April 2022
Operational Update
You have likely heard that in the last two weeks commercial flights were able to leave Kabul and fly to Doha.
Many of the ticketed passengers on board these flights are individuals who meet the State Department criteria for movement to the United States:
* American Citizens
* Legal Permanent Residents SIVs with COM approval
* Spouses and unmarried children under 21 of the groups listed above
* All travelers must have valid passports.
We have received questions from many of you, so we wanted to confirm that flights are occurring and let you know that we are continuing to work with the State Department to advocate on behalf of the people submitted to AA21 over the last many months.
Flights leaving Kabul are good news, but we want to reiterate that this is a very sensitive situation. For that reason, we ask that you discourage your families from discussing flights and flight status with others. Additionally, these flights should be referred to as commercial flights, not evacuation flights, and the families on these flights should be referred to as travelers, not evacuees. This language avoids some of the previous sensitivities that hindered past flights. Also, you should know that logistics around the flights and who is on them are being handled by the State Department, so families may be contacted directly and asked for documents.
Since it has been several months since most cases were submitted to us, we would like to refresh our data so we can ensure that the information the State Department has is accurate and that they are able to contact families. We also know it is likely that many of you may have additional families you would like to submit, we have paused intake while we complete our IT transition (see below).
If any of the information below has changed since you last provided us with updates, please email us at: cases@alliedairlift21.net (mailto:cases@alliedairlift21.net) .
Please put “STATUS UPDATE for [Primary Applicant Name]” in the subject line. Please also include the SIV number in the email so we can search more easily.
* E-Mail us if the Family has recently received a COM approval letter (provide a copy)
* E-Mail us if the Family has recently received a KBL number (provide a copy of the documentation)
* E-Mail us if a new baby was born (provide infants info and a copy of the passport and national ID)
* E-Mail us if any family members have obtained new passports (provide a copy of the passport).
* E-Mail us if the phone number or email address of the primary applicant has changed. (This is critical, people cannot get on flights if the State Department can’t reach them, and to this point they have not been able to contact many of the individuals who they have tried to reach out to.)
Finally, if any of the families you submitted to us have left Afghanistan or leave on one of these flights over the coming weeks, please let us know so we can be sure their case is closed and we don’t submit inaccurate information to the State Department that will slow down their manifesting process.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allied Airlift 21 IT Migration
The AA21 migration to Salesforce is underway. We anticipate that the new case intake process to be up and working by the end of April.
In the new system, sponsors will be able to submit cases and documents directly, which should make the process more streamlined and efficient. Additionally, the updated online form is in alignment with current requirements for the State Department manifesting process and will provide greater security for those we are aiding.
Look for details on how to access the site and how to submit cases in the next newsletter.
For AA21 volunteers, there are two trainings scheduled next week (April 20 and 21) to orient you on how to use the new system. Zoom links will be posted on slack. If you have trusted friends who are interested in volunteering to help screen and process cases, please have them email:
carrieb@alliedairlift21.net (mailto:carrieb@alliedairlift21.net) .
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Guide on Afghan Legal Status Options
We would also like to highlight that USAHello now offers:
Comprehensive guide to Afghan legal status options (https://usahello.org/immigration/asylum-refugees/benefits-for-afghans/) Their website is also available in Dari (https://usahello.org/ps/)
This page includes the next steps for Afghan SIV applicants at each stage of the process, as well as guidance on pathways to permanent status for those with humanitarian parole, SIVs, and refugees.
It is written in plain language and offered with translation. Special thanks to immigration legal representatives at CWS for their support in vetting this document.
This is in addition to the Afghan Resource Center (https://usahello.org/afghan-resource-center/) , an online hub USAHello has developed to offer newly arrived Afghans useful information to help start life in the USA. We hope that these resources will prove valuable to our community at Allied Airlift 21.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The National Able Network’s 4th Annual Veteran of the Year Award Luncheon
Attend The National Able Network’s 4th Annual Veteran of the Year Award Luncheon.
This May 13th we would like to invite all our allies and volunteers around Chicago (and beyond!) to attend the National Able Network's 2022 Annual Veteran of the Year Award Luncheon and fundraiser.
Proceeds from this event will benefit Allied Airlift 21 and this year The National Able Network is honoring our very own AA21 Chairman of the Board, France Hoang!
Find out more about the Annual Veteran of the Year Award Luncheon and how to purchase tickets and sponsorships via this button below.
Register for the Event (https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ehm3ik5f848dd847&oseq=&c=&ch=)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to our updates regarding AA21 operations and the wider assistance effort, we plan to throw a spotlight on some of the people who have been a part of this incredible story. Beginning with Abdul, an Interpreter for US Special Forces, and one of the hundreds of people evacuated on AA21's September flight
Interview with "Abdul" Afghan Interpreter for US Special Forces
Q. What were you doing in Afghanistan before the Taliban took over?
A. I worked for US Army Special Forces from July 2018 to 2021. The camp I was working in Helmand province closed and I returned home to Kabul, I got released one month before the Taliban took over. I was in Kabul when the Taliban seized it.
