Army vet speaks out on Afghan fall: "I am truly scared for this country"

I served this nation as a Night Stalker in the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment, providing close air support in Blackhawk helicopters to Rangers, Delta Force, Special Forces and Navy SEALs.

I am proud of the service to my nation. I have always been and will continue to be relentlessly patriotic.

But it is heartbreaking to see what’s unfolding in Afghanistan before our eyes.

In 2013 I started the Nine Line Foundation to assist my West Point classmate, Capt. Edward “Flip” Klein, who lost three limbs while deployed to Afghanistan.

Three limbs. Now I wonder, for what?

My friends and family have sacrificed more for this nation than can ever be repaid, but we always felt it was worth the price.

It's worth the fight to ensure freedom remains where tyranny and oppression once reigned. It’s worth the fight to ensure freedom for all Americans.

We speak of the importance of being “woke.” We’re even told saying EVERY life matters is disrespectful to some. The new religion of politics is COVID, and it’s being used to ensure we remain afraid and distracted from what’s really going on.

This administration doesn’t fear the Taliban, Chinese expansionism, or any other existential threat currently facing the nation.

Instead, this administration fears facts, transparency, and anyone who dares question the drivers of its incredibly ill-conceived policies.

I am truly scared for this country, our Afghanistan Army counterparts, and the future we’re now setting in motion. I fear my children will likely return as warfighters to re-fight a war that was all but won.

Even after the U.S. utilized a nuclear option to end WWII, we maintained a presence in Japan for decades.

Maintaining a small presence of elite soldiers to ensure all the gains we made were not lost overnight was a simple and agreed upon strategy.

Sometimes taking no action is the right action, and ever since this administration has taken over, the idea of changing things for the sake of change or political wins seems to be the only real objective.

It’s an old Army adage that “If it ain’t broke, don't fix it.” Someone may want to clue in our commander in chief that while his position is to make the final decision, for the love of God, he should listen to the seasoned warfighters who are providing him advice.

Mr. President, I beg you, make decisions for the betterment of the free world and your country, not just your political party.