American veterans were particularly affected when the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021. Many saw that withdrawal as unraveling hard-won security gains earned over 20 years.
In a survey from October 2021, 70% of veterans said they felt that the U.S. did not leave Afghanistan with honor. The survey also found that veterans, particularly those who fought in Afghanistan, were more likely than civilians to feel humiliation, betrayal, disappointment, and anger in regards to the Afghanistan withdrawal. Veterans also became a key force in addressing the withdrawal’s damage. Some, with limited funds, continue to support Afghan allies left behind. Others, like Afghanistan veteran and Mission Roll Call Executive Director Cole Lyle, assist veterans challenged by what’s happened.
Lyle told the Washington Examiner he spoke with men and women veterans from a variety of political backgrounds after the withdrawal. He says they were uniformly preoccupied with questions about the meaning of their service. The depth of that questioning “manifest[ed] in a very real, very personal way” for Lyle when three of his veteran friends called him expressing their intention of committing suicide. Because the military community is so close, “if one person is experiencing significant issues … then their entire nucleus of veterans they keep in contact with is ultimately affected,” he explained. Lyle said he “felt compelled to join Mission Roll Call, as its number one priority is suicide prevention.”
A nonpartisan advocacy organization, Mission Roll Call also helps veterans access the resources and benefits earned through their service. Through polling of its community of 1.4 million veterans, the group informs the nation’s policymakers about veterans’ needs and priorities as they work on veteran-specific legislation.
Nearly nine months have passed since the U.S. left Afghanistan. The Taliban have already erased much of the progress, particularly for women, that the U.S. and international community fought to obtain. Tens of thousands of Afghan allies remain in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where many face starvation and reprisal killings.
The costs are growing.
According to the Veterans Affairs Department’s 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention report, 17 veterans die by suicide every day. To counter this devastating statistic, Mission Roll Call works with local community organizations throughout the country that are focused on preventing veteran suicide. Lyle believes these organizations will be instrumental in supporting veterans as they cope with the continued Afghanistan fallout, or with other stresses that can lead to suicidal thoughts, such as job and relationship struggles, or military transition.
Veterans Affairs’s $497 million suicide prevention budget for 2023 includes more than $170 million in grants for local suicide prevention organizations, Lyle says. Though these funds were authorized by Congress over two years ago, Lyle explained that the VA does not plan to distribute community grants until September.
Bureaucratic bungling and foreign policy missteps have undone the progress made during two decades of sacrifice from U.S. veterans and service members. The government should surge support to help veterans process these events in recognition of the value of their selfless service.
Beth Bailey (@BWBailey85) is a freelance writer from the Detroit area.