Q. When it was announced the US forces would complete a full withdrawal at the end of 2021 were you concerned?
A. Yes, I was concerned. At that time, I hadn’t received any news from the US Embassy about my SIV application. I had all my documents, my HR letter, recommendation letter, but it was hard to contact the former US soldiers I worked with.
I texted them and told them I hadn’t received anything yet. People around me were getting their Chief of Mission (COM) approvals but nothing was coming through for me. My family was very concerned about me.
Q. At the time did you think the Taliban could take over the country?
A. I didn’t think they could. I thought the Afghan government had enough equipment, enough air support, like helicopters, airplanes, and the commando special forces. I saw those guys, their ability – they had enough training from NATO and the US Army, they absolutely could have fought the Taliban but… their leaders wouldn’t let them.
Q. In June and July of 2021 the Taliban began making rapid gains across the country. How did this impact you?
A. Yes, we were hearing and watching on TV news that the Taliban were taking districts and then entire provinces. Day by day, our worries and concerns grew. Honestly, I wasn’t worried about myself, but my family was very worried about me. Especially my mother, father, sister and brothers.
Q. August 12^th the Taliban entered Kabul. What did you do?
A. That day, I had gone to the Lycee Maryam market together with a friend. Word started to spread among the people in the market that the Taliban were entering the city. People started running everywhere. We also heard that the Taliban had taken over one of the police stations in the north of the city, near my place.
Everybody started closing their shops and running to go home. My family called me and asked me to come home right away. But there was a lot of traffic in the streets of Kabul. I even saw a convoy of Afghan police special forces enter a police station near our neighborhood and then come out wearing civilian clothes.
People realized that the police and army had vanished, everyone was scared. When I finally got home, I didn’t leave my house for two days straight.
Q. Soon after the US began the Noncombatant Evacuation Operations from Kabul airport. We understand you played a very important role in helping with the AA21 / ADG evacuations. How did you get involved?
A. We had no chance to enter Kabul Airport on the first days. Behind the wall, there were thousands of people trying to escape, and there was no military to help organize things.
So, I started to call the soldiers I worked with before and asked them if they could make a way for us to get inside, or if they knew someone at the airport that could help us. But none of the Special Forces soldiers I worked with was in Afghanistan at the time.
Still, they tried to help me and even found someone at the airport but that person could not help us. All the gates were blocked by people trying to get out.
After one and a half weeks, I found an E-Mail address for Allied Airlift 21. I E-Mailed them with an urgent evacuation request. I then sent this E-Mail address to one of my American Special Forces supervisors, and I asked if they could E-Mail AA21 on my behalf.
He E-Mailed them, after that I received a call from someone in the military, he gave me information about a convoy of buses that was being organized to enter the airport.
The soldier asked me where I worked, I told him that I used to work with US Special Forces as an interpreter. He then asked me to lead the convoy and not let anyone who was not on their list onto the buses. I agreed to help him.
It was 10 AM in the morning when I got that call, he then sent me a list of locations and people that I needed to put on the buses. I spent the whole day finding these families and getting them onto the buses. Most families were sheltering in their basements. When I would find them, I would always confirm with the soldier to make sure I picked up the right people.
I was receiving more than two calls per minute all through the day, I felt like a call center! My phone lost charge twice and had to use a large backup power bank. When the work was finished, I sent over all the information to the soldier.
They asked me to bring the convoy to the North Gate of Kabul Airport. They said they had cleared our convoy with the Afghan security forces managing the gate to let our convoy through.
We ended up waiting outside the airport wall the whole night. Men, women, children, and old people – all sitting in the buses through the night.
Then in the early morning, I got a call from one of the soldiers that a security issue had come up, he asked me to take the convoy back to the first location and wait for another phone call.
We went back to the first location and after some hours, they called me and explained that the airport had been closed and there wouldn’t be any more evacuations.
But there was another way he said and asked us to go to Mazar-i-Sharif and that they would arrange a flight from there. Everyone on the convoy would be able to get on this flight, and they would take care of hotel accommodations for everyone.
I told this to the people in the convoy, but some people had their doubts and weren’t sure about going on the journey. They couldn’t believe it would work this time. Others wanted to go, so I helped rent another bus for us. We set off for Mazar-i-Sharif with almost 50 people.
I sat next to the bus driver and was in close touch with the people that were directing us. On the highway, there were a lot of Taliban checkpoints. Before we set off, I asked everyone to hide their documents, or if they didn’t need them – to get rid of them. If anyone had important information on their phones, they should give it to their female family members.
The trip took over 15 hours and we had to pass through 15 Taliban checkpoints along the way. Each time, they would stop the bus, and come inside to check, and question everyone. They wanted to know who we were and where we were going.
