America has yet to reconcile in full what took place in the final months of the war in Afghanistan. After two decades of fighting, thousands of casualties, billions of dollars, and an embarrassingly disastrous withdrawal, a terrorist organization is now running the nation, and the Taliban have more weapons than they did before the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.
However, the congressionally mandated Afghanistan War Commission will not report their initial set of findings until April 2023, with the final report not arriving until 2025 at the earliest, and even then, it’s unclear how much of the findings they’ll make public. Only the final report is required to be unclassified, and agencies have an additional four years after the report to declassify information.
Afghanistan veterans deserve better. Our government owes them support, advocacy, and, most importantly, answers.
Much has been said about how important it is for the public to come alongside veterans. And that’s because it’s true: Our veterans desperately need support and friendship as they battle to move forward into a new career and a new life. The Wounded Warrior Project found that 80% of the veterans in their programs struggle to readjust. It’s easy to feel isolated and alone after completing service, which is why friendship is the aspect of service most veterans miss the most when they enter civilian life.
The story of one Marine captain serves as an example of the support America can provide at the individual level. In 2009, Capt. Dan Donnerstag was severely wounded when his vehicle drove over several hundred pounds of homemade explosives in rural Afghanistan. He suffered a broken back, severe damage to his internal organs, and a shattered leg. After a lengthy recovery and medical retirement, he struggled physically and mentally with what took place in Afghanistan.
But in 2015, Donnerstag was able to get back on his feet in more ways than one. He decided to run the Marine Corps Marathon alongside a friend, which required extensive training and rehabilitation because of his damaged body. His friend’s encouragement every step of the 26.2 miles got him across the finish line. At multiple points, when Donnerstag was overcome by the pain in his leg and wanted to stop, a friend was there to provide the support, assistance, and confidence to keep going.
But stories like Donnerstag’s are just one part of the equation. Friendship is important, but so is accountability. And while fellow citizens can provide the former, only the government can offer the latter.
Unfortunately, the veterans who served in Afghanistan, Donnerstag included, are being deprived of the justice they deserve. Our military officials and policymakers owe them a full accounting of what took place last year in Afghanistan. There should be a vigorous and public debate about the withdrawal, why it was conducted so haphazardly, and why the years of service our veterans poured into the region were tossed aside as if they didn’t matter.
Why, for example, was the first National Security Council meeting on the withdrawal held just one day before Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, fell to the Taliban? Why were the intelligence reports warning of the Afghan Army’s rapid collapse overlooked? Why were thousands of terrorists held in prisons allowed to run free? Why were stockpiles of weapons and ammunition left unsecured?
Nearly one year after our withdrawal from the region, we don’t have the answers to any of these questions. Justice delayed is justice denied.
That needs to change. Our veterans deserve an opportunity for true reconciliation, and the Afghanistan War Commission has the power to grant them that. They deserve candid explanations from military officials involved in the withdrawal and a full accounting of the decisions they made that led to such a disastrous outcome.
Just like the encouragement and support veterans receive from the public, the answers and accountability from the government can provide much-needed healing to Afghanistan veterans. It is something they are owed. Congress must not refuse them.
Garrett Exner is the executive director of the Public Interest Fellowship in Washington, D.C. He previously served as a staffer to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), as a counterterrorism policy adviser in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and as a special operations officer in the Marine Corps with deployments to Iraq, North Africa, East Africa, and the South Pacific.
