1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:01:32,842 --> 00:01:33,926 Let's start at the beginning. 4 00:01:33,927 --> 00:01:36,054 How... how did this all come about? 5 00:01:36,096 --> 00:01:37,387 I mean, one minute 6 00:01:37,388 --> 00:01:38,056 you're at Tim Kennedy's 7 00:01:38,057 --> 00:01:39,306 house working on his book, 8 00:01:39,307 --> 00:01:40,474 and the next minute 9 00:01:40,475 --> 00:01:43,143 you've been in the Middle East 10 00:01:43,144 --> 00:01:44,686 in Afghanistan for the past seven, 11 00:01:44,687 --> 00:01:45,188 eight days. 12 00:01:45,188 --> 00:01:46,022 Yeah, 13 00:01:46,023 --> 00:01:47,564 I can definitely say 14 00:01:47,565 --> 00:01:48,982 that I never expected 15 00:01:48,983 --> 00:01:51,027 to be on a mission like this. 16 00:01:53,113 --> 00:01:54,613 You know, the... 17 00:01:54,614 --> 00:01:55,490 the Taliban 18 00:01:55,491 --> 00:01:58,200 just blasted through Afghanistan so fast 19 00:01:58,201 --> 00:01:59,326 that it put 20 00:01:59,327 --> 00:02:01,370 both our troops 21 00:02:01,371 --> 00:02:02,288 and our allies 22 00:02:02,289 --> 00:02:04,289 in a really precarious position. 23 00:02:04,290 --> 00:02:06,250 Is the Department of Defense surprised 24 00:02:06,251 --> 00:02:07,127 at how quickly 25 00:02:07,128 --> 00:02:08,794 it seems that the Afghan National Army 26 00:02:08,795 --> 00:02:10,839 has collapsed under Taliban pressure? 27 00:02:11,089 --> 00:02:12,631 Is... is the military 28 00:02:12,632 --> 00:02:14,258 or the Pentagon or the administration 29 00:02:14,259 --> 00:02:16,426 everyone surprised 30 00:02:16,427 --> 00:02:17,886 by how fast the Taliban 31 00:02:17,887 --> 00:02:18,346 has been able 32 00:02:18,347 --> 00:02:19,930 to move through parts of the country, 33 00:02:19,931 --> 00:02:21,056 taking these major cities 34 00:02:21,057 --> 00:02:23,142 like Kandahar, Herat? Lashkar Gah 35 00:02:23,143 --> 00:02:24,518 looks like it's fallen. 36 00:02:24,519 --> 00:02:26,061 Can you... 37 00:02:26,062 --> 00:02:27,604 offer any guarantee 38 00:02:27,605 --> 00:02:30,066 to the Americans and Afghan allies 39 00:02:30,316 --> 00:02:32,317 that if they remain there past 40 00:02:32,318 --> 00:02:34,111 the end of the month, U.S. 41 00:02:34,112 --> 00:02:36,446 troops will help them evacuate 42 00:02:36,447 --> 00:02:38,115 past the end of the month? 43 00:02:38,116 --> 00:02:38,867 Our focus right 44 00:02:38,868 --> 00:02:41,035 now is on doing the work at hand. 45 00:02:41,077 --> 00:02:42,036 On July the fifth, 46 00:02:42,037 --> 00:02:43,287 in the middle of the night, 47 00:02:43,288 --> 00:02:45,415 the Americans left Bagram for good 48 00:02:45,748 --> 00:02:48,168 without telling the base's Afghan commander. 49 00:02:48,585 --> 00:02:50,294 This map shows Taliban controlled 50 00:02:50,295 --> 00:02:51,378 areas in red, 51 00:02:51,379 --> 00:02:53,172 contested territory in yellow, 52 00:02:53,173 --> 00:02:55,300 and regions under government control 53 00:02:55,633 --> 00:02:56,426 in blue. 54 00:02:56,427 --> 00:02:58,010 The embattled government controls 55 00:02:58,011 --> 00:03:00,012 only the capital, Kabul, 56 00:03:00,013 --> 00:03:01,555 and the areas marked in blue. 57 00:03:01,556 --> 00:03:02,723 I cannot believe the world 58 00:03:02,724 --> 00:03:04,100 abandoned Afghanistan. 59 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:06,977 Our friends are going to get killed. 60 00:03:06,978 --> 00:03:08,478 They're going to kill us. 61 00:03:08,479 --> 00:03:09,314 Our women are not going 62 00:03:09,315 --> 00:03:10,564 to have any more rights. 63 00:03:10,565 --> 00:03:12,274 It was so frightening for me 64 00:03:12,275 --> 00:03:14,193 when I heard their stories like girls 65 00:03:14,194 --> 00:03:16,069 weren't allowed to go to school. 66 00:03:16,070 --> 00:03:17,905 Boys were needed to obey 67 00:03:17,906 --> 00:03:19,489 what Taliban told them. 68 00:03:19,490 --> 00:03:20,074 Like, 69 00:03:20,075 --> 00:03:21,325 it was so horrible for me 70 00:03:21,326 --> 00:03:22,202 that when I heard the girls 71 00:03:22,203 --> 00:03:23,911 need to marry at a very young age 72 00:03:23,912 --> 00:03:25,621 to a man that they don't want to. 73 00:03:25,622 --> 00:03:26,872 And that was just devastating. 74 00:03:26,873 --> 00:03:28,040 And then watching, just being like 75 00:03:28,041 --> 00:03:29,708 everyone in America glued to the news, 76 00:03:29,709 --> 00:03:31,627 watching the Taliban march 77 00:03:31,628 --> 00:03:34,213 across a country that had held U.S. 78 00:03:34,214 --> 00:03:35,380 troops for 20 years, 79 00:03:35,381 --> 00:03:37,132 many of whom took their, 80 00:03:37,133 --> 00:03:38,800 you know, had their last moments on earth 81 00:03:38,801 --> 00:03:40,802 occur there or left pieces of themselves 82 00:03:40,803 --> 00:03:42,971 there, literally and otherwise. 83 00:03:42,972 --> 00:03:45,183 And it was just devastating. 84 00:03:45,433 --> 00:03:46,184 Helping liberate 85 00:03:46,185 --> 00:03:47,267 those people and... 86 00:03:47,268 --> 00:03:49,019 And send little girls to school 87 00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:50,395 and all these things we did. 88 00:03:50,396 --> 00:03:51,438 And it came at a cost. 89 00:03:51,439 --> 00:03:53,273 And we... we lost so many American lives. 90 00:03:53,274 --> 00:03:54,733 I buried 15 friends 91 00:03:54,734 --> 00:03:56,778 personally that served in Afghanistan. 92 00:03:57,111 --> 00:03:59,238 So it was always personal to me. 93 00:03:59,239 --> 00:04:00,489 To the community of people 94 00:04:00,490 --> 00:04:01,657 who either had lost 95 00:04:01,658 --> 00:04:02,824 a loved one in Afghanistan 96 00:04:02,825 --> 00:04:04,284 or whose lives had been forever 97 00:04:04,285 --> 00:04:05,577 impacted by Afghanistan, 98 00:04:05,578 --> 00:04:07,663 we had to do something to try to, 99 00:04:07,664 --> 00:04:09,540 not only make them whole, but 100 00:04:10,541 --> 00:04:11,917 make it all count. 101 00:04:11,918 --> 00:04:14,795 Having uncles that were in Vietnam, 102 00:04:14,796 --> 00:04:16,296 both of them were texting me 103 00:04:16,297 --> 00:04:19,092 while Afghanistan was falling and 104 00:04:20,677 --> 00:04:22,594 painfully pointing out the similarities 105 00:04:22,595 --> 00:04:23,595 between the two. 106 00:04:23,596 --> 00:04:24,638 It didn't look like 107 00:04:24,639 --> 00:04:25,431 the government 108 00:04:25,432 --> 00:04:28,268 was going to be able to react fast enough 109 00:04:29,018 --> 00:04:30,560 to get people out. 110 00:04:30,561 --> 00:04:32,480 Our good friend 111 00:04:32,730 --> 00:04:35,692 Chad Robichaux had been trying 112 00:04:35,733 --> 00:04:37,651 to get his interpreter out. 113 00:04:37,652 --> 00:04:39,653 He had done ten deployments 114 00:04:39,654 --> 00:04:42,115 with this interpreter named Aziz. 115 00:04:42,323 --> 00:04:43,490 You're forward deployed 116 00:04:43,491 --> 00:04:44,450 and it's kind of 117 00:04:44,451 --> 00:04:46,159 just you and an interpreter sometimes. 118 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:47,995 And Aziz was his interpreter. 119 00:04:47,996 --> 00:04:49,579 He quickly became my teammate 120 00:04:49,580 --> 00:04:50,956 and then my sole teammate. 121 00:04:50,957 --> 00:04:52,499 He and I worked together 122 00:04:52,500 --> 00:04:54,752 on hundreds of combat missions. 123 00:05:04,762 --> 00:05:06,138 I knew that if I 124 00:05:06,139 --> 00:05:07,259 didn't personally intervene, 125 00:05:08,599 --> 00:05:09,808 Aziz would die. 126 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:11,853 He was individually already identified. 127 00:05:11,894 --> 00:05:13,353 He was on the run. 128 00:05:13,354 --> 00:05:14,646 His days were numbered 129 00:05:14,647 --> 00:05:16,356 and he was going to die. 130 00:05:16,357 --> 00:05:18,150 These people are being slaughtered. 131 00:05:18,151 --> 00:05:19,943 We made a promise to them. 132 00:05:19,944 --> 00:05:21,236 They're being slaughtered. 133 00:05:21,237 --> 00:05:24,032 They're being hunted for the crime of fighting alongside 134 00:05:24,282 --> 00:05:25,615 our own military. 