Local organizations and Congressman Mike Garcia, R-Santa Clarita, have spoken out about the crisis in Afghanistan, aiming to lend support to those involved including U.S. military and Afghan civilians.
In February of 2020, President Trump and the Taliban agreed to have all U.S. military troops withdrawn from Afghanistan by May 2021, with President Biden following through on the agreement, though a full troop withdrawal is not expected until Aug. 31, according to a report.
By Aug. 6, after a partial withdrawal of U.S. troops, Taliban fighters had taken control of it’s first province despite the signed agreement with the U.S. and by Aug. 15 entered the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, according to officials.
In the following days hundreds of Afghan civilians were seen rushing airports and borders in attempts to escape the country.
The Blue Star Moms of Santa Clarita is a group of military mothers who work to support other military families and veterans by providing all types of support to Santa Clarita families of service members as well as those with boots on the ground.
Currently, the organization has no way to send supplies to military personnel in Afghanistan, according to Sabina Fetter, the president for Blue Star Mothers of Santa Clarita.
“However, we are always collecting items so we can be ready to send them when we are able,” Fetter said.
Blue Star members will be in need of supplies such as toothbrushes, tooth paste, non-perishable food items, baby wipes and other basic toiletries.
However, right now Blue Star Moms is mainly providing support to veterans and military families in Santa Clarita.
“The main thing we are concerned about is the emotional support for those who have active service members, including our families who have lost a family member in Afghanistan,” Fetter said.
Although the organization is mainly made up of military moms, the group has “associate members” who are veterans, fathers, aunts, grandparents and friends of military personnel who work together to lend support to families.
Garcia shared his thoughts on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan with FOX LA, stating that what he views as a botched U.S. withdrawal was both predictable and preventable.
“We decided to vacate and abandon our allies in the middle of the night, leaving Bagram airport at 2 a.m., leaving military equipment behind and frankly putting our military out before we pulled our own civilians and Afghan partners,” Garcia said.
Garcia also shared what he and his office were attempting to do to help evacuate Americans and Afghan interpreters who had helped U.S. officials.
“We have roughly 80 folks in my office trying to support by directing coordination with the State Department,” Garcia said.
Another organization working to help those deployed is No One Left Behind, a 501(c)(3).
“Afghan and Iraqi interpreters are promised that if they give the United States military two good years of ‘faithful and valuable’ service, they and their families will get visas to come to the United States,” No One Left Behind officials said on their Facebook Page.
The organization works to ensure the visa programs for soldiers to be able to move into the United States, often with little more than very basic necessities. No One Left Behind aims to provide things like furniture, kitchen utensils, school supplies and transportation to military members.
For Santa Clarita Valley residents who would like more information on the Blue Star Moms of Santa Clarita or to donate supplies for our troops can do so by click here, or contact Fetter by emailing president.ca46@bluestarmothers.us.
For more information on No One Left Behind, click here.
Ed. Note: Louie Diaz contributed to this article.
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