Photo By Staff Sgt. Matthew Lumagui | Soldiers, Coastguardsmen, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Task Force Eagle Staff, wave...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. — Around 11:00 a.m. EST. Nov. 16, 2021, the last of the Afghan evacuees temporarily housed at Ft. Lee, Va., departed to their respective resettlement locations.
“We are proud to have had the privilege of supporting our brave Afghan allies and their families. This was a noble mission. We appreciate the outstanding support we received from our local community and from American citizens across the country to help the Afghan evacuees during their stay at Fort Lee as they began their new lives in the United States,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark Simerly, commanding general of both Task Force Eagle and the U.S. Army Combined Arms Support Command.
Task Force Eagle, consisting of Department of Defense (DoD) civilians, the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Air Force service members, Department of State (DoS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Non-Government Organizations (NGO) have finished their four-month deployment in support of Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) and Operation Allies Welcome (OAW).
“The key to our success was the ability to integrate with our interagency and non-governmental organization colleagues,” said U.S. Army Lt. Col. Shelia Day, 129th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion commander of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). “We developed a mutually supportive team to provide safety and security for our Afghan guests.”
The interagency task force arrived late July of 2021 to support vulnerable Afghans and their families while the Afghans finish immigration services, apply for work authorization and undergo any necessary medical care prior to resettlement in the United States.
Afghan evacuees received critical vaccinations to include measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), varicella, polio, COVID-19, and others – as a condition of their humanitarian parole. All OAW arrivals and departures were also tested for COVID-19.
“I am very proud of our team and there is no doubt how important our impact at Task Force Eagle has been to our Afghan guests,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jennifer Baggott, commander of the 321st Air Expeditionary Group. “We worked long and rewarding days administering vaccinations, conducting lab testing and completing physical exams to ensure all guests were safe from communicable diseases and ensure medical clearance requirements were met.”
“The Department of Homeland Security extends a huge thanks and appreciation to the DoD, DoS, Department of the Army, and Fort Lee for their tireless work in supporting OAW. It’s been a joint effort and really sets a standard for how intra-agency partners can and should be working together,” said Chuck Burke, DHS Federal Coordinator.
The team of over 300 service members was composed primarily of Soldiers and Airmen from various duty stations. In four months, they were able to assist DHS’ resettlement process of over 3,000 Afghans.
“I know I don’t just speak for myself, but for others as well when I say the last four months with Task Force Eagle has been a life-changing experience that has caused us to grow both professionally and personally,” said Todd Anderson, DoS lead on site. “We have stretched into our roles as leaders and public servants, in a combined joint effort to offer the kind of support and re-establishment for Afghan evacuees our country would be proud of.”
Afghan evacuees were temporarily housed at the IHG hotel on Fort Lee, Va. Task Force Eagle built eight temporary structures at the life support area; three dining facilities, two administrative and medical processing facilities, two Morale Wellness and Recreational facilities, a donation facility, and temporary medical tents from COVID-19 isolation to general health and welfare tents fulfilling non-life threatening issues.
“The beauty of this mission was being a part of an effort made up of various organizations all working through daily challenges towards a common goal,” said U.S. Army Col. Joseph Greenlee, chief of staff for Task Force Eagle. This was an incredibly unique and honorable mission that allowed us to directly take care of those that served along with us for many years along with their families enabling their safe resettlement.”
The DoD, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the DHS, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan personnel essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan.
| Date Taken: | 11.17.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.17.2021 16:48 |
| Story ID: | 409533 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 449 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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