Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit process Department of State personnel for evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, August 15. U.S. Marine Corps / Sgt. Isaiah Campbell
The Naval Brief: Marines sent to Kabul; Veteran crisis; Lessons from a failed jet; and more...
Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.
Chaos at Kabul Airport. The U.S. is trying to evacuate between 5,000 to 9,000 people per day from Kabul as part of an increase in its military airlift capability and President Biden said troops may stay in the country past the Aug. 31 deadline to get people out of Afghanistan, Defense One reports. Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are on the ground helping to evacuate embassy staff and more are on the way, according to Defense Department tweets.
Veterans struggling with Taliban takeover. Advocates are working to get resources and help to veterans and their families due to concern about the effects the deteriorating news out of Afghanistan is having on them, Defense One reports. Steve Schwab, the CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, said they are seeing a growing concern from caregivers who say their veteran is suffering from anxiety and depression over the past few days.
Leaders voice support. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Troy Black were among several leaders who wrote letters to their forces about their pride and support for their service and sacrifice in Afghanistan. “We both believe—without question—that your service was meaningful, powerful and important,” they wrote, adding “Was it worth it? Yes. Does it still hurt? Yes.”
Commentary: Remember the Avenger II. As the Navy develops a next-generation aircraft focused on capabilities first, it should learn from the failed Avenger II stealth fighter program, writes Heritage’s Brent Sadler.
Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 2017, researchers announced they had found the wreckage of the USS Indianapolis, the storied WWII cruiser sunk by Japanese torpedoes after delivering atomic bomb components. Beset by sharks, only 317 of the 1,196 crew members were rescued alive.
From Defense One
Trump’s Pledge to Exit Afghanistan Was a Ruse, His Final SecDef Says // Patrick Tucker: Chris Miller now says talk of a full withdrawal was a “play” to convince a Taliban-led government to keep U.S. counterterrorism forces.
‘There Is No Afghan Government’: NATO Stops Aid To Afghanistan As Taliban Take Over // Jacqueline Feldscher: Stoltenberg says aid could resume to an “inclusive government." And at the White House: “We will have to take a hard look at how we proceed on any basis at all.”
We Never Did What Was Necessary in Afghanistan // Al Pessin: We lost. It’s painful and infuriating, but a few more troops and a little more time would change nothing.
John Allen: Biden Must Reverse His Decision to Quit Afghanistan // John Allen: The administration must act now. Here’s what they must do.