Marines Ordered to Clean Airport After Losing 13 in Tragic Attack

In the wake of a devastating suicide bombing in Kabul in August 2021, US Marines found themselves in a deeply distressing situation.

Faced with the loss of 13 comrades to the attack, these soldiers were given an unusual and humiliating order: to clean up Hamid Karzai International Airport and leave it spotless for the incoming Taliban forces.

The shocking account of this incident is revealed in the new book, “Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End.”

The book paints a grim picture of Marines from the 3rd platoon of Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, who were compelled to participate in this cleanup operation, an order that left soldiers of all ranks furious and disheartened.

The soldiers’ ordeal began just days after a suicide bomber claimed the lives of 11 Marines, a Navy corpsman, an Army staff sergeant, and tragically, 170 civilians, on August 26.

The subsequent orders were for a “police call,” requiring the Marines to stand shoulder to shoulder as they combed the area, collecting “every stray piece of trash or debris” in their path.

This heart-wrenching task marked the final chapter of a deeply flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Even their battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Brad Whited, joined the Marines in this grueling and disgusting cleanup.

Authors James Hasson and Jerry Dunleavy outlines how the soldiers saw this order as the “biggest f*** you ever” after their relentless efforts in the country.

The area the Marines were tasked with cleaning had previously housed over 120,000 Afghan refugees, who left behind a trail of human waste, trash, bags, clothes, and other unsanitary remnants.

A junior Marine involved in the cleanup ironically remarked, “It wasn’t exactly clean.”

Adding to their distress, the Marines were also directed to overturn all the vehicles they had previously flipped over.

The frustration among Marines at every level of the company was palpable, and their story spread far beyond their units.

One junior member of the company even questioned if the order was a joke, and others began searching for brooms and rubber gloves, shocked by the surreal directive.

The command sergeant major emphasized that failure to complete the cleanup would result in their prolonged stay, a situation deemed unjust by the Marines.

For these soldiers, the experience was as degrading as it was disheartening.

They had endured significant casualties and invested immense effort in their mission, only to conclude it in such a pointless and demoralizing manner.

The cleanup involved handling piles of trash, feces, and half-eaten food, all in preparation for the Taliban’s imminent arrival.

As if this ordeal wasn’t challenging enough, it came on the heels of a chaotic and controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan, which had drawn widespread criticism.

One of the key figures overseeing this withdrawal, General Frank McKenzie, expressed his deep regret for the decisions made during this operation.

In an interview last Sunday, McKenzie said he feels the withdrawal – which drew widespread criticism and which he had previously defended – will be looked at as a terrible mistake from plan to execution.

‘I believe history is going to view the decision to come out of Afghanistan in the way that we did and the manner that we were directed to come out as a fatal flaw,’ he told Fox News.

‘I have a lot of regrets about how it ended in Afghanistan. I have a regret with the basic decision, which I think was the wrong decision.

‘And I particularly regret that we did not choose to begin to evacuate our people, our embassy personnel, our American citizens and our at-risk Afghans at the time we made the decision to bring in our combat forces.

‘I think that was a serious mistake, and I think that led to the events of August 2021 directly.’

The suicide bombing at the Kabul airport remains a haunting memory for many, with Marines like former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews testifying about their thwarted efforts to prevent the attack.

Despite receiving descriptions of suspicious individuals believed to be plotting an attack, they were unable to receive a clear directive to take action.

The aftermath of the Kabul tragedy continues to unfold, with the Pentagon’s Central Command now conducting interviews with service members who were present during the attack but were not initially included in the military’s investigation.

While this decision does not reopen the investigation, it aims to gather any new or different information that may have surfaced.

This development may reignite criticism, particularly from congressional critics, who have raised concerns about the administration’s handling of the attack and the withdrawal.

Families of those killed and injured have also expressed dissatisfaction with the level of transparency surrounding the investigation.

As the additional interviews progress, they offer a glimpse into the lingering wounds and unanswered questions surrounding one of the most tragic events in the Afghanistan withdrawal.

The emotional toll on those involved, the controversial decisions made, and the profound impact on the lives of soldiers continue to shape the narrative of this unforgettable chapter in American history.

Read the original story here:
Daily Mail

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Afghanistan Withdrawal airport cleanup Central Command Kabul tragedy Marines military investigation suicide bombing