Welcome to Episode 22 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where hosts Mikael Cook and Beth Bailey highlight the struggles of Afghans living under Taliban rule, and the efforts of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and political affiliations who have stepped up to provide support to the people of Afghanistan in the chaos that followed the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

For installment two on our series exploring the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, we chatted with U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Will Selber about his view of Afghanistan’s slow descent into chaos in the leadup to the withdrawal, while working in the country between June 2020 and 2021. He shares his deep understanding of the difficulties faced by the Afghan military and his knowledge of the actors involved lends an air of humanity to the discussion that many in the media failed to address in their dissection of the leadup to the Taliban takeover.

Will then talks about his multi-week effort, staged at a hotel room in D.C., to help Afghans escape the country. Following his initial dogged work to preserve lives, he talks about his incredibly intense year volunteering his time to save allies who were left behind through Operation Sacred Promise, while he was also juggling military command. For listeners who are familiar with the battle of juggling devotion to the Afghan cause and the need to be present within their own lives, Will’s talk about his decision to back away from volunteer work will be especially poignant.

More about Will Selber and Operation Sacred Promise:

Follow Will on Twitter @AggieWill00. Operation Sacred Promise’s website can be found here.

About the hosts:

Mikael Cook was an Army non-commissioned officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was an active member of the #DigitalDunkirk movement to evacuate our Afghan allies in August of 2021. You can follow his Instagram @Mikaelcook89.

Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram @BWBailey85 or Twitter @BWBailey85.

For listeners in Afghanistan:

If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [email protected]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.