Three years after 13 American soldiers were killed at Abbey Gate during the hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, veterans are speaking out about the impact the experience had on them.
Mission Roll Call CEO and retired Lt. Col. Jim Whaley spoke exclusively with Fox News Digital to honor the sacrifices of our military members.
Mission Roll Call is a national nonprofit whose mission, according to its website, is to “gather and deliver the unfiltered, unbiased, and nonpolitical voices of veterans and their allies across America to advocate for meaningful improvements and ensure their concerns and ideas are heard at the highest levels of policy making.”
A Mission Roll Call poll of veterans nationwide found that 70% believe the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan “has had a negative impact on how they view America's achievements in the global war on terror and their service more broadly.”
Former Trump national security adviser criticizes former boss over Afghanistan withdrawal: 'concessions to the Taliban'
U.S. soldiers stand guard behind barbed wire as Afghans hoping to leave the country sit on the side of the road near the military zone of Kabul's airport, August 20, 2021, following the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan. (Wakil Kohsari/AFP via Getty Images)
More than 775,000 U.S. troops have been deployed to Afghanistan since 2001, and according to Mission Roll Call, many veterans are unsure about the purpose of their sacrifice.
“Unfortunately, following our withdrawal from Afghanistan, we have seen a surge in emergency calls from veterans suffering from anxiety and PTSD. We know that a majority of veterans feel betrayed by the withdrawal. There are a lot of emotions running high,” said Lt. Col. Whaley.
Taliban denounce UN concerns over laws banning women's faces, voices in public
Seven out of every 100 veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the National PTSD Center, which found that deployed veterans are three times more likely to develop PTSD than domestic veterans.
“A poll by Mission Roll Call found that 72 percent of veterans believe the Taliban's advance into Afghanistan was a reason for personal remorse. [or] sorrow. [The] “The vast majority of veterans, 83 percent, are not satisfied with the level of senior leadership and civilian accountability that comes with withdrawal,” Whaley said.
Former President Trump took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to mark the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, which killed 13 US soldiers during the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. (Pool)
“So when you consider the sacrifices that our veterans and their families have made in the war on terror for 20 years, and the withdrawal has been carried out in the way that it has, you can understand why this has caused distrust, anxiety and a general feeling of why they did that, why they made such sacrifices,” he added.
On August 26, 2021, 13 U.S. soldiers, mostly Marines, lost their lives while assisting in the evacuation effort during the withdrawal.
A Taliban member checks on the scene of an explosion near Kabul airport, Afghanistan, on August 27, 2021. (Saihullahman Safi/Xinhua via Getty Images)
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and Mission Roll Call aims to get a sense of where veterans are at when it comes to mental health issues, including those related to the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“We know that 22 veterans die every day, so this number is extraordinarily high,” Whaley said. “It's a huge disgrace to our country. We need to get this number to zero. As a country, we need to strive to get to zero veteran suicides.”
“More veterans have died by suicide than have died in the entire War on Terror. To me, that's a tragedy.”
If you or a loved one are having suicidal thoughts, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline by calling 988.
