.
Walter Ulrich, Charles Starnes, Jose Garduno, Boyd Neathery, Rosalie Burleson, Robert Hastings, Constance de Chevalier, Brett Farley, Ronald Olness, Tim Farrell, John Casey, John Duggan, Todd Speer.
Mark Alvarez, Richard Delgado Jr., Richard Delgado, Merlin Bjerke, David McArthur, Jeff Snell, Brittany Lambert, William Cosgrove, David Pyne, Alex Dubovik, Josh Burgess, Daniel Gade, Terron Sims II, Isaac Eagan, Robert Gard, Michael Luttrell, Clay Monroe, Edwin Vincent, Will Woldenberg, Jon Stull, Jeanie Graves, Ralph Hastings, Terry Orndorff, Alec Williamson, Eliot Evans, Hal Donahue, Ron Suzuki.
William Parrish, Rudy Wadle, John Peterson, Mckinley Price, Leandrew Reese, Robert Bracknell, Cherylynn Sagester, Charles Tyler, Terry Phillips, Christopher Campbell, William Leighty, Eric Postow, Jason Roberge, Royes Gernandt, David Hamon, Isabel Hodge, Mark Kustra, Dave Belote, Jeri Prophet.
Gerard Mauer Jr., Chris Phillips, Peter Smith, Heather Veenker, Matthew Hepner, John Petersen, Steven Brown, Dave Baine, John Kilpatrick, Peter Wilson, Jim Perkins, Echo Penley, Diana Smith, Mike Moore, Brian Newberry, Steven Bell, Margaret Cope, Andrew Anderson, Michael Trudeau, James Strong.
Toni Horak, John Katzka, Christopher Goebel, William Davis, Hector Sepulveda, Mark Freitag, Walter Hladko, .Jason Johns, Thomas Plantenberg, John Becker, Darrel Feucht, David Hollis, Rob Palmer, Darla LeClair, Herb Davis, Michael Martin, Davidjames Lynch, Patrick M. Kitkowski Sr.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 152
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.
Alerts Sign-up