The Chamberlain Network’s Statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee in Support of Afghan Allies
Atlanta, GA - Today, the Senate Judiciary subcommittees on Border Security and Immigration and Crime and Counterterrorism are revisiting the programs that brought our Afghan allies to safety—programs built in partnership with U.S. veterans. The Chamberlain Network submitted a Statement for the Record grounded in lived experience and firsthand knowledge of those systems, written by Chamberlain’s CEO Chris Purdy. It is a reminder that decisions made in Washington have real consequences for national honor, veteran trust, and the allies who stood shoulder to shoulder with Americans in our longest war.
In the statement, Purdy reflects on the veteran community’s response to the end of the war in Afghanistan and the responsibility many veterans continue to feel toward their Afghan partners:
“While the legislative branch abdicated its duty to both our Afghan allies and Americans who supported them, the veteran community did not. For nearly five years, veterans’ continued engagement on this issue has been rooted in our love for this country. U.S. service members relied on our Afghan partners operationally, often in dangerous environments. When the War in Afghanistan was lost, there was a deep wound inflicted on the veteran community. Not only did we see leaving our allies behind as a stain on our national honor, but we also saw a generation of blood and sacrifice disappear before our eyes.”
The statement concludes with a call for responsibility and care as Congress conducts oversight of these programs:
“Congress has every right to review past decisions and strengthen systems going forward. That responsibility, however, requires care in how those reviews are conducted and what conclusions are drawn. Tragedy should not be used to flatten complex realities, erase years of life saving work, or cast suspicion on an entire community that stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in our longest war.”
