Making inroads to getting out.
About AA21
Allied Airlift 21 (“AA21”) began in August 2021 as an effort by several members of West Point’s Class of 2016 to to evacuate three Afghan classmates who were trapped in Kabul.
This first success inspired others and within days over 250 volunteers had joined AA21 to join in the mission of helping Afghan allies evacuate from Hamid Karzai International Airport. These volunteers included former members of the military, state department, humanitarian organizations, as well professionals from many other backgrounds. In the following weeks, AA21 received tens of thousands of requests for assistance, began screening the hundreds of thousands of documents collected, and managed thousands of cases of Afghan individuals and families attempting to evacuate from Afghanistan.
On August 30, 2021, the US ended its military and diplomatic presence. By that point, AA21 had collected information on over 50,000 people and helped over 500 individuals evacuate from Afghanistan.
Today, Allied Airlift 21 operates the Afghan Ally Registry - a secure digital list of individuals and families seeking evacuation from Afghanistan. Coordinating with their U.S. sponsors, AA21 volunteers assist in validating and completing documentation for U.S. Government review.
AA21 also partners with flight organizers to (1) provide case management, screening, and prioritization support through manifesting of passengers and (2) receive and distribute funds in support of flight and evacuation operations.
Finally, AA21 coordinates with and works alongside partner organizations assisting in the overall evacuation effort.
The Afghan Ally Register
AA21 operates the Afghan Ally Register (AAR); a database of Afghan allies, and U.S. citizens still in country, that are at critical risk of retaliation at the hands of the Taliban and need safe evacuation from the country. AA21 networks the information gathered in the AAR to agencies that are managing evacuation resources and services in order to provide a valuable list of U.S. citizens and U.S.-sponsored Afghan refugees needing assistance.