Behind my seat was a husband and wife, whenever we would see a Taliban checkpoint, I would hand my phone to the wife and she would keep it safe for me till we got through the checkpoint.
At one checkpoint, a young Talib with a big beard came into the bus and began questioning me. I got nervous, I told him that under the previous government there was no security. Now with the Taliban there was security, that is why I was going to Mazar-i-Sharif for the first time. The Talib was delighted to hear that, he reassured me that we now have a good government and good security and let us go.
Everybody let out a sigh of relief. They were all concerned something might happen to me and they’d lose their chance to escape. The woman who hid my phone said she was scared when the Talib went straight for me.
When we neared Mazar-i-Sharif, I called one of the contractors to make sure we had somewhere to stay. He assured me that he had rented hotel rooms for the group. On our way to the hotel, we drove through the city, it was completely empty, and no one was walking around.
We ended up staying in Mazar for almost 22 or 23 days. I stayed with 3 or 5 other single guys in one room and the families traveling with us each had their own separate rooms in the hotel.
Every day was a different story for us. People were constantly coming to our room trying to find out what was really going on and if there was any news. None of them knew English but they learned the word “update” and every morning, one of the Elders from the group would never fail to knock on our door and ask what was the latest “update” from us.
That first night, we were all exhausted but in the following days, I worked to put together a list of all names and national ID numbers for the people with us and sent it to Mr. France (France Hoang) and also to Ben, another person who was assisting us.
Whenever we had a problem, we could call Mr. France and Ben. One of the more interesting stories from our time at the hotel came up some weeks into our stay there. I don’t think the contractor paid for our hotel rooms upfront, so one day the hotel manager knocked on our door and demanded that we pay what we owed him right away.
I called the contractor and explained that we needed to pay the room charges right away or we’d be thrown out. Thankfully, it just took the contractor one day to arrange payment to the hotel manager and everything was solved.
Then another problem showed up, people had left Kabul with very little. In those first days at the hotel, they were able to buy food on their own, but soon some of them ran out of money. They came to my room and explained that they were not able to buy food anymore.
I made a phone call to Mr. France and explained to him that our people were not able to pay for food anymore. Mr. France worked with the contractor and soon we were able to get food for the group, kebab, rice – everybody was overjoyed!
Later, when the hotel manager learned that we were trying to leave Afghanistan, he approached me and asked if people outside of our group could pay for a place with us on the evacuation flight.
I told him no, it was not possible. I didn’t want to break the trust of Mr. France, Ben and everyone else helping us. I explained to the hotel manager that I was not even able to add my own brother to the group.
I didn’t even tell Mr. France that my brother was also an SIV applicant, there was already so many people in the group. I thought that one day my brother would be able to leave Afghanistan and join me here in America.
Soon, the day came when our flight was ready. We all left the hotel and made our way to the airport. We arrived at the airport gate in a large bus, and at the back of the bus there were about 5 or 6 guys from Khost province, they only spoke Pashto.
The gate commander entered the bus and was checking all of us, he went to the back of the bus and asked those people where they came from. They all panicked and couldn’t think of what to say to the Talib commander, all they could manage to say was that they had come from Khost province!
I came up and explained to the Taliban commander that we had all come from Kabul and that we were going to reunite with our families now living abroad. Thankfully, he let us all go.
When the plane finally took off, everyone was clapping, shouting, and crying. We were all so happy that we were finally leaving Afghanistan after our ordeal. But after 15 or 20 minutes, the plane turned around and landed back in Mazar-i-Sharif!
The captain explained that the Qatari government was not giving them landing approval. Now, everybody was sad and frightened, some of the women were crying. We didn’t know what we were going to tell our families, we already said goodbye to them thinking that we’re leaving Afghanistan.
Thankfully, after a short while the captain announced we were ready to take off again. And from there we arrived in Qatar and the rest is history. I arrived here in the US sometime in October last year, I spent 3 months on a US military base in New Jersey and then resettled here in North Dakota.
Q. Where is your brother? What’s happened to your brother?
A. He’s back in Kabul. He doesn’t leave the house very much these days. Almost every day we talk to him on the phone and he asks me to make a phone call to the same people that helped me leave.
He asks if there is a chance for more flights and if I could put his name down for a future flight. I always tell him that I’ll talk with them but right now there’s great challenges getting flights out of Afghanistan.
Right now, My brother and I are at the same stage of the SIV process, he has his KBL number, I have my KBL number – but he’s in Afghanistan.
Just a few days ago he asked me if he should move his case to a third country, I told him to wait for now. There’s no easy way to get to a third country for Afghans right now. But he really wants to leave Afghanistan right away and has a passport.
I told him a lot of people have passports, but it doesn’t mean they can easily leave Afghanistan. He’s very worried about himself. I am worried about him too.
