Abbey Gate Gold Star families seek answers on Capitol Hill, knee-deep in frustration.
The Demands for Accountability: Gold Star Families Seek Answers
The tragic bombing that took place at the end of the U.S. military’s 20-year war in Afghanistan still haunts the hearts of the 13 Gold Star families who lost their loved ones. Now, these families are pushing for accountability from the Biden administration and the Department of Defense.
At a roundtable event held in front of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and other lawmakers, the parents of nine of the fallen service members shared their stories. Their sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters were among those who perished in the devastating Aug. 26, 2021, bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan. The suicide bomber struck at the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport, where the U.S. military was conducting a massive evacuation operation.
A Demand for Answers
During the event, the parents expressed their frustration and demanded answers regarding the decisions that led to the bombing. They also voiced their collective disappointment with current military and administration officials, including President Joe Biden.
“He will never have the chance to get married. He will never experience the joy of being a father, and he would have made one hell of a dad. We will never meet our grandkids. Our family name died that day. Two years have gone by and where are we? To be frank, we’re knee deep in bull**** is where we are,”
Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, said. “Everyone who held a key position in the military still has that position or has been promoted.”
Darin Hoover, the father of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, went even further and called for the resignation of President Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“None of you have the respect of your men and women anymore,”
he said. “Do what is right. It’s past time.”
Deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh responded to the hearing by stating that the decisions made by U.S. military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan were based on the information available to them at the time. She emphasized that the commanders were responding to real-time threats and that the Department of Defense is proud of the work done by service members during the evacuation and throughout the 20-year war.
A Call for Transparency and Accountability
Chairman McCaul and his committee are currently investigating the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. As part of their efforts, they have secured Lt. Col. Brad Whited of the Marine Corps for a transcribed interview. This interview is sought after due to previous testimony from Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who revealed that he had identified a potential threat but did not receive approval to take action because the authority to do so was unclear.
Amidst the ongoing investigation, Gen. Mark Milley expressed his commitment to the Gold Star families:
“We owe Gold Star families everything. We owe them transparency, we owe them honesty, we owe them accountability. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones,”
Milley said in a statement to Fox News. “I trust the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps did the best they could in briefing the families who had loved ones killed at Abbey Gate. I believe the briefers gave every piece of information that they could. If there were issues with that, we need to take whatever corrective action is necessary.”
Deputy Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh echoed Milley’s sentiments, stating that the department welcomes transparency and accountability. She also highlighted the exhaustive nature of the investigation conducted by U.S. Central Command.
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