Virginia is home to the Pentagon, Quantico, multiple Army, Air Force, Marine, Coast Guard and Navy bases. NATO headquarters is here. As a Commonwealth, our veterans and active military members are our backbone. Our servicemen and women and our Intelligence Officers, have raised their family and put down roots for years and generations in Virginia.
Virginia has a unique responsibility to stand up for our active duty military and veterans. That is why as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, I cannot remain silent as the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan is mismanaged and rushed — handled in a way that is a direct smack in the face to those who have served, who have died, and all who have helped liberate Afghanistan. More horrifically, it is costing the lives and safety of innocent Afghan allies who were a tremendous help to our troops.
As a Marine, I was trained to leave no one behind - to be the first one in and the last one out. This administration unfortunately did not attend bootcamp with me, and it shows. We have left allies, translators, liberators behind as the jets pull up their wheels. When I think of the lives lost, the trillions of dollars spent, promises that we made to the Afghan people, all of the military equipment and technology abandoned — my heart aches. I shudder to think of the lack of leadership of our country at this crucial moment. There are innocent women and children and extended families of Americans at risk with this reckless, impulsive decision that will cost thousands their lives and freedom.
Thousands of Afghans feel abandoned and are left uncertain in a country they felt safe in for 20 years. Some have never felt the grip of the Taliban. And now they will. Women in Afghanistan, who never had to be told what to wear under the protection of the United States, now will have to conform to restrictive practices under the Taliban. Many Afghans are risking their own lives, jumping on the wings of planes to taste freedom just a little longer. We should not wait on an indecisive administration. We should welcome Afghans who have helped us in the name of liberty, women and children longing to live a life free of oppression in the United States. This is NOT a partisan politics issue. It’s a human issue.
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As an immigrant, I know how important it is to not take anything for granted. I know what this country offers. Even in its darkest time, my father still found the light here in America. He taught me that with hard work and a good education, anything is possible here. The Afghan people know this, too. If we are to honor those who gave their lives for freedom, we must make sure that there is a proper ending to this mission that is not in vain. We owe our veterans and the Afghan people at least that much. As the next Lt. Governor of Virginia, I will not cut and run. I will not lead from behind.
Watching the news coming out of Afghanistan is heartbreaking and infuriating. We lost at least a dozen U.S. service members in a terrorist attack. The crisis in Afghanistan is one of this administration’s making. They have failed our troops, our allies, the people of Afghanistan, and our national security interests.
This failure of leadership has weakened our standing around the world and given our terrorist enemies a safe haven from which to launch attacks against America and her interests.
That dreaded knock on the door is a knock so many Americans know far too well. You answer the door. There, stand two military members, formally dressed. You are informed that your loved one has perished in service to their country. You try to understand, to process what they are saying but it doesn’t feel real. The pain and the shock is too much to bear. More families will receive the knock in the next few days of immediate action is not taken. Are you still proud of your decision, Mr. President?
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