VFW Pushes Formal Senate Investigation into Afghanistan Withdrawal

Aug 27, 2021

Click here to view the official letter.

The Honorable Mark Warner 
Chairman 
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 
703 Hart Senate Office Building 
Washington, DC 20510 

The Honorable Marco Rubio 
Vice Chairman 
Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 284 Russell Senate Office Building 
Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Chairman Warner and Vice Chairman Rubio:

On behalf of the men and women of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. (VFW) and its Auxiliary, I urge you to stand up a subcommittee to investigate, review, and publish a report on the negotiations, troop drawdown, and evacuation of Americans and our allies from Afghanistan. 

While we have all watched the collapse of Afghanistan in bewilderment, we can no longer hold back our frustrations over the dire situation our service members, fellow American citizens, Afghan and NATO allies are currently in. How is it that we placed our trust, the security of our operations and the lives of our nation's sons and daughters in the hands of the violent extremists we have been fighting against for the past twenty years? It is understandable an evacuation of this magnitude, under these circumstances, on this timeline would have some significant challenges, but this cannot be what right looks like. 

We believe this committee is uniquely poised to best assess the steps that brought us to this point and bring swift, honest answers that the American public rightfully demands and deserves. Moreover, we believe that this committee will provide critical non-partisan analysis of the intelligence situation in Afghanistan over the last few years that informed decision-makers across the National Security apparatus and likely drove the decisions that resulted in the situation we face today. 

America's veterans, some of whom continue to shed blood in support of our nation's ideals, are angry and distraught over how we came to this point. As we mourn the deaths of the 13 most recent brave Americans who gave their lives in defense of the innocent, the VFW will not settle for partisan finger-pointing and half-hearted excuses. We are turning to your committee to bring forward the truth so that America can learn from these mistakes and ensure the interests of our nation and its defenders remain paramount in future operations of this magnitude. 

The VFW urges your leadership on this issue to honor the sacrifices that so many American service members, veterans, and military families have made over the last two decades in Afghanistan. 

Sincerely, 

Matthew M. Mihelcic 
Commander-in-Chief
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.