135 00:05:25,616 --> 00:05:26,451 For six years 136 00:05:26,452 --> 00:05:29,202 I had been fighting to get this guy the visa 137 00:05:29,203 --> 00:05:31,372 he deserved. A SIV, special immigrant visa. 138 00:05:31,748 --> 00:05:33,457 And that process is only supposed 139 00:05:33,458 --> 00:05:34,541 to take nine months. 140 00:05:34,542 --> 00:05:37,337 To not be able to get him here in six years. 141 00:05:37,712 --> 00:05:39,004 And a nine month process 142 00:05:39,005 --> 00:05:40,297 was really disturbing to me. 143 00:05:40,298 --> 00:05:42,007 And he was getting desperate 144 00:05:42,008 --> 00:05:43,383 because it didn't look like 145 00:05:43,384 --> 00:05:46,178 the government had... had a plan in place 146 00:05:46,179 --> 00:05:48,055 that was going to get him out in time. 147 00:05:48,056 --> 00:05:48,765 So he was 148 00:05:48,766 --> 00:05:51,308 he was planning a trip of just four 149 00:05:51,309 --> 00:05:52,101 or five guys 150 00:05:52,102 --> 00:05:53,435 just to get Aziz out 151 00:05:53,436 --> 00:05:55,604 and started making connections. 152 00:05:55,605 --> 00:05:56,645 For me, it was a choice of 153 00:05:57,732 --> 00:05:58,232 do I do 154 00:05:58,233 --> 00:06:00,025 nothing or do I 155 00:06:00,026 --> 00:06:02,027 save my friend's life who saved mine? 156 00:06:02,028 --> 00:06:03,236 I knew I needed 157 00:06:03,237 --> 00:06:05,030 not only help, but the right help. 158 00:06:05,031 --> 00:06:06,782 People that had the experience, 159 00:06:06,783 --> 00:06:08,116 but also people I trusted. 160 00:06:08,117 --> 00:06:08,993 Chad and I connected. 161 00:06:08,994 --> 00:06:10,202 We had worked together 162 00:06:10,203 --> 00:06:11,995 over the last several years 163 00:06:11,996 --> 00:06:14,623 and I just said, you know, how can I help? 164 00:06:14,624 --> 00:06:17,042 While I was talking to Chad, 165 00:06:17,043 --> 00:06:17,835 Nick, 166 00:06:18,044 --> 00:06:19,544 who is here writing Scars 167 00:06:19,545 --> 00:06:20,670 and Stripes with me, 168 00:06:20,671 --> 00:06:22,089 is talking to Sarah Verardo, 169 00:06:22,090 --> 00:06:24,216 both asking us the same question of, 170 00:06:24,217 --> 00:06:25,926 Can you go? 171 00:06:25,927 --> 00:06:27,219 But more importantly, 172 00:06:27,220 --> 00:06:29,346 giving us and providing us the answer with 173 00:06:29,347 --> 00:06:30,722 this is what we're doing. 174 00:06:30,723 --> 00:06:33,058 They were 175 00:06:33,059 --> 00:06:35,936 figuring out a way to land some planes 176 00:06:35,937 --> 00:06:37,270 into Kabul. 177 00:06:37,271 --> 00:06:39,524 Initially, it was a very clear mission, 178 00:06:39,857 --> 00:06:41,441 which was to go 179 00:06:41,442 --> 00:06:42,609 rescue Aziz. 180 00:06:42,610 --> 00:06:44,986 As we were putting that plan together 181 00:06:44,987 --> 00:06:46,154 we kind of pause for a second and said, 182 00:06:46,155 --> 00:06:47,948 Hey this great, we're going to go help Aziz, 183 00:06:47,949 --> 00:06:50,159 but I'm talking to this orphanage over here. 184 00:06:50,201 --> 00:06:53,412 That's 3500 orphans that need help, too. 185 00:06:53,413 --> 00:06:55,206 Why don't we help them? 186 00:07:09,679 --> 00:07:11,221 And I think there was another pause 187 00:07:11,222 --> 00:07:12,472 and we said, man, 188 00:07:12,473 --> 00:07:14,517 we really have the right group of people here. 189 00:07:14,767 --> 00:07:15,643 We have the skills. 190 00:07:15,644 --> 00:07:17,644 We have the ability to do this. 191 00:07:17,645 --> 00:07:19,354 The passion's there. 192 00:07:19,355 --> 00:07:21,941 Let's not just help this limited group. 193 00:07:22,191 --> 00:07:24,568 Let's help as many people as we can. 194 00:07:24,569 --> 00:07:26,611 Interpreters and their families, 195 00:07:26,612 --> 00:07:28,363 women and children that would be vulnerable. 196 00:07:28,364 --> 00:07:29,656 Christians that would be persecuted 197 00:07:29,657 --> 00:07:30,866 for their faith, 198 00:07:30,867 --> 00:07:32,534 these different vulnerable groups. 199 00:07:32,535 --> 00:07:34,078 Let's help as many people as we can. 200 00:07:34,203 --> 00:07:35,203 And so I started 201 00:07:35,621 --> 00:07:36,746 just putting together 202 00:07:36,747 --> 00:07:38,331 different lists and trying to help. 203 00:07:38,332 --> 00:07:40,917 We knew it would be a difficult situation, 204 00:07:40,918 --> 00:07:42,377 but we thought that we had, 205 00:07:42,378 --> 00:07:43,420 you know, a couple of weeks 206 00:07:43,421 --> 00:07:45,464 to make real substantial change. 207 00:07:45,465 --> 00:07:47,925 And as these requests started to build 208 00:07:48,217 --> 00:07:49,259 and we started vetting 209 00:07:49,260 --> 00:07:52,262 these requests, resources 210 00:07:52,263 --> 00:07:54,222 also started to be organized. 211 00:07:54,223 --> 00:07:55,640 And so Tim and I 212 00:07:55,641 --> 00:07:57,726 just looked at each other and said, okay. 213 00:07:57,727 --> 00:07:59,102 Then we're getting on a plane. 214 00:07:59,103 --> 00:08:01,647 24 hours later, tickets are booked. 215 00:08:01,939 --> 00:08:03,733 We're boarding a flight to the Middle East. 216 00:08:13,993 --> 00:08:15,369 100. 217 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:19,080 70. 218 00:08:19,290 --> 00:08:21,834 60, 50, 40. 219 00:08:23,169 --> 00:08:25,254 We get through all COVID screening 220 00:08:25,463 --> 00:08:28,841 and we arrive at the UAE 221 00:08:29,133 --> 00:08:32,011 military's headquarters for their officers, 222 00:08:32,261 --> 00:08:33,887 like their officer academy. 223 00:08:33,888 --> 00:08:35,722 We just jumped right into the rotation. 224 00:08:35,723 --> 00:08:37,140 There was no time for like, 225 00:08:37,141 --> 00:08:38,141 oh, we're going to sleep. 226 00:08:38,142 --> 00:08:39,142 We're going to... 227 00:08:39,352 --> 00:08:41,853 you know... we're going to figure things out. 228 00:08:41,854 --> 00:08:43,980 We're still in a whirl 229 00:08:43,981 --> 00:08:46,316 trying to figure out what everything is, 230 00:08:46,317 --> 00:08:48,026 where everything is. 231 00:08:48,027 --> 00:08:50,363 Sean Lee, who works for Sarah Verardo, 232 00:08:51,239 --> 00:08:53,282 he had already arrived in UAE 233 00:08:53,449 --> 00:08:55,701 and they had set up a forward TOC. 234 00:08:55,910 --> 00:09:00,540 UAE is our Lily Pad launch base and our forward 235 00:09:01,332 --> 00:09:03,750 Tactical Operations Command Center. 236 00:09:03,751 --> 00:09:05,835 Nick and I were basically running 237 00:09:05,836 --> 00:09:06,587 the evacuation 238 00:09:06,588 --> 00:09:07,712 of 2500 people 239 00:09:07,713 --> 00:09:11,008 from two cell phones and a laptop. 240 00:09:11,259 --> 00:09:12,467 So we just kept working 241 00:09:12,468 --> 00:09:13,677 and working and working. 242 00:09:13,678 --> 00:09:14,844 A number of people 243 00:09:14,845 --> 00:09:16,805 in Congress, in the Senate, 244 00:09:16,806 --> 00:09:19,016 in the State Department, D.O.D., 245 00:09:21,394 --> 00:09:22,852 were happy to have us. 246 00:09:22,853 --> 00:09:24,020 People wanted to help. 247 00:09:24,021 --> 00:09:25,438 And so it was just connecting 248 00:09:25,439 --> 00:09:26,399 people who wanted to help 249 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,191 that would be effective at helping. 250 00:09:28,192 --> 00:09:29,401 Back home in the States, 251 00:09:29,402 --> 00:09:30,443 Sarah Verardo set up 252 00:09:30,444 --> 00:09:31,987 operation center in Washington, D.C. 253 00:09:31,988 --> 00:09:33,947 to process people that needed help, help 254 00:09:33,948 --> 00:09:35,365 vet people, work 255 00:09:35,366 --> 00:09:36,491 directly with the Joint Chiefs 256 00:09:36,492 --> 00:09:38,034 to make sure that we're vetting our groups. 257 00:09:38,035 --> 00:09:39,160 Senator Tillis, his team, 258 00:09:39,161 --> 00:09:39,579 I mean, 259 00:09:39,580 --> 00:09:42,373 it was really whatever we needed, they were 260 00:09:42,415 --> 00:09:43,124 they were doing 261 00:09:43,125 --> 00:09:45,208 they were legitimizing our efforts. 262 00:09:45,209 --> 00:09:47,336 DOD was legitimizing our efforts. 