As a bomb technician in Operation Enduring Freedom, it was my job to find and dispose of any improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and clear the way for the rest of our team. 

That team was made up of not just Americans, but also many Afghan allies.  Some assisted with language interpretation and others worked with me at a very high level of special operations.  They were and still are very real assets to the United States. 

But how are they being rewarded for their service? With a death sentence. 

I’ve been warning the Biden Administration for months about the dangers of a disorganized draw down, and now, sadly, it’s all coming true. The Taliban has barnstormed the entire nation in a matter of days, there are now more U.S. troops in harm’s way than when Biden announced the initial plans for withdrawal, and our allies are on the run.

President Biden has proven that he was completely and embarrassingly unprepared to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan in a way that protects our interests or our allies.  His failure means that the next time I turn on the news, it’s possible that I will be forced to watch someone I served with beheaded. 

This was entirely avoidable. If the President had listened to my warnings months ago, we could have exited Afghanistan in a way that did not undo the progress made over the past two decades, and, more importantly, would’ve kept those who served shoulder to shoulder with us safe.

We deserve better than President Biden’s incompetence.