Gold Star Families Vent Frustration With Biden And His Administration

1. 85

   Sharlee01posted 17 months ago

   
   Gold Star dad calls out Biden as 'disgrace to this nation': ‘I'm done biting my tongue
   'You, sir, stole their lives, their futures, their dreams and have ripped apart 13 families,' Schmitz said
   
   The father of a U.S. Marine killed during the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan two years ago tore into President Biden on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, saying he is a "disgrace to this nation" who has "more American blood" on his hands "than any president in U.S. history."
   
   Mark Schmitz, the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, who was one of the 13 U.S. service members killed in a bomb blast on Aug. 26, 2021, during the military evacuation at the Kabul airport, participated in a roundtable discussion with other Gold Star family members before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
   
   "Not a single person has been held accountable," Schmitz said. "Our so-called leader can't seem to even utter their names in public, not even once."
   
   "You are a disgrace to this nation," the father continued. "You have no business having ultimate command over our military, and I regret not saying that to your face when I had the opportunity in Dover. I felt it more important to bite my tongue, but I also had more important things on my mind at that time, like receiving my son's lifeless body stateside."
   
   "While I stood there on the tarmac watching you check your watch over and over again, all I wanted to do was shout out, 'It's 2 ----ing 30, ---hole.' But out of respect of the other grieving families, I bit my tongue once again. Well, as you can probably tell by now, I'm done biting my tongue. You, sir, stole their lives, their futures, their dreams and have ripped apart 13 families. You cannot even man up and admit that."
   
   Schmitz added that Biden likely has "more American blood" on his hands "than any president in U.S. history," and he requested investigations into Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken "for their involvement in intentionally leaving Bagram [Air Base] and all of its assets by knowingly aiding known terrorists, all while abandoning U.S. civilians and allied partners."
   
   "In closing, Mr. Biden, Secretary Austin, Secretary Blinken, if trusting and supporting our military is too difficult for you, then I suggest you pack your s--- and enjoy your retirement," he said. "Because from where I sit on my perch, the noose around your doubled-down notion that this was an extraordinary success looks like it's tightening a little bit more each and every day."
   
   The Gold Star families at Tuesday's hearing have repeatedly criticized the administration for both the decision-making in the Afghanistan withdrawal and what they said was incomplete or incorrect information given to them.
   
   Kelly Barnett, the mother of Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, said, "They knew this was going to happen, or it was part of their plan. They were too busy shaking hands with the Taliban, cleaning up and making sure we left it clean and tidy for the Taliban to worry about giving our snipers the OK to make it all OK."
   
   As the hearing was about to begin, Gen. Mark Milley — the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who has received sharp criticism for his role in the withdrawal — released a statement in which he said the U.S. owes Gold Star families "everything."
   
   "We owe them transparency, we owe them honesty, we owe them accountability. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones," Milley said in a statement to Fox News.
   
   Milley addressed some of the claims from Gold Star families about incorrect information in his statement.
   
   "I trust the Army, Navy and Marine Corps did the best they could in briefing the families who had loved ones killed at Abbey Gate. I believe the briefers gave every piece of information that they could. If there was issues with that, we need to take whatever corrective action is necessary," he said. "And our hearts go out to those families."
   
   He continued, "This is a personal thing for all of us in uniform. We don't like what happened in Afghanistan. We don't like the outcome of Afghanistan. We owe it to the families to take care of them. Their sacrifices were not in vain."
   
   He then said that for those who served in the mission "the cost in blood was high, but every single one of us who served in Afghanistan should hold our heads high."
   
   "Each served with skill, dedication and honor. For two decades our nation was not attacked from Afghanistan – that was our mission, and each one can be rightly proud of their service," he continued.
   
   The Pentagon also released a statement of its own, expressing "our deepest condolences to the Gold Star Families who lost loved ones during the tragic bombing at Abbey Gate."
   
   "We are forever grateful for their service, sacrifice, and committed efforts during the evacuation operations. We also commend the historic and monumental efforts of all our service men and women who served honorably during the withdrawal period from Afghanistan," the statement reads.
   
   It went on to say that U.S. Central Command conducted a "comprehensive, credible and definitive" investigation into the attack.
   
   "As then CENTCOM commander Gen. McKenzie highlighted, ‘The volume of evidence collected, the testimony of more than 100 people, the analysis of experts, the findings of fact, and the conclusions of the team based upon evidence gives a compelling and truthful examination of the event.' U.S. military commanders on the ground in Afghanistan made the best decisions and provided their best military advice based off what was known at the time and leaders took appropriate action in response to reported threat streams. From the investigation at the tactical level, the Abbey Gate attack was not preventable without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees, and the leaders on the ground followed the proper measures and procedures." Fox News Report
   
   More Gold Star Families accounts, questions, as well as quotes ---
   https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/g … to-hear-li
   
   Thoughts

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2. 85

   Sharlee01posted 17 months ago

   My thoughts
   Supporting Gold Star families is of paramount importance as it acknowledges the immeasurable sacrifices they have made for our country. These families have endured the most heart-wrenching loss – the death of a loved one in service to the nation. Offering them unwavering support and care is a moral obligation that transcends political affiliations.
   
