One of the most overlooked aspects of Operation Allies Refuge, as well as the Afghan Withdrawal as a whole is the role played by the Companies from the US Army's famous 10th Mountain Division. Sergeant First Class (E-7) Daniel Strot (now retired as a Master Sergeant) was the Platoon Sergeant for Bravo Company's 2nd Platoon during 4/31's deployment to Afghanistan going into 2021. For months leading up to August 2021, SFC Strot and his soldiers aided the US mission in Afghanistan any way they could, including running the Base Defense Operations Center (BDOC) at Bagram Air Base. Just like the soldiers of Charlie Company, they were short on men, material, information, and even training at times, but they proved to be as resourceful as any other Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division, past or present, and succeeded again and again. Climb to Glory!

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One of the most overlooked aspects of Operation Allies Refuge, as well as the Afghan Withdrawal as a whole is the role played by the Companies from the US Army's famous 10th Mountain Division. Andrew Kelly was the First Sergeant for Company C. 4/31 that had been in Afghanistan since 26 November 2020 (Thanksgiving Day). For several months, Andrew and his Soldiers supported various installations across Afghanistan until the order came to shut it all down, including the closure of Bagram Airbase on the night of 1-2 July and finally being moved to Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA) to support the American Embassy. At every turn, they were short on men, material, and information, but they proved to be as resourceful as any other Soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division, past or present, and laid the groundwork that undoubtedly saved countless lives, preventing a complete disaster amidst a horrible tragedy. Climb to Glory!

This will hopefully be the first of many. Elisa is the wife of Greg Frich who deployed in 2021, ending with the NEO in HKIA. She generously offered her testimony in the hopes that it will help other spouses and loved ones of HKIA veterans who may recognize some of her experiences and struggles. Despite all of that Elisa, along with Greg, are hopeful for their family and their future.

This interview was conducted by Katlin Rodriguez, a military spouse of over ten years and a valued member of OAR's Historical Research and Preservation Team. Her willingness, kindness, and fortitude have been and will undoubtedly continue to be a great help for other spouses and families.

Greg Frich came from a Marine family and was originally born on a base in Okinawa. For him and his brother, joining the Corps was simply a matter of when. Their father even helped them prepare for bootcamp and the other trials he knew they would face. Still, things did not play out how Greg had anticipated, but perhaps it was just another test to prepare him for what was to come.

One can not underestimate the role of the United States Airforce during the chaotic weeks of the Kabul evacuation in August 2021. It is only because of the bravery and professionalism of the pilots, aircrews, and supporting personnel that anyone was able to get in or out of HKIA. This interview was with an Airforce Aeromedical Evacuation Technician (AET) supporting that mission. Thousands of feet in the air, on the flightline, or in the hangars in Qatar, the chaos was felt everywhere.

Serving with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Patrick's journey through the Marine Corps had about as many twist and turns as one could handle. Despite that, he remained consistent with himself and who he desired to be. His greatest test, however, came with his first deployment in 2021 that eventually saw him and his Marines in HKIA. His time there was full of long days, sleepless nights, and unfortunate final farewells.

Ian Forrest had already deployed multiple times in the Pacific before joining 1st Battalion, 8th Marines as they prepared for their 2021 deployment. It would prove to be very different from his previous experiences. As an assistant team leader in 1/8's Scout Sniper Platoon, Ian had to direct his Marines and keep a constant watch on what was happening outside the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport (HKIA). Potential danger was everywhere and moral quandaries were constant.

This is one of the longest and probably most introspective interviews that we have conducted thus far. This was only possible thanks to the generosity and bravery of Gregory Whalen who was with 1st Battalion, 8th Marines' CAAT Platoon during the evacuation that took place in HKIA. Like so many of his friends, Greg went on a journey attempting to understand everything that was happening around him while simultaneously struggling to hold on to his humanity amidst endless chaos and violence.

Michael Lannon served as an 0352 originally with 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) Battalion before being reassigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Marines (1/8) just as they were beginning their preparations for their 2021 deployment. Old friends and new challenges awaited Michael, but they were nothing compared to what he and his comrades faced when they finally arrived in Kabul.

Greg Misiak was no stranger to life having already gone to college and worked for years before joining the Marine Corps. He would serve as an 0352 (Anti-Tank Missileman) with the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. His life experience helped him navigate the daily life of an LAR Marine, but his deployment with the 24 MEU, ending with the NEO in HKIA, was a new experience he could never have expected.

I apologize for the issues we had while recording this interview. Help us so that we can do more of these interviews in person rather than relying on both parties' internet connection.

We at the Operation Allies Refuge Foundation want to bring more stories like this to light so that people can know and understand what happened in the final days of America's mission in Afghanistan. Please consider supporting us by clicking on this link: ⁠www.operationalliesrefugefoundation.org/donate⁠. You can also find more content like this at ⁠oarfoundationjournal.org/