263 00:09:47,503 --> 00:09:49,963 We saw so many great people 264 00:09:49,964 --> 00:09:53,009 drop their lives and do whatever was needed. 265 00:09:53,134 --> 00:09:54,010 One of our team members 266 00:09:54,011 --> 00:09:55,051 had a personal relationship with the 267 00:09:55,052 --> 00:09:57,554 royal family in United Arab Emirates. 268 00:09:57,555 --> 00:09:58,264 We thought, 269 00:09:58,264 --> 00:09:59,098 hey, let's ask them 270 00:09:59,098 --> 00:10:00,057 if they want to participate 271 00:10:00,058 --> 00:10:01,558 in this and help. So we asked for support. 272 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:03,393 I got several Congress members on a call. 273 00:10:03,394 --> 00:10:05,353 We basically proposed to the UAE 274 00:10:05,354 --> 00:10:06,479 what we're going to do. 275 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,356 And they had faith in us. 276 00:10:08,357 --> 00:10:09,942 They believed that we could do it. 277 00:10:25,875 --> 00:10:28,586 I knew I would be more of an asset 278 00:10:29,253 --> 00:10:31,129 working with whoever's on the ground. 279 00:10:31,130 --> 00:10:33,381 Nick and Tim are in Abu Dhabi and are like, 280 00:10:33,382 --> 00:10:35,383 Can we do a kind of a quick call? 281 00:10:35,384 --> 00:10:36,635 And so I'm thinking, okay, 282 00:10:36,636 --> 00:10:37,636 we're going to get on the phone 283 00:10:37,637 --> 00:10:40,138 and they're going to talk about 284 00:10:40,139 --> 00:10:41,181 getting on a plane 285 00:10:41,182 --> 00:10:43,350 landing and loading people and going back. 286 00:10:43,351 --> 00:10:44,768 And they were like, Yeah, 287 00:10:44,769 --> 00:10:45,686 we're going to do a little bit 288 00:10:45,687 --> 00:10:46,770 more than that. 289 00:10:46,771 --> 00:10:49,732 Leaving the officer's club, it is Joe 290 00:10:49,982 --> 00:10:51,608 who was the 291 00:10:51,609 --> 00:10:53,736 the originating contact for the UAE. 292 00:10:54,195 --> 00:10:57,448 He throws myself and Nick in a truck. 293 00:10:57,823 --> 00:10:59,032 We grab our bags, 294 00:10:59,033 --> 00:11:00,075 check my body armor, 295 00:11:00,076 --> 00:11:01,743 change my batteries in my night vision, 296 00:11:01,744 --> 00:11:02,328 change the batteries in 297 00:11:02,329 --> 00:11:03,620 my thermal imager, 298 00:11:03,621 --> 00:11:05,372 did a couple of tests in a new country 299 00:11:05,373 --> 00:11:06,207 with a new country code 300 00:11:06,208 --> 00:11:08,041 with my SAT radio and my satcom. 301 00:11:08,042 --> 00:11:12,922 Then we drove to the military airstrip. 302 00:11:13,381 --> 00:11:14,631 And shortly thereafter 303 00:11:14,632 --> 00:11:17,259 we were on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Kabul. 304 00:11:17,468 --> 00:11:21,055 And Nick and I boarded a 737, a very weird, 305 00:11:21,097 --> 00:11:24,433 eerie feeling of getting on a 737 306 00:11:24,809 --> 00:11:25,975 with no one on it 307 00:11:25,976 --> 00:11:27,686 besides the crew, 308 00:11:27,687 --> 00:11:29,939 which are all people from Afghanistan. 309 00:11:30,231 --> 00:11:33,108 And the pilots were three pilots 310 00:11:33,109 --> 00:11:34,068 from Afghanistan. 311 00:11:34,069 --> 00:11:35,276 They asked us 312 00:11:35,277 --> 00:11:37,153 if we could get their families out, 313 00:11:37,154 --> 00:11:39,364 and we promised that we would try 314 00:11:39,365 --> 00:11:40,157 and we meant it. 315 00:11:40,157 --> 00:11:40,491 You know, 316 00:11:40,492 --> 00:11:41,908 we got everybody's information 317 00:11:41,909 --> 00:11:42,785 and built 318 00:11:42,786 --> 00:11:44,787 a manifest and tried to get locations 319 00:11:45,579 --> 00:11:47,164 and all that. 320 00:11:48,124 --> 00:11:49,375 And we... 321 00:11:50,751 --> 00:11:52,919 went wheels up around sunrise to fly 322 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,422 into Afghanistan. 323 00:12:19,697 --> 00:12:21,239 Everything you've ever known about 324 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,035 an airfield is wrong here. 325 00:12:25,411 --> 00:12:28,581 I've never seen an airstrip as wild as... 326 00:12:29,790 --> 00:12:31,583 People are everywhere. 327 00:12:31,584 --> 00:12:33,168 There's no tower. 328 00:12:33,169 --> 00:12:34,711 It's like one guy on a radio 329 00:12:34,712 --> 00:12:37,214 running the airstrip. Just nuts. 330 00:12:41,510 --> 00:12:43,512 I mean, it is a mess. 331 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:44,971 Plane lands. 332 00:12:44,972 --> 00:12:47,558 Taxi stops in front of Ramp nine. 333 00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:49,392 Honestly, I was thinking 334 00:12:49,393 --> 00:12:50,685 how impressive 335 00:12:50,686 --> 00:12:51,936 everybody was, 336 00:12:51,937 --> 00:12:55,064 how hard everybody was working, 337 00:12:55,065 --> 00:12:57,151 and then how bad it was on the ground. 338 00:12:57,234 --> 00:12:59,612 Like, the media is not doing it justice. 339 00:13:00,196 --> 00:13:01,738 I mean, the humanity of it. 340 00:13:01,739 --> 00:13:05,034 Like, you know, kids are sleeping on the ground. 341 00:13:05,493 --> 00:13:08,621 There's... there's, you know, literally 342 00:13:09,538 --> 00:13:11,790 piss and shit everywhere. 343 00:13:11,791 --> 00:13:13,542 There's very little food. 344 00:13:14,919 --> 00:13:15,419 There's 345 00:13:15,420 --> 00:13:18,964 just mounds of plastic bottles. 346 00:13:19,048 --> 00:13:21,801 Nick hops in a side by side with Seaspray 347 00:13:21,842 --> 00:13:22,967 to start going 348 00:13:22,968 --> 00:13:23,636 and helping 349 00:13:23,637 --> 00:13:25,470 these people load onto this aircraft 350 00:13:25,471 --> 00:13:26,554 and start documenting 351 00:13:26,555 --> 00:13:27,889 what is happening on the ground. 352 00:13:27,890 --> 00:13:31,227 And I'm off to go do work. 353 00:13:31,560 --> 00:13:33,436 You know, I open the door to this up 354 00:13:33,437 --> 00:13:35,146 armored Land Cruiser. 355 00:13:35,147 --> 00:13:36,231 The four guys that end up being 356 00:13:36,232 --> 00:13:38,608 there are Seaspray, Dave, 357 00:13:38,609 --> 00:13:40,193 Sean G, and myself. 358 00:13:40,194 --> 00:13:42,571 So our team was comprised of 359 00:13:43,113 --> 00:13:43,864 some of the best 360 00:13:43,864 --> 00:13:44,573 in the business 361 00:13:44,574 --> 00:13:46,241 in terms of special operations 362 00:13:46,242 --> 00:13:47,992 and extraction professionals. 363 00:13:47,993 --> 00:13:50,871 I flew over to Abu Dhabi. 364 00:13:51,288 --> 00:13:52,664 I speak French, Russian, Arabic. 365 00:13:52,665 --> 00:13:54,707 I'm a former Special Forces guy 366 00:13:54,708 --> 00:13:55,708 and I'm a former Army 367 00:13:55,709 --> 00:13:56,960 strategist and planner. 368 00:13:56,961 --> 00:13:58,503 So I thought I'd be in Abu Dhabi 369 00:13:58,504 --> 00:14:00,548 in an operation center helping out to plan. 370 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:03,341 So I found myself on the runway with 371 00:14:03,342 --> 00:14:05,301 Sean and Seaspray for a couple of days, 372 00:14:05,302 --> 00:14:08,931 and then we had Tim Kennedy roll in. 373 00:14:09,181 --> 00:14:10,640 Sean G's first question is, 374 00:14:10,641 --> 00:14:11,850 "What do you need?" 375 00:14:11,851 --> 00:14:13,351 I need a gun, 376 00:14:13,352 --> 00:14:15,019 I need some local comms, 377 00:14:15,020 --> 00:14:17,063 and I need to know what we're doing. 378 00:14:17,064 --> 00:14:19,148 Sean G and Seaspray 379 00:14:19,149 --> 00:14:20,316 who are already on the evac team 380 00:14:20,317 --> 00:14:22,485 and man, immediately 381 00:14:22,486 --> 00:14:23,445 I think Tim was on the ground 382 00:14:23,446 --> 00:14:25,071 and walking and getting briefed 383 00:14:25,072 --> 00:14:26,614 and walking out of the wire. 384 00:14:26,615 --> 00:14:28,116 The military was not allowed to 385 00:14:28,117 --> 00:14:29,869 go outside the wire, period. 386 00:14:31,161 --> 00:14:33,163 That was the rules of engagement. 