For US military leaders, Afghan news strikes personal chord

WASHINGTON – For elder subject and Pentagon leaders, this week's quality was profoundly personal.

The photos and videos pouring retired of Afghanistan deed a nerve, and triggered searingly vivid flashbacks to battles fought, troops mislaid and tears shed during their ain deployments there. And successful a effect shaped by their memories and experiences successful the war, they urged troops to cheque successful connected their buddies, speech to each different and question assistance and solace if they request it.

The apical 2 Pentagon leaders made it wide that the scenes unfolding successful Afghanistan, arsenic citizens frantically tried to get retired of the state and flight the caller Taliban rule, were pugnacious for them to watch. And they knew that the visions of Afghans struggling to get connected flights — truthful hopeless that immoderate clung to an craft arsenic it lifted disconnected — were achy for troops to see.

“All of this is precise idiosyncratic for me. This is simply a warfare that I fought successful and led. I cognize the country, I cognize the people, and I cognize those who fought alongside me,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star Army wide who served arsenic a commandant successful Afghanistan successful the aboriginal years and past led U.S. Central Command overseeing the Middle East wars arsenic his last station from 2013-16. “We person a motivation work to assistance those who helped us. And I consciousness the urgency deeply.”

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Gen. Mark Milley, president of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, commanded troops successful Afghanistan and has talked often astir however profoundly helium felt the nonaccomplishment of each worker nether his watch.

“For much than 20 years, we person prevented an onslaught connected the U.S. homeland. 2,448 mislaid our lives, 20,722 were wounded successful action, and galore others suffered the unseen wounds of war. To each of them, I privation you to know, personally, that your work matters," said Milley. "As the Secretary said, for some helium and I, this is personal. And I cognize it’s idiosyncratic for each and each 1 of you.”

Austin said troops person a wide scope of views connected the contented and helium urged them to enactment done it successful their ain way. “We request to respect that and we request to springiness 1 different the clip and abstraction to assistance bash it," helium said.

Across the military, galore elder officers person done tours successful Afghanistan. They led troops successful battle. They trained Afghan forces. And they relied heavy connected the Afghan interpreters present astatine hazard of unit from the Taliban, and begging for assistance to permission the country.

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In caller days, those leaders person talked privately with their staffs and sent heartfelt nationalist messages to their forces who they cognize are struggling with a scope of emotions: vexation with the Taliban takeover aft 2 decades of humor and loss; fears that Afghans they worked with won't get retired safely; and questions astir whether their clip successful the state mattered.

On Friday morning, Gen. Richard Clarke, caput of U.S. Special Operations Command, addressed his full office unit astir the concern successful Afghanistan. Clarke, who has deployed to Afghanistan respective times, has commandos who person done aggregate tours successful the past 2 decades and helium noted this is an affectional clip for them. Speaking implicit the intercom, helium pressed them to scope retired to their conflict buddies and question different resources if they request idiosyncratic to speech to.

In a blunt missive to his unit this week, Gen. David Berger, the Marine Corps commandant, said present is the clip to travel together. "You should instrumentality pridefulness successful your work — it gives meaning to the sacrifice of each Marines who served, including those whose sacrifice was ultimate,” said the letter, co-signed by Marine Sgt. Maj. Troy Black.

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Berger, who deployed to Afghanistan successful 2012 arsenic commandant of the 1st Marine Division, has besides made definite his Marines person accusation to springiness interpreters they worked with successful Afghanistan who are asking for assistance evacuating.

And helium noted successful his connection that Marines whitethorn beryllium struggling with a elemental question: “Was it each worthy it?” The answer, helium and Black said, is yes.

Lt. Gen. Jim Slife, commandant of Air Force Special Operations Command, went to his Facebook leafage to station a enactment to his commando forces who person gone successful and retired of Afghanistan for the past 20 years. And helium recalled the archetypal troops helium mislaid successful battle.

“From the precise opening to the precise present, I person been liable for sending countless Airmen into harm’s mode there, not each of whom returned to their families,” said Slife. “In November 2003, I sent location the remains of my teammates and friends successful the aftermath of the archetypal fatalities I experienced arsenic a commander. In May of 2011, we killed Osama bin Laden. Highs and lows ... lows and highs ... I’ve felt it all.”

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He warned of galore hard days and years up arsenic troops bespeak connected their Afghanistan experiences portion dealing with physical, intelligence and motivation wounds.

“If, similar me, you find yourself trying to enactment your ain experiences into immoderate discourse which volition let you to determination guardant positively and productively, I impulse you to speech astir it,” and question retired a wide scope of resources for help, helium said.

Gen. James McConville, main of unit of the Army, penned a missive to his unit offering solace. Their sacrifices, helium said, volition beryllium a lasting bequest of honor. And helium besides plead with troops to question assistance and scope retired to their comrades.

“I'd inquire that you cheque successful connected your teammates arsenic good arsenic our Soldiers for Life, who whitethorn beryllium struggling with the unfolding events," said McConville, who commanded troops successful Afghanistan. At the bottommost of the missive helium scrawled successful marker, “Proud to service with you!”

Adm. Mike Gilday, main of naval operations, sent a connection to sailors with a akin request.

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“Reach retired to those who whitethorn beryllium struggling, and retrieve those who made the eventual sacrifice successful work to a grateful nation," helium said. "I privation to beryllium precise clear, your work was not successful vain, and it made a difference.”

More than 50 organizations signed a missive offering assistance to those successful need, and said radical tin telephone the Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line astatine 1-800-273-8255.

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