No One Left Behind

Nearly a decade ago, Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Annie Yu Kleiman deployed to Afghanistan as part of a Cultural Support Team, or American women who worked alongside U.S. special operations forces. Her mission was to train a select group of Afghan women for the Female Tactical Platoon (FTP), an elite unit that conducted combat missions and night raids with U.S. Army Rangers and other special operators. "They were in danger for being in the military, they were in danger for being ethnic...

The Senate and House Committees on Appropriations are crafting the legislation to fund the federal government beyond the current funding expiration on January 30, 2026. This is a critical legislative opportunity that has historically included substantial provisions to support our Afghan allies – extending program authorization and increasing the number of Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) so that the Afghan SIV program can bring America’s allies to safety.  It is key that your Members of...

FOB Salerno, Afghanistan – 2009 The mission was falling apart before it started. France Hoang needed to coordinate with local Afghan leaders for an operation. The cultural barriers were insurmountable. The linguistic gaps, wider. Trust? Nonexistent. Then Jabar stepped in. He was more than a security guard. He was the bridge. The translator of more than words, of intent, of tactics, of why a group of Americans needed these leaders to believe in them. "Without Jabar bridging that gap,...