387 00:14:33,205 --> 00:14:34,164 They were not allowed 388 00:14:34,165 --> 00:14:36,834 to go outside of the wire. 389 00:14:37,501 --> 00:14:40,129 The way the White House set this up, 390 00:14:40,170 --> 00:14:41,546 they took the NEO operation, 391 00:14:41,547 --> 00:14:42,922 the noncombatant evacuation 392 00:14:42,923 --> 00:14:43,507 operation away 393 00:14:43,508 --> 00:14:44,883 from the Department of Defense 394 00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:46,426 and gave it to the State Department, 395 00:14:46,427 --> 00:14:48,721 which is not the way 396 00:14:49,013 --> 00:14:50,263 things are supposed to be done. 397 00:14:50,264 --> 00:14:51,514 And so when that happened, 398 00:14:51,515 --> 00:14:52,474 the State Department 399 00:14:52,475 --> 00:14:55,977 treated the NEO operation in the airport 400 00:14:55,978 --> 00:14:56,896 like an embassy. 401 00:14:56,897 --> 00:14:59,522 So now the US military can only support 402 00:14:59,523 --> 00:15:00,482 what's inside. 403 00:15:00,482 --> 00:15:01,442 They can't go outside 404 00:15:01,443 --> 00:15:02,942 and help people. Americans. 405 00:15:02,943 --> 00:15:04,319 Something can happen right in front of them. 406 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:05,695 They can't go outside and help. 407 00:15:05,696 --> 00:15:07,823 They can't go outside and get interpreters. 408 00:15:07,865 --> 00:15:09,616 They have to control that airport. 409 00:15:09,617 --> 00:15:11,784 The way that you wage war. 410 00:15:11,785 --> 00:15:13,661 You have kind of four different elements 411 00:15:13,662 --> 00:15:14,787 you have diplomatic, information, 412 00:15:14,788 --> 00:15:15,997 military, and economic. 413 00:15:15,998 --> 00:15:17,540 On the ground in Afghanistan, 414 00:15:17,541 --> 00:15:19,792 all of those are currently being controlled 415 00:15:19,793 --> 00:15:20,835 by the Taliban. 416 00:15:20,836 --> 00:15:22,922 The Taliban now control the airport. 417 00:15:23,088 --> 00:15:26,424 You'll hear people say that the U.S. military did. 418 00:15:26,425 --> 00:15:27,176 Anybody who knows 419 00:15:27,177 --> 00:15:28,384 military strategy knows that 420 00:15:28,385 --> 00:15:29,469 whoever controls the outside 421 00:15:29,470 --> 00:15:31,472 perimeter, controls that ground space. 422 00:15:31,722 --> 00:15:33,598 So anybody inside of that perimeter 423 00:15:33,599 --> 00:15:34,016 was there 424 00:15:34,016 --> 00:15:34,975 only because the Taliban 425 00:15:34,976 --> 00:15:36,309 allowed them to be there. 426 00:15:36,310 --> 00:15:38,519 Who's coming on to bases? 427 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:40,855 How the military is going to be screening? 428 00:15:40,856 --> 00:15:43,232 Who's coming on? Who's taking passports? 429 00:15:43,233 --> 00:15:45,443 Like, that's happening by the Taliban. 430 00:15:45,444 --> 00:15:46,694 A lot of people were murdered 431 00:15:46,695 --> 00:15:49,657 right outside of the wire by the Taliban 432 00:15:51,033 --> 00:15:52,451 to show that they could do it. 433 00:16:03,504 --> 00:16:06,215 Soldiers used to shoot... shoot with their guns 434 00:16:06,382 --> 00:16:08,425 to avoid the crowd. But in between, 435 00:16:08,926 --> 00:16:11,052 I saw people dying over there. 436 00:16:11,053 --> 00:16:12,929 They got hit by the bullets. 437 00:16:12,930 --> 00:16:14,389 I saw them dying there. 438 00:16:14,390 --> 00:16:16,349 The ground was full of blood. 439 00:16:16,350 --> 00:16:19,310 I saw children crying over their mothers. 440 00:16:19,311 --> 00:16:20,311 Worried that the time 441 00:16:20,312 --> 00:16:21,479 to take care of their kids, 442 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:22,730 their small babies. 443 00:16:22,731 --> 00:16:24,775 I saw some of the babies fell on the ground. 444 00:16:25,067 --> 00:16:27,318 People were running on them. 445 00:16:27,319 --> 00:16:30,239 That was the most horrible part. 446 00:16:35,828 --> 00:16:37,745 Another team had a woman 447 00:16:37,746 --> 00:16:39,038 put on the hood of their car 448 00:16:39,039 --> 00:16:40,540 and as the Taliban looked right at them, 449 00:16:40,541 --> 00:16:42,417 they just executed the woman on the hood 450 00:16:42,418 --> 00:16:43,960 just to try to elicit a response. 451 00:16:43,961 --> 00:16:44,837 Just to be like, 452 00:16:44,838 --> 00:16:46,462 just so we're super clear 453 00:16:46,463 --> 00:16:48,047 about who is in charge here, 454 00:16:48,048 --> 00:16:49,048 I'm going to murder this woman 455 00:16:49,049 --> 00:16:50,091 right in front of you. 456 00:16:50,092 --> 00:16:50,676 And there's nothing 457 00:16:50,677 --> 00:16:52,135 that you can do about it. 458 00:16:52,136 --> 00:16:54,346 This is the Taliban I know. 459 00:16:54,513 --> 00:16:55,555 And this is the Taliban 460 00:16:55,556 --> 00:16:57,516 that is outside the gates of HKIA. 461 00:17:23,125 --> 00:17:23,792 It was probably one 462 00:17:23,793 --> 00:17:25,293 of the more traumatic things 463 00:17:25,294 --> 00:17:25,711 I've been through. 464 00:17:25,712 --> 00:17:27,962 I've been in 465 00:17:27,963 --> 00:17:30,590 six or so conflicts, in two wars. 466 00:17:30,591 --> 00:17:32,425 I have two combat infantry badges. 467 00:17:32,426 --> 00:17:34,136 I've seen a lot of stuff. 468 00:17:34,261 --> 00:17:36,555 Refugees are innocent civilians. 469 00:17:37,056 --> 00:17:38,514 So when something happens to them 470 00:17:38,515 --> 00:17:39,932 intentionally, 471 00:17:39,933 --> 00:17:40,559 you know, yes, 472 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:42,060 you have collateral damage in a war, 473 00:17:42,061 --> 00:17:44,062 but something happens to them intentionally. 474 00:17:44,063 --> 00:17:45,813 It really hits home hard. 475 00:17:45,814 --> 00:17:49,026 It's impossible to explain the 476 00:17:50,694 --> 00:17:54,156 the level of desperation that people felt. 477 00:17:54,490 --> 00:17:56,741 I mean if you just think about the first couple of days 478 00:17:56,742 --> 00:17:57,950 when people were trying 479 00:17:57,951 --> 00:18:00,204 to hang on to the bottom of C-17s. 480 00:18:03,457 --> 00:18:04,540 That's desperation 481 00:18:04,541 --> 00:18:06,167 that Americans... like Americans 482 00:18:06,168 --> 00:18:08,169 don't understand that level of desperation. 483 00:18:08,170 --> 00:18:10,756 I don't... I don't understand. 484 00:18:11,006 --> 00:18:12,006 Yeah, I think... 485 00:18:12,758 --> 00:18:14,133 I don't think the news captured it. 486 00:18:14,134 --> 00:18:14,843 And I don't think people 487 00:18:14,844 --> 00:18:16,427 could really comprehend 488 00:18:16,428 --> 00:18:18,221 the environment of HKIA. 489 00:18:18,222 --> 00:18:20,681 So many guys that I know 490 00:18:20,682 --> 00:18:22,683 that have tremendous amount 491 00:18:22,684 --> 00:18:24,185 of experience in combat 492 00:18:24,186 --> 00:18:25,269 and special operations 493 00:18:25,270 --> 00:18:26,938 and seeing horrific things, 494 00:18:26,939 --> 00:18:28,731 all describe it as one of the most chaotic 495 00:18:28,732 --> 00:18:30,983 and horrific things they have ever seen. 496 00:18:30,984 --> 00:18:34,112 I've never seen desperation 497 00:18:34,113 --> 00:18:36,198 like what I saw 498 00:18:36,448 --> 00:18:40,119 in Kabul, what I saw in HKIA. 499 00:18:40,953 --> 00:18:42,411 You know, the Afghans knew 500 00:18:42,412 --> 00:18:43,663 that we would take children. 501 00:18:43,664 --> 00:18:44,914 So if it was an infant, 502 00:18:44,915 --> 00:18:46,207 we would take the infant. 503 00:18:46,208 --> 00:18:48,501 Not that the troops were trying to. 504 00:18:48,502 --> 00:18:49,294 But if somebody, like, 505 00:18:49,295 --> 00:18:51,129 climbed up the wall and handed, 506 00:18:51,130 --> 00:18:53,172 you know, a Marine or one of the 82nd 507 00:18:53,173 --> 00:18:54,967 Airborne guys, an infant, they were taken. 508 00:18:56,260 --> 00:18:57,260 Well... 509 00:19:00,180 --> 00:19:02,098 people got desperate 510 00:19:02,099 --> 00:19:02,724 and... 511 00:19:02,725 --> 00:19:03,891 so that you understand 512 00:19:03,892 --> 00:19:07,688 it's like people were crowd surfing babies. 