Chief Meteorologist of ABC News, Ginger Zee is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM), but don’t you dare call her a ‘weather girl’. Ginger has done more than meteorology. In addition to greeting our nation with news of the weather every morning on Good Morning America, she’s danced with Val on Dancing With The Stars and answered to Alex on Jeopardy. Beyond this, she’s a mother to Adrian and Miles, a wife to Ben, and a New York Times Best Selling Author who is an inspiration to millions as an advocate for mental health awareness.  

On Thursday, April 19th at 10:00am, first shift students were leaving to start their weekend and second shift students were arriving at the Abdul Rahim High School and the same was occurring at the Mumtaz Educational Center. Both schools are in Kabul, Afghanistan and are attended primarily by Hazara families who are an ethnic or tribal minority in Afghanistan. It’s a very busy time of day with a maximum number of students and parents and teachers moving around – just like mornings and afternoons at American schools. It is also the time that the Taliban, who are violent religious extremists hold the country hostage, chose to set off bombs outside the school to inflict the maximum number of casualties. Initial reports indicated as many as 500 students, teachers, parents, and local civilians were killed. However, news agencies are forbidden by the Taliban, and the internet is restricted. This story has not been reported and no one is AWARE – until now.

Joining us today in is Reza Frahmand, Executive Manager of the Abdul Rahim Shahid High School and Hamid, who lives near the schools and is assisting us as an interpreter.

This is one of the most iconic and historic photographs I have ever seen. The emotion conveyed in the body language is overwhelming - if one understands the context behind it. It’s August 15, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. It’s 1:20pm in the afternoon, 08:50 Zulu time as shown by the aviator’s clock on the wall forever documenting the moment. The country of Afghanistan has collapsed. The Taliban have taken the capital of Kabul and are advancing through residential areas. Hours before, President Ghani fled the country by helicopter with $167 million in cash and four luxury cars. This is the squadron room of the A-29 fighter pilots. They are, to coin an American phrase, the “best of the best” and spent years in the United States training to achieve maximum levels of proficiency and professionalism. At the time this photograph was taken, many Afghan pilots had flown their aircraft to adjacent countries to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Taliban. This is the last of the pilots, in their flight suits prepared to fly missions, but there is no country. The internet is down. The chain of command is broken, and communications have ceased. The airport tower and runways are controlled by Taliban. It is the end, and there is nowhere to go.

As the Taliban closed in on Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, in mid-August 2021, the withdrawing American forces retreated to the Hamid Karzai International Airport - an indefensible position in the middle of a civilian population. For two weeks, American and NATO forces evacuated Afghans who were able to make it into the gates. Many of those who were able to get on planes happened to be in the right place at the right time. Others were able to get on planes as a result of coordinated efforts which prioritized categories of individuals such as social media influencers, musicians, and youth sports teams. Many were left behind worked side by side or shoulder to shoulder as the expression goes with American forces and now face persecution, torture, and death at the hands of the Taliban.

The story of the Afghanistan A-29 Forgotten Maintainers is one of promises made but not kept. Brought to the United States to receive education and training on maintaining A-29 fighter jets in October 2014, this group of Afghan men worked side by side with U.S. forces in order to return to Afghanistan prepared to protect their country from oppression. In August 2021, when the Taliban took control of Kabul, all promises made were suddenly forgotten. What follows is a conversation recorded between Russ Pritchard and 3 of the forgotten maintainers still in Afghanistan and still in hiding.  

In 2009, for surfer Jon Rose, what started as a journey about surfing became a mission about service. While looking for perfect waves in Indonesia, he found his calling in Sumatra. His life of surfing would become a legacy of service with Waves For Water.

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