Its hard to believe that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were nearly 22 years ago.
When I surfaced, we were at war.
I was detailed to theCIAs Team Alpha, and we arrived in-country on Oct. 17, 2001.
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Over the next two decades of war, I served multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I lost many friends.
Now Im a 50-year-old colonel about to retire.
What people sometimes forget, however, is that we didnt do that alone.
Those Afghans were the reason we toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001.
They were incredible fighters magnificent horsemen, brave, determined and willing to die for our mutual cause.
Some of them did die in 2001.
A number were killed in the subsequent 20 years, leaving large families behind.
Others survived and are once again faced with Taliban oppression.
There are a number of sacred responsibilities that are part of an American soldiers creed.
One of them is that we leave no one behind.
It took us three days to recover his body.
Another responsibility is that we are true to our allies, that we help those who helped us.
We dont abandon them when they no longer suit our needs or when it is difficult or politically inconvenient.
That is why the tragic withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 was so hard for me.
Our country let down some of those men I had fought with in 2001.
But the greatness of the United States rests in its people, not its government.
We named itBadger Six, a call sign Mike and I had used in 2001.