513 00:19:08,230 --> 00:19:09,730 They were passing babies 514 00:19:09,731 --> 00:19:11,315 so that the babies would get up front 515 00:19:11,316 --> 00:19:13,234 so that they could then, you know, 516 00:19:13,235 --> 00:19:15,361 hand them to troops. 517 00:19:15,362 --> 00:19:17,321 And this was their best hope 518 00:19:17,322 --> 00:19:19,115 that that child might live, 519 00:19:19,116 --> 00:19:20,283 that their best hope was 520 00:19:20,284 --> 00:19:21,659 that they could beach ball 521 00:19:21,660 --> 00:19:23,828 a child forward into the crowd 522 00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:25,163 and that some soldier 523 00:19:25,164 --> 00:19:27,206 or Airman or Marine 524 00:19:27,207 --> 00:19:28,083 on top of this wall 525 00:19:28,084 --> 00:19:30,293 could reach down, pull this child up, 526 00:19:30,294 --> 00:19:32,378 and this child would have a better chance 527 00:19:32,379 --> 00:19:37,176 at life than staying in Afghanistan. 528 00:19:37,509 --> 00:19:39,511 These troops down on that wall, 529 00:19:40,220 --> 00:19:44,099 just having people beg all day, all night, 530 00:19:44,141 --> 00:19:45,349 please get them out. 531 00:19:45,350 --> 00:19:46,684 And... and, 532 00:19:46,685 --> 00:19:47,561 you know, 533 00:19:47,561 --> 00:19:48,395 if they don't get in, 534 00:19:48,396 --> 00:19:50,730 they're probably going to die. 535 00:19:50,731 --> 00:19:51,981 And then some people, 536 00:19:51,982 --> 00:19:52,900 you know, I don't... 537 00:19:52,901 --> 00:19:54,650 I don't know what level of desperation 538 00:19:54,651 --> 00:19:56,152 you need to be at to do this. 539 00:19:56,153 --> 00:19:59,031 But there were people that threw the babies 540 00:19:59,656 --> 00:20:00,656 over the wall 541 00:20:00,657 --> 00:20:03,118 when Americans didn't take them. 542 00:20:03,368 --> 00:20:05,704 This is like a frail, small Afghan woman 543 00:20:06,580 --> 00:20:08,080 taking her infant child 544 00:20:08,081 --> 00:20:10,625 and throwing this child as hard 545 00:20:10,626 --> 00:20:12,335 and as high as she could 546 00:20:12,336 --> 00:20:13,045 in the hopes 547 00:20:13,046 --> 00:20:15,379 that somebody might catch this baby. 548 00:20:15,380 --> 00:20:17,924 Not realizing that on the other side of 549 00:20:17,925 --> 00:20:20,260 the wall was concertina. 550 00:20:21,803 --> 00:20:22,429 So like there were 551 00:20:22,430 --> 00:20:24,096 some babies that, 552 00:20:24,097 --> 00:20:25,223 you know, that bled out 553 00:20:25,224 --> 00:20:27,266 on the concertina wire. 554 00:20:27,267 --> 00:20:28,267 Um... 555 00:20:30,854 --> 00:20:32,021 And that's... 556 00:20:32,022 --> 00:20:33,023 That's... 557 00:20:33,315 --> 00:20:35,775 That's the desperation that you... 558 00:20:35,776 --> 00:20:37,152 that you can't... 559 00:20:37,903 --> 00:20:39,612 you can't put that on TV. 560 00:20:39,613 --> 00:20:40,489 You know, you don't... 561 00:20:40,490 --> 00:20:43,784 you don't see that anywhere. 562 00:20:44,284 --> 00:20:47,120 And as I'm moving past these gates, 563 00:20:48,747 --> 00:20:51,041 whether it's Black Gate or Abbey Gate or, 564 00:20:52,793 --> 00:20:54,335 you know, the U.N. gate, 565 00:20:54,336 --> 00:20:57,213 those babies are still in the concertina wire 566 00:20:57,214 --> 00:20:59,423 and those women are still stuck out there 567 00:20:59,424 --> 00:21:01,927 screaming. The nightmares and like the... 568 00:21:04,972 --> 00:21:07,474 So everything that was outside of that lane, 569 00:21:08,016 --> 00:21:09,600 you know, like I'm focused on this 570 00:21:09,601 --> 00:21:10,685 with everything 571 00:21:10,686 --> 00:21:13,562 I'm trying to save a woman and her children, 572 00:21:13,563 --> 00:21:15,983 but off to like five feet away from me 573 00:21:16,775 --> 00:21:18,901 is a... is a dead child. 574 00:21:18,902 --> 00:21:21,363 You know, is... is a smoldering, burning body. 575 00:21:21,905 --> 00:21:24,533 And having smelled bodies 576 00:21:24,908 --> 00:21:26,617 my whole entire adult life, 577 00:21:26,618 --> 00:21:29,036 but then seeing it's a small one. 578 00:21:29,037 --> 00:21:31,290 And that's a burning body of a child 579 00:21:31,748 --> 00:21:34,000 that was lit by the Taliban. 580 00:21:34,001 --> 00:21:34,793 There's nothing I could do about... 581 00:21:34,794 --> 00:21:36,795 That's already gone. But I'm still here. 582 00:21:38,130 --> 00:21:39,840 But it was just... 583 00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:42,884 everywhere. 584 00:21:52,769 --> 00:21:53,186 The only way 585 00:21:53,187 --> 00:21:55,689 to effectively evacuate 586 00:21:55,856 --> 00:21:56,606 those who were the most 587 00:21:56,607 --> 00:21:59,066 vulnerable was to go out and get them. 588 00:21:59,067 --> 00:22:01,320 I'll just say special units. 589 00:22:03,363 --> 00:22:05,489 And so our ground team was essentially 590 00:22:05,490 --> 00:22:07,199 one of those special units 591 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,118 that were allowed to go outside the wire. 592 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,454 We were targeting specific individuals 593 00:22:11,455 --> 00:22:13,664 that were passport and SIV holders 594 00:22:13,665 --> 00:22:15,082 that were external to the base 595 00:22:15,083 --> 00:22:17,127 and needed to get on in a safe way. 596 00:22:17,586 --> 00:22:18,586 Couldn't necessarily 597 00:22:18,587 --> 00:22:20,672 go through the Taliban checkpoints 598 00:22:21,089 --> 00:22:23,007 because they had been working 599 00:22:23,008 --> 00:22:24,467 with the United States. 600 00:22:24,468 --> 00:22:25,968 The Taliban knew 601 00:22:25,969 --> 00:22:28,304 which women were educated and could read. 602 00:22:28,305 --> 00:22:29,472 The Taliban knew 603 00:22:29,473 --> 00:22:30,681 who the Christians were like, 604 00:22:30,682 --> 00:22:31,807 "These are all the targets." 605 00:22:31,808 --> 00:22:33,017 And back in the JOC, 606 00:22:33,018 --> 00:22:33,310 you know, 607 00:22:33,311 --> 00:22:35,728 we were communicating with these targets 608 00:22:35,729 --> 00:22:37,856 before we would pass them on to the guys. 609 00:22:38,398 --> 00:22:39,565 And, you know, 610 00:22:39,566 --> 00:22:41,317 we put target packages together 611 00:22:41,318 --> 00:22:42,943 and we'd be talking to them 612 00:22:42,944 --> 00:22:44,153 and sending the information 613 00:22:44,154 --> 00:22:45,364 down to the ground team. 614 00:22:46,365 --> 00:22:49,368 But a lot of these targets would go dark. 615 00:22:56,083 --> 00:22:57,208 Looking at this problem set, 616 00:22:57,209 --> 00:22:59,378 you know, it's really no different 617 00:23:00,003 --> 00:23:02,004 than any other situation, 618 00:23:02,005 --> 00:23:05,092 you know, that involves a mass movement. 619 00:23:05,884 --> 00:23:07,802 It's a logistic challenge, 620 00:23:07,803 --> 00:23:08,136 you know, 621 00:23:08,137 --> 00:23:10,180 but it's based on the same framework 622 00:23:10,972 --> 00:23:12,056 of any NEO. 623 00:23:12,057 --> 00:23:14,351 So we go out to do a 624 00:23:15,477 --> 00:23:18,814 recon of a potential evacuation site. 625 00:23:19,106 --> 00:23:21,983 As we approach the first spot, 626 00:23:22,734 --> 00:23:24,652 I see some Taliban overwatch positions 627 00:23:24,653 --> 00:23:27,405 on top of a few two, three story buildings, 628 00:23:27,406 --> 00:23:29,323 and those observation 629 00:23:29,324 --> 00:23:31,618 positions can clearly see 630 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:33,744 pretty much everything in that area. 631 00:23:33,745 --> 00:23:34,912 We start exploring a couple 632 00:23:34,913 --> 00:23:36,580 more evacuation spots. 633 00:23:36,581 --> 00:23:38,667 I clamber up to this gate and 634 00:23:39,835 --> 00:23:40,794 I realize really 635 00:23:40,795 --> 00:23:43,170 quickly that there's just one single bolt 636 00:23:43,171 --> 00:23:44,463 on the inside of this gate, 637 00:23:44,464 --> 00:23:45,132 keeping this gate 638 00:23:45,133 --> 00:23:47,217 closed from the outside of the Taliban 639 00:23:47,509 --> 00:23:50,261 and access to this big empty parking lot. 640 00:23:50,262 --> 00:23:52,430 That just has a bunch of these buses 641 00:23:52,431 --> 00:23:53,014 lined up. 642 00:23:53,015 --> 00:23:54,056 And the buses were perfect 643 00:23:54,057 --> 00:23:55,599 because it provides cover. 