SFSF Case study: Afghanistan withdrawal
While we have shared about the equipment we provide for our special forces soldiers, at the end of the day, “our mission is to support our special forces soldiers to the best of our ability to provide for their safety” while abroad. 99% of the time, this entails providing equipment and “tools”, such as bulletproof vests.
Last August, like the rest of the world, we watched with alarm as the United States withdrew from Afghanistan. Many, if not all of the special forces troops that we have supported have served in Afghanistan at one time or another; some as early as the immediate response to 9/11. As the news unfolded, we immediately knew that this was going to be a dynamic situation, requiring flexibility and immediate support for whatever would be required of our special forces soldiers. We also knew that left in the wake of the withdrawal were several interpreters, who had risked very literally everything to keep our troops safe in Afghanistan.
We support the “silent professionals”, which means that 9 times out of 10, we’ll never be able to share details of the work they do, their locations, etc. The Afghanistan withdrawal brought a rare, sharp focus to just some of the work these men do, illustrating t o the world what our Green Beret’s know intimately. War can deconstruct culture, leaving a power vacuum. One of the many elements that sets Green Beret’s apart is their operational methodology. As written about HERE, Green Berets are unique in that they aren’t defined by the “quick extraction”. Rather, they immerse themselves into the culture. For reference, this is illustrated well in the movie “12 Strong”.
In the wake of the withdrawal, of course, the interpreters were left behind. Men who, we found out, worked side by side with our Green Berets, knowingly putting themselves at risk the entire time. For the first time, we were able to put faces to the names of interpreters who had very literally taken bullets for our troops. Men such as that photographed below.
The novel scenario that was the withdrawal required an equally refined approach in order to fulfill our credo of equipping and overcoming, and to provide whatever is necessary to keep our special forces soldiers safe. For the first time, our board voted unanimously that in order to follow through with those words, actions outside of just providing equipment were required, and therefore determined that this included supporting those individuals who had dedicated themselves and their lives to doing the same. Thanks to the support of patriots such as yourself, we were able to assist with bringing home interpreters.
August and September of 2021 demonstrated two important lessons/reminders: First, this is why we stick by our ethos: flexible, responsiveness, providing support as efficiently as effectively as possible. Second, the patriots around the country who are willing to step up- you made a difference in these men’s lives.
