McCaul Urges State and Defense to Help Family Members of U.S. Servicemembers Currently Trapped in Afghanistan

I sent a letter to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking them to help the family members of U.S. servicemembers who are currently trapped in Afghanistan, and for details on what the administration is doing to secure their evacuation. 

“Over the last month, I have been contacted by hundreds of Texans who are desperately trying to get friends and family members safe out of the country…That includes the family members of several Texans who currently serve in the military. They have been working night and day to safely evacuate their family members. But their efforts so far have not been successful. These brave men and women have volunteered to risk their lives to protect our country. Yet, now, when they need us the most, the federal government has turned our backs on them. If we abandon the family members of our service men and women in Afghanistan, they will certainly be slaughtered by the Taliban.”

Read my letter here and below.

Dear Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin: 

The United States’ deadly and chaotic exit from Afghanistan has left a stain on our country for generations. Many Americans have been left behind by the Biden Administration and thousands, if not tens of thousands of our Afghan partners and their families were also abandoned.

Over the last month, I have been contacted by hundreds of Texans who are desperately trying to get friends and family members safely out of the country. While we have been able to help some, many are trapped. There are reports of several hundred of people, including American citizens, who have been waiting over a week for charted flights to take off from Mazar-i-Sharif airport.

That includes the family members of several Texans who currently serve in the military. They have been working night and day to safely evacuate their family members. But their efforts so far have not been successful. These brave men and women have volunteered to risk their lives to protect our country. Yet, now, when they need us the most, the federal government has turned our backs on them. If we abandon the family members of our service men and women in Afghanistan, they will certainly be slaughtered by the Taliban.

I am asking for you to provide me with details of how many U.S. servicemembers have family currently trapped in Afghanistan and your agencies are doing to secure their evacuation.