644 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:57,351 And then immediately adjacent to that 645 00:23:57,352 --> 00:23:58,727 were these 646 00:23:58,728 --> 00:24:00,020 retention, I don't know 647 00:24:00,021 --> 00:24:02,356 if they're oil or water tanks, 648 00:24:02,357 --> 00:24:04,150 maybe a kilometer of them, 649 00:24:04,151 --> 00:24:07,611 and then moved into this urban, albeit 650 00:24:07,612 --> 00:24:09,113 very poor 651 00:24:09,114 --> 00:24:12,909 suburb, and that seemed mostly vacant. 652 00:24:13,034 --> 00:24:16,872 This was a not observed portion of our 653 00:24:17,372 --> 00:24:19,206 perimeter for HKIA. 654 00:24:19,207 --> 00:24:20,000 Nobody would notice 655 00:24:20,001 --> 00:24:22,168 some people moving through there 656 00:24:22,169 --> 00:24:22,794 and there were people 657 00:24:22,795 --> 00:24:24,753 kind of constantly moving through there. 658 00:24:24,754 --> 00:24:25,505 So it looked awesome. 659 00:24:25,506 --> 00:24:28,091 They were just 660 00:24:28,675 --> 00:24:30,342 pulling targets through the wire 661 00:24:30,343 --> 00:24:32,803 all night, nonstop, 662 00:24:32,804 --> 00:24:34,638 and they were coming back in the wire 663 00:24:34,639 --> 00:24:36,682 around the time the sun came up. 664 00:24:36,683 --> 00:24:38,642 Before leaving UAE, 665 00:24:38,643 --> 00:24:39,519 we kind of set up 666 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,520 the five W's for initial linkup. 667 00:24:41,521 --> 00:24:42,897 What proves to be 668 00:24:42,898 --> 00:24:44,398 the most difficult thing in 669 00:24:44,399 --> 00:24:46,443 the evacuation is linkup. 670 00:24:46,651 --> 00:24:47,444 So we start building 671 00:24:47,445 --> 00:24:48,777 these packages of people 672 00:24:48,778 --> 00:24:50,905 with information to validate who they were, 673 00:24:50,906 --> 00:24:52,990 and that would build manifest. 674 00:24:52,991 --> 00:24:55,284 And those manifest would get... 675 00:24:55,285 --> 00:24:57,077 Will get sent to the Joint Chiefs 676 00:24:57,078 --> 00:24:58,162 to get approved. 677 00:24:58,163 --> 00:24:59,371 There were some lists 678 00:24:59,372 --> 00:25:01,499 that were DOD approved, 679 00:25:01,500 --> 00:25:02,791 but not DOS approved. 680 00:25:02,792 --> 00:25:03,627 There were some lists 681 00:25:03,628 --> 00:25:04,752 that were DOS approved, 682 00:25:04,753 --> 00:25:06,337 but not DOD approved. 683 00:25:06,338 --> 00:25:07,671 There were some lists 684 00:25:07,672 --> 00:25:09,716 that were Pentagon approved. 685 00:25:09,925 --> 00:25:11,634 DOD, Pentagon, DOS 686 00:25:11,635 --> 00:25:13,762 approved, but not Taliban approved. 687 00:25:22,103 --> 00:25:23,188 So night looks like this: 688 00:25:24,856 --> 00:25:26,398 sun goes down. 689 00:25:26,399 --> 00:25:30,820 I pre-position at a linkup location 690 00:25:31,446 --> 00:25:33,280 where I say, at the corner 691 00:25:33,281 --> 00:25:35,909 of this outside of this gate at this time, 692 00:25:36,910 --> 00:25:39,870 you're going to do a far recognition. 693 00:25:39,871 --> 00:25:41,080 And then once they get close 694 00:25:41,081 --> 00:25:42,790 they have to do the near security check. 695 00:25:42,791 --> 00:25:45,334 Maybe it's a proword, maybe it's 696 00:25:45,335 --> 00:25:46,335 a secret phrase, 697 00:25:46,336 --> 00:25:47,254 maybe it's a word 698 00:25:47,255 --> 00:25:48,963 that you have to slip into a sentence. 699 00:25:48,964 --> 00:25:49,964 And there were lots of different 700 00:25:49,965 --> 00:25:51,173 far and near recognition 701 00:25:51,174 --> 00:25:52,424 signals that we were using 702 00:25:52,425 --> 00:25:54,218 and we were changing them every few hours. 703 00:25:54,219 --> 00:25:56,972 Once we had that near recognition signal, 704 00:25:57,722 --> 00:26:00,516 then I need to confirm that 705 00:26:00,517 --> 00:26:02,393 the documents that you digitally sent to us 706 00:26:02,394 --> 00:26:03,061 were the documents 707 00:26:03,062 --> 00:26:04,562 that you physically have in hand. 708 00:26:04,563 --> 00:26:05,771 Basically the places 709 00:26:05,772 --> 00:26:07,439 where nobody would actually want to go, 710 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:09,233 that's how they were bringing people in. 711 00:26:09,234 --> 00:26:10,110 And they had... 712 00:26:10,111 --> 00:26:12,696 They had four different good rat lines 713 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:14,780 into the complex. 714 00:26:14,781 --> 00:26:18,742 Even preplanned routes, as I'm like looking at a map, 715 00:26:18,743 --> 00:26:21,078 and I'm having to go from point A to point B, 716 00:26:21,079 --> 00:26:23,539 I might set up one, two, three, four, five 717 00:26:23,540 --> 00:26:24,915 different routes to get there. 718 00:26:24,916 --> 00:26:27,376 Well, my life and the life of these people that we're trying 719 00:26:27,377 --> 00:26:28,497 to get out is on the line... 720 00:26:28,628 --> 00:26:29,921 And... um... 721 00:26:30,589 --> 00:26:33,132 Figuring out multiple ways to get right back 722 00:26:33,133 --> 00:26:37,303 onto HKIA proves... um... to be pretty important. 723 00:26:37,304 --> 00:26:39,972 They were crawling through sewage, 724 00:26:39,973 --> 00:26:42,934 ditches, gross... you know, literally through crap 725 00:26:44,060 --> 00:26:47,897 under... under concertina and barbed wire. 726 00:26:49,024 --> 00:26:50,483 Digging holes. 727 00:26:58,283 --> 00:27:00,784 Sneaking past Taliban checkpoints 728 00:27:00,785 --> 00:27:03,705 and then sneaking onto the airbase 729 00:27:03,955 --> 00:27:07,333 and then through the airstrip to our hangar 730 00:27:07,334 --> 00:27:09,419 to be manifested for the next flight out. 731 00:27:09,669 --> 00:27:11,504 Let's say each of those takes 732 00:27:12,756 --> 00:27:14,882 45 minutes to 90 minutes. 733 00:27:14,883 --> 00:27:17,176 Multiply that by the ten, 734 00:27:17,177 --> 00:27:19,596 11 hours of darkness. 735 00:27:19,846 --> 00:27:21,931 That's the night. 736 00:27:23,058 --> 00:27:24,391 We slept maybe an hour a day 737 00:27:24,392 --> 00:27:25,101 and just some moving... 738 00:27:25,102 --> 00:27:26,685 it became a blur. 739 00:27:26,686 --> 00:27:28,520 The second day, we got 800 people out 740 00:27:28,521 --> 00:27:30,190 and then again it became a blur. 741 00:27:53,338 --> 00:27:54,963 My phone would die like three 742 00:27:54,964 --> 00:27:56,675 times in a 24 hour period. 743 00:27:57,634 --> 00:27:59,343 I knew that I lost my voice 744 00:27:59,344 --> 00:28:00,386 probably like around 745 00:28:00,387 --> 00:28:02,764 August 19th, temporarily, just because I had... 746 00:28:03,181 --> 00:28:04,723 I just didn't stop talking. 747 00:28:04,724 --> 00:28:06,642 I didn't stop collecting information. 748 00:28:06,643 --> 00:28:08,143 Sean G is off 749 00:28:08,144 --> 00:28:09,978 talking to thousands of people 750 00:28:09,979 --> 00:28:11,230 on his seven different phones 751 00:28:11,231 --> 00:28:12,272 that he's using. 752 00:28:12,273 --> 00:28:13,482 If you have the ability to help someone, 753 00:28:13,483 --> 00:28:14,067 you help someone. 754 00:28:14,068 --> 00:28:15,150 And like I've always 755 00:28:15,151 --> 00:28:17,111 I've always believed that so strongly. 756 00:28:17,112 --> 00:28:19,321 And so I was willing to use 757 00:28:19,322 --> 00:28:24,326 any ounce of political capital or anything 758 00:28:24,327 --> 00:28:25,828 I had to throw it at this problem 759 00:28:25,829 --> 00:28:26,579 knowing that, like, 760 00:28:26,580 --> 00:28:28,247 maybe this is like my one favor 761 00:28:28,248 --> 00:28:29,581 I'm ever going to ask of this person 762 00:28:29,582 --> 00:28:30,375 in my lifetime. 763 00:28:30,376 --> 00:28:32,585 And now this is what I've been waiting for. 764 00:28:32,752 --> 00:28:35,170 Like this is the time to use it and to do it. 765 00:28:35,171 --> 00:28:36,714 I'm able to make a far recognition, 766 00:28:36,715 --> 00:28:37,590 near recognition. 