   The unfortunate problem arises when transparency and honesty are compromised. President Biden's perceived lack of honesty regarding the events surrounding the bombing at Abbey Gate, which led to the deaths of service members, erodes trust and adds to the pain these families already bear. In such delicate situations, clear communication and accountability are vital to ensuring that these families find solace and closure. Upholding the honor of these fallen heroes and their families demands a commitment to truthfulness and an unswerving dedication to their well-being, reminding us all of the significance of empathy, compassion, and responsibility in leadership.

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3. 58

   Willowarborposted 17 months ago

   I am going to make a rather simplistic reply based probably mostly on emotion but some fact.
   
   The loss of life of any of our military acting on behalf of our country is tragic. Many throw around the word Patriots so lightly these days. But they are truly this country's patriots.
   
   I believe leaving Afghanistan was the right call. The decision to leave, made initially by Trump and ratified by Biden remains strategically sound. I think that Biden inherited a broken peace  process and the prospect of a renewed conflict with the Taliban if he reneged on Trump’s commitments.
   
   This is not to say that his hands were  tied. He could have chosen to continue the fight.  Although I think most believed it was futile and that a complete Taliban takeover was unavoidable.
   
   The American people have no appetite for forever war. In a time of intensifying polarization, it’s hard to get many Americans to agree on anything, but 70 percent of U.S. respondents at the time said  that they wanted the troops out of Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. This support spans 56 percent of Republicans, 73 percent of independents, and just over half of veterans and active-duty military. There was no demographic that wanted continued boots on the ground. This was true under Obama, it was true under Trump, and it was true under Biden.
   
   The status quo was not sustainable.  Trump reduced troop levels from about 13,000 to 2,500, Afghan security forces had been rapidly losing territory and lives to an emboldened Taliban. But at  the moment it was clear that the U.S. presence had an expiration date, which was the overwhelming preference of the American public, the outcome was inevitable. It was a matter of when, not if. Had the U.S. reneged on its promise to withdraw, the Taliban would have intensified its campaign against American military personnel. The decision before Biden  was not between staying and leaving; it was between expanding the military footprint and leaving. The only alternative to withdrawal, committing more troops and money, had no political buy-in.
   
   The death of the soldiers was tragic. Should we have put more soldiers and money on the line for a cause our country neither believes in nor can win will do nothing to bring back the lives lost and dollars wasted.

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4. 85

   Sharlee01posted 17 months ago

   Rep Issa suggests House GOP could tie funding to demand for answers over chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
   Gold Star families spoke at a House Foreign Affairs Committee roundtable on Tuesday
   
   "Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., says that House Republicans could threaten to withhold funding for certain programs as part of a broader effort to get answers for families who lost loved ones in the 2021 Abbey Gate terror attack in Afghanistan.
   
   "I would expect on Appropriations there will be some language that requires certain things be done or certain funds will be withheld," Issa told Fox News Digital. "That's a very effective tool. We don't want to use it indiscriminately, but these families deserve answers."
   
   Issa, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, spoke to Fox after the committee heard testimony from Gold Star families about their anger at the decisions made by the administration in connection to the suicide attack in Aug. 2021 at Kabul Airport amid a chaotic withdrawal from the country.
   
   Relatives have accused the administration of mismanaging the withdrawal and of failing to provide complete information to them. The bombing killed 13 U.S. service members, and families had marked the second anniversary of it this week. Issa, who has organized events so that the families can share their stories, paid tribute to those killed in the attack and their relatives who spoke at the event.
   
   "People who tell us that the next generation isn't like our generation or the one that came before us haven't listened to the parents talking about these 13 fallen men and women. These are the next generation, and they are every bit the soldiers, sailors, and marines that we would hope will keep coming our way."
   
   "One question that they answered was, 'with what you've had to go through do you think we should still be standing our post in Poland, with NATO, in Ukraine and in North and South Korea and so on?' And every single one said yes. And that just says so much that even the parents who have lost so much are still part of that generation that, rightfully so, believes in America's role in the world," he said.
   
   The administration has responded to the criticism it has faced, with Joint Chief of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley releasing a lengthy statement just before the hearing began in which he also paid tribute to the families.
   
   "We owe them transparency, we owe them honesty, we owe them accountability. We owe them the truth about what happened to their loved ones," Milley said in a statement to Fox News.
   
   Milley addressed some of the claims from Gold Star families about incorrect information.
   
   He continued, "This is a personal thing for all of us in uniform. We don't like what happened in Afghanistan. We don't like the outcome of Afghanistan. We owe it to the families to take care of them. Their sacrifices were not in vain."
   
   The Pentagon also released a statement expressing "our deepest condolences to the Gold Star Families who lost loved ones during the tragic bombing at Abbey Gate."
   
   "We are forever grateful for their service, sacrifice, and committed efforts during the evacuation operations. We also commend the historic and monumental efforts of all our service men and women who served honorably during the withdrawal period from Afghanistan," the statement said.
   
   It went on to say that U.S. Central Command conducted a "comprehensive, credible and definitive" investigation into the attack."   Read more   
   https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-is … withdrawal

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