767 00:28:37,591 --> 00:28:39,091 Their paperwork aligns with the paperwork 768 00:28:39,092 --> 00:28:40,051 that are sent digitally. 769 00:28:40,052 --> 00:28:41,385 They were vetted, it's approved. 770 00:28:41,386 --> 00:28:42,636 I'm able to bring them in 771 00:28:42,637 --> 00:28:43,721 and behind them, 772 00:28:43,722 --> 00:28:45,931 as I'm bringing in these four people, 773 00:28:45,932 --> 00:28:48,183 behind them was another 40 people 774 00:28:48,184 --> 00:28:50,269 that those four people had told 775 00:28:50,270 --> 00:28:50,854 they're going to be able 776 00:28:50,855 --> 00:28:52,938 to get onto the base and maybe get out. 777 00:28:52,939 --> 00:28:53,898 And then I have to look at those 778 00:28:53,899 --> 00:28:55,316 other 40 people and be like, 779 00:28:57,861 --> 00:29:00,613 No, bro, like, I can't do anything with you. 780 00:29:01,531 --> 00:29:02,740 Yeah, we're making differences. 781 00:29:02,741 --> 00:29:04,491 We're picking up pieces of sand 782 00:29:04,492 --> 00:29:05,410 and you pick up enough of them, 783 00:29:05,411 --> 00:29:06,411 you'll eventually have a bucket. 784 00:29:06,411 --> 00:29:07,411 But... 785 00:29:07,871 --> 00:29:10,038 I'm looking at a beach, 786 00:29:10,039 --> 00:29:12,291 you know, and I'm moving a grain of sand 787 00:29:12,292 --> 00:29:13,126 at a time. 788 00:29:13,127 --> 00:29:17,212 We're so focused on what we had to do that 789 00:29:17,213 --> 00:29:19,173 every one of those 790 00:29:19,174 --> 00:29:21,717 pieces of sand was a life. 791 00:29:21,718 --> 00:29:24,052 A life that fought for us, and a life 792 00:29:24,053 --> 00:29:25,721 that deserved 793 00:29:25,722 --> 00:29:27,473 to live and a life that deserved 794 00:29:27,474 --> 00:29:28,891 a better opportunity than 795 00:29:28,892 --> 00:29:31,770 what the Taliban was going to give them. 796 00:29:33,813 --> 00:29:36,064 You know, we're a drop in the bucket. 797 00:29:36,065 --> 00:29:37,025 And every life 798 00:29:37,026 --> 00:29:38,192 that has moved off that beach 799 00:29:38,193 --> 00:29:40,277 and into a bucket is a life that is 800 00:29:40,278 --> 00:29:41,362 that is saved from... 801 00:29:43,406 --> 00:29:45,825 indescribable acts. 802 00:30:05,637 --> 00:30:07,471 Now it's how many people can we get out 803 00:30:07,472 --> 00:30:08,223 in the little bit of time 804 00:30:08,224 --> 00:30:10,474 that we have before, ultimately, 805 00:30:10,475 --> 00:30:12,142 that base crumbles. 806 00:30:12,143 --> 00:30:12,852 Finally, as things were starting to get tight, 807 00:30:12,853 --> 00:30:15,145 New Caption 808 00:30:15,146 --> 00:30:17,105 that a whole lot of government agencies 809 00:30:17,106 --> 00:30:19,442 had their people still out there by name. 810 00:30:19,859 --> 00:30:21,777 We knew we were getting close to the end. 811 00:30:21,778 --> 00:30:24,155 So we... our team 812 00:30:24,906 --> 00:30:28,201 physically bought seven buses. 813 00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:30,995 We had a location for 300 orphans. 814 00:30:31,204 --> 00:30:35,291 We had a location for about 100 Christians. 815 00:30:35,834 --> 00:30:37,584 And then we had 816 00:30:37,585 --> 00:30:39,086 several high value 817 00:30:39,087 --> 00:30:41,129 individuals that were requested 818 00:30:41,130 --> 00:30:43,842 by government entities for us to pick up. 819 00:30:44,509 --> 00:30:47,303 And then we also had the families of 820 00:30:49,305 --> 00:30:52,684 the crews that had been flying the charter airplanes. 821 00:30:53,226 --> 00:30:56,937 We send out buses to multiple places 822 00:30:56,938 --> 00:30:58,021 throughout the city. 823 00:30:58,022 --> 00:31:00,900 The most elite intelligence agencies 824 00:31:01,651 --> 00:31:02,734 in the world 825 00:31:02,735 --> 00:31:04,820 have their people on these buses. 826 00:31:04,821 --> 00:31:07,406 Afghan Special Forces commandos, 827 00:31:07,407 --> 00:31:10,535 interpreters, Christians, orphans. 828 00:31:10,827 --> 00:31:12,870 All of these on these buses. 829 00:31:12,871 --> 00:31:14,413 The guys worked all night 830 00:31:14,414 --> 00:31:17,165 and then filled those buses 831 00:31:17,166 --> 00:31:19,835 with those individuals. 832 00:31:19,836 --> 00:31:20,587 We thought we could 833 00:31:20,588 --> 00:31:22,797 we could just get one big, big lump through. 834 00:31:22,839 --> 00:31:24,089 We had this great little gate 835 00:31:24,090 --> 00:31:24,799 that we had arranged 836 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,008 ahead of time with the Marines. 837 00:31:26,009 --> 00:31:27,676 We have five of them 838 00:31:27,677 --> 00:31:29,845 lined up at this 839 00:31:29,846 --> 00:31:31,972 at this one gate; Black Gate. 840 00:31:31,973 --> 00:31:33,265 I got a SAT call. 841 00:31:33,266 --> 00:31:35,309 Hey, we got 842 00:31:35,310 --> 00:31:37,312 300 orphans, 100 Christians, 843 00:31:37,937 --> 00:31:41,607 the HVT's, and the families of about 844 00:31:41,608 --> 00:31:43,943 half the crew through the gate. 845 00:31:44,235 --> 00:31:45,319 We danced a jig. 846 00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:47,696 Like we were like, you know, fuck yeah. 847 00:31:47,697 --> 00:31:50,366 Like... one of the happiest moments 848 00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:53,244 that we had during the whole event. 849 00:31:53,453 --> 00:31:54,745 Nick and I, 850 00:31:54,746 --> 00:31:55,746 as the call came in 851 00:31:55,747 --> 00:31:56,788 that they were approaching the gate 852 00:31:56,789 --> 00:31:57,956 and that they were getting ready to come in, 853 00:31:57,957 --> 00:31:59,875 were high fiving 854 00:31:59,876 --> 00:32:01,168 and kind of jumping around. 855 00:32:01,169 --> 00:32:02,628 And it's 3:00 in the morning, 856 00:32:02,629 --> 00:32:04,296 there's nobody else around. 857 00:32:04,297 --> 00:32:06,924 And we're doing as much as we can 858 00:32:06,925 --> 00:32:08,133 as fast as we can. 859 00:32:08,134 --> 00:32:09,968 But we can't make mistakes. 860 00:32:09,969 --> 00:32:10,178 You know, 861 00:32:10,179 --> 00:32:12,220 we can't let one person 862 00:32:12,221 --> 00:32:14,724 through that shouldn't have gotten through. 863 00:32:15,183 --> 00:32:17,602 And so we're being thorough. 864 00:32:17,852 --> 00:32:20,647 And we were talking to one of the 865 00:32:21,314 --> 00:32:22,607 government representatives 866 00:32:23,942 --> 00:32:25,108 who is the regional 867 00:32:25,109 --> 00:32:27,027 representative for that agency. 868 00:32:27,028 --> 00:32:28,904 Calls are going up chains of command, 869 00:32:28,905 --> 00:32:30,698 and ultimately 870 00:32:31,115 --> 00:32:32,157 the full bird Colonel 871 00:32:32,158 --> 00:32:35,244 who is in charge of the base arrives on... 872 00:32:36,037 --> 00:32:38,164 on scene at Black Gate. 873 00:32:46,130 --> 00:32:48,799 And he just makes the call, 874 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,592 "Turn everybody around... 875 00:32:50,593 --> 00:32:52,260 put everybody back out... 876 00:32:52,261 --> 00:32:53,679 I don't care who they are." 877 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:55,514 Tim calls on the SAT phone. 878 00:32:55,515 --> 00:32:56,974 He's like, they're kicking them out. 879 00:32:56,975 --> 00:32:58,350 They're going to kick them all out. 880 00:32:58,351 --> 00:32:59,518 I got a message from Sean Lee 881 00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:02,145 that says a colonel from the 82nd 882 00:33:02,146 --> 00:33:03,230 is seriously about to kick out 883 00:33:03,231 --> 00:33:05,190 300 orphans 884 00:33:05,191 --> 00:33:07,652 and Christians and American citizens. 885 00:33:27,755 --> 00:33:30,048 G... tried to talk sense into them. 886 00:33:30,049 --> 00:33:32,551 Can we at least go through all these people 887 00:33:32,552 --> 00:33:33,511 and make sure we pull out 888 00:33:33,512 --> 00:33:34,761 the American citizens 889 00:33:34,762 --> 00:33:36,513 and the green card holders? 890 00:33:36,514 --> 00:33:37,473 Pump the brakes here. 891 00:33:37,474 --> 00:33:39,234 Let's talk about this. And he's like, "Nope. 892 00:33:40,435 --> 00:33:41,060 It's my decision. 893 00:33:41,060 --> 00:33:41,561 It's a command." 894 00:33:41,562 --> 00:33:44,104 Like, well, I'm not in the military. 895 00:33:44,105 --> 00:33:45,856 I'm not here for the military. 896 00:33:45,857 --> 00:33:47,900 And that's not really a lawful order. 897 00:33:47,942 --> 00:33:49,318 Let's talk about this. 898 00:34:07,086 --> 00:34:08,587 Like, is this an unlawful order 899 00:34:08,588 --> 00:34:11,424 or is he just a terrible human being? 900 00:34:11,591 --> 00:34:12,591 What is happening? 901 00:34:12,675 --> 00:34:16,053 From his perspective, even though Tim wasn't 902 00:34:16,054 --> 00:34:16,971 the team leader, 903 00:34:16,972 --> 00:34:18,973 Tim was the only guy that he knew. 904 00:34:24,312 --> 00:34:26,898 He thought, "This is some fuckin' guy 905 00:34:28,274 --> 00:34:31,444 that's just showing up in Afghanistan 906 00:34:32,070 --> 00:34:34,071 running seven buses in, 907 00:34:34,072 --> 00:34:34,447 you know, 908 00:34:34,448 --> 00:34:36,656 fuck this guy, I want to kick him out." 909 00:34:36,657 --> 00:34:38,992 These were people that fought 910 00:34:38,993 --> 00:34:41,120 and had their relatives die for us. 911 00:34:41,370 --> 00:34:42,829 They lost their limbs for us. 912 00:34:42,830 --> 00:34:45,500 They lost their adult lives and youth and 913 00:34:46,042 --> 00:34:47,627 their innocence for us. 914 00:34:48,127 --> 00:34:49,461 Yes, they're fighting for Afghanistan. 915 00:34:49,462 --> 00:34:50,837 Yes, they're fighting for their people. 916 00:34:50,838 --> 00:34:52,672 But they are fighting with us. 917 00:34:52,673 --> 00:34:53,633 That's who... that's who 918 00:34:53,634 --> 00:34:55,342 we're trying to save here. 919 00:34:55,343 --> 00:34:57,887 From our perspective, 920 00:34:58,471 --> 00:35:01,849 this was possibly the most valuable load 921 00:35:02,058 --> 00:35:06,104 of people we had brought in thus far. 922 00:35:11,901 --> 00:35:13,527 I said, Hey, look, I'm 923 00:35:13,528 --> 00:35:14,278 a West Pointer too. 924 00:35:14,279 --> 00:35:15,403 I've been to your school. 925 00:35:15,404 --> 00:35:15,988 Trust me on this. 926 00:35:15,989 --> 00:35:17,447 We have the manifest for you. 927 00:35:17,448 --> 00:35:19,528 He said, "I don't care where you've been to school". 928 00:35:23,329 --> 00:35:24,538 But the next decision he made 929 00:35:24,539 --> 00:35:26,081 was just unconscionable. 930 00:35:26,082 --> 00:35:28,375 It embarrassed me for the Army. 931 00:35:28,376 --> 00:35:29,960 If I have somebody with a blue passport, 932 00:35:29,961 --> 00:35:30,670 if I have an American 933 00:35:30,671 --> 00:35:32,295 hold up a blue passport, 934 00:35:32,296 --> 00:35:33,755 can that person get on a bus? 935 00:35:33,756 --> 00:35:35,090 If I have somebody hold up 936 00:35:35,091 --> 00:35:36,383 an SIV, 937 00:35:36,384 --> 00:35:37,884 a special immigration visa, 938 00:35:37,885 --> 00:35:39,678 can that person get back on the bus? 939 00:35:39,679 --> 00:35:41,722 If I have a P1, if I have a green card, 940 00:35:42,223 --> 00:35:44,141 I have a spouse of an American citizen... 941 00:35:44,142 --> 00:35:45,976 can these people get back on these buses? 942 00:35:45,977 --> 00:35:47,978 "No, I don't care who they are. 943 00:35:47,979 --> 00:35:49,104 You get back on those buses 944 00:35:49,105 --> 00:35:50,897 and those buses go back into Kabul. 945 00:35:50,898 --> 00:35:51,940 Get them off this base." 946 00:35:51,941 --> 00:35:53,943 Can we just keep the blue passport holders? 947 00:35:54,110 --> 00:35:55,152 Tim yells. 948 00:35:55,153 --> 00:35:56,486 And he says, 949 00:35:56,487 --> 00:35:58,530 "Everybody goes back on these buses 950 00:35:58,531 --> 00:36:00,700 and I want them escorted back off the base." 951 00:36:01,409 --> 00:36:03,452 And the colonel said, kick them out. 952 00:36:52,627 --> 00:36:53,877 Whoever just made the decision 953 00:36:53,878 --> 00:36:54,754 to turn his bus around 954 00:36:54,755 --> 00:36:56,004 essentially just killed... 955 00:36:56,005 --> 00:36:57,714 Just murdered... these people. 956 00:36:57,715 --> 00:37:00,009 And by the way, some of those people 957 00:37:00,885 --> 00:37:01,968 are children 958 00:37:01,969 --> 00:37:03,261 and some of these people were women. 959 00:37:03,262 --> 00:37:05,096 But some of these people are Americans 960 00:37:05,097 --> 00:37:07,642 that we just sent back to the Taliban. 961 00:37:08,100 --> 00:37:09,684 Whoever got killed by the Taliban 962 00:37:09,685 --> 00:37:10,811 because of that decision, 963 00:37:11,854 --> 00:37:13,813 that decision was on him. 964 00:37:13,814 --> 00:37:16,483 And I called Senator Tillis. 965 00:37:16,484 --> 00:37:19,903 Senator Tillis called multiple generals. 966 00:37:19,904 --> 00:37:21,780 Those generals called to the ground. 967 00:37:21,781 --> 00:37:22,864 But by the time 968 00:37:22,865 --> 00:37:24,157 the generals connected 969 00:37:24,158 --> 00:37:26,868 with the colonel to stop it, 970 00:37:26,869 --> 00:37:30,206 he had already kicked the buses off. 971 00:37:31,832 --> 00:37:34,085 And we... we did not see them again. 972 00:37:35,044 --> 00:37:37,004 Every Taliban 973 00:37:37,380 --> 00:37:38,546 around the airport 974 00:37:38,547 --> 00:37:40,590 saw them come through the gate 975 00:37:40,591 --> 00:37:42,843 on a bus with Americans 976 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:46,846 and now every Taliban member 977 00:37:46,847 --> 00:37:49,432 at the gate was going to see them leave 978 00:37:49,433 --> 00:37:51,017 and go back into Kabul. 979 00:37:51,018 --> 00:37:52,602 And that's heart wrenching. 980 00:37:52,603 --> 00:37:55,730 There's not enough emotional capacity left 981 00:37:55,731 --> 00:37:58,734 in my soul to be able to mourn 982 00:37:59,402 --> 00:38:02,113 four busloads of people that are about to die. 983 00:38:03,531 --> 00:38:06,533 Because the time spent in anguish 984 00:38:06,534 --> 00:38:08,285 and mourning, is time 985 00:38:08,286 --> 00:38:09,494 that could have been spent 986 00:38:09,495 --> 00:38:10,912 trying to save other people. 987 00:38:10,913 --> 00:38:12,414 We continued to do what we had to do 988 00:38:12,415 --> 00:38:12,957 because we knew these 989 00:38:12,957 --> 00:38:13,791 people were counting on us. 990 00:38:13,792 --> 00:38:15,834 We knew that the guys, 991 00:38:15,835 --> 00:38:16,752 our friends 992 00:38:16,753 --> 00:38:18,461 who were at HKIA trying to help 993 00:38:18,462 --> 00:38:20,464 people needed us to do this work. 994 00:38:21,007 --> 00:38:23,425 The Afghans trying to get into HKIA 995 00:38:23,426 --> 00:38:24,551 needed us to do this work. 996 00:38:24,552 --> 00:38:27,178 So we put it behind us and put our noses 997 00:38:27,179 --> 00:38:29,180 the grindstone and continued working. 998 00:38:29,181 --> 00:38:30,933 And we worked for the rest of that day. 999 00:38:51,996 --> 00:38:53,789 The guys, 1000 00:38:54,123 --> 00:38:56,542 unwilling to quit, 1001 00:38:56,792 --> 00:38:58,919 tripled their efforts and worked 1002 00:39:00,046 --> 00:39:03,382 and pulled out hundreds more people that night. 1003 00:39:15,811 --> 00:39:18,856 Everything is starting to collapse on HKIA. 1004 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:20,648 People are breaking down, 1005 00:39:20,649 --> 00:39:22,192 people are loading up, 1006 00:39:22,193 --> 00:39:23,777 they're taking bulldozers 1007 00:39:23,778 --> 00:39:25,320 and driving them over night vision. 1008 00:39:25,321 --> 00:39:26,946 You see Marines with sledgehammers 1009 00:39:26,947 --> 00:39:28,156 going into aircraft 1010 00:39:28,157 --> 00:39:30,951 and starting to smash control panels to aircraft. 1011 00:40:04,985 --> 00:40:06,653 Like, everything is starting to crumble 1012 00:40:06,654 --> 00:40:09,532 and fall back to like this last Alamo. 1013 00:40:09,782 --> 00:40:12,283 The only thing staying out is security. 1014 00:40:12,284 --> 00:40:13,868 And one of 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