The opinion that matters the most is your own. This is what democracy looks like. Cspan, powered by cable. Announcer coming up, a discussion about three women from the afghan female tactical platoon who trained and worked alongside u. S. Special forces and are now facing potential deportation. This discussion is hosted by the womens Foreign Policy group. Good evening, everybody, and welcome. I am the executive director of the womens Foreign Policy group. On behalf of our board and our staff, and importantly, our value coorganizers, as i call your name, please stand. Composed of 68 afghan women trained by the military embarked on dangerous, highprofile missions and pursuits against the taliban. With the distinct ability to contribute tactical strength and communication expertise, these womenrcised relentless spirit andnmatched strength during hardship. The ftp worked alongside the Cultural Support Team consisting of highly trained american female soldiers to interact with women and children during u. S. Special operations missions. Over the harrowing first days after the fall of kabul in 2021, 41 members of the female tactical platoon were evacuated to the u. S. Now, following their service and their sacrifice, they face a new set of challenges in this country. From citizenship and economic inclusion, to ensuring the survival of their families still living in afghanistan under taliban rule. They continue working alongside their American Partners to bring the remaining 27 ftps and family members to safety. We are deeply honored to have here this evening with us as our keynote to begin the conversation a leader who is integral to supporting these brave women Freedom Fighters who served alongside our u. S. Servicemen and women, including our green berets, navy seals, and army rangers. General joseph is a retired u. S. Army fourstar officer and a former commander of the u. S. Central command, u. S. Special operations command, and joint special operations command. During his 39 years in the military, he commanded special operations and conventional military forces at every level. His career included combat in panama, afghanistan, and iraq. During his extensive time in afghanistan, the general made a personal impact on the afghan female tactical platoon. His steadfast leadership empowered female soldiers both afghan and american to succeed at all levels. In january of 2022, he became president and ceo of Business Executives for National Security. Bens. During the afghanistan evacuation in 2021, he advocated for numerous afghan partners and their families, including the female tactical platoon. His support and his advocacy are major reasons why over 40 members of the female tactical platoon are safely in the u. S. And here with us in person this evening. Thank you for your leadership. We are so incredibly grateful to you for sharing your time with us this evening. The floor is yours. [applause] good evening to everyone. Over the course of my career, i served multiple tours with both conventional and special operations organizations across the country of afghanistan. Over 18 years of Service Since 9 11 before i retired. I helped orchestrate the plan to dismantle al qaeda. And other organizations like them or supporting them to include the taliban who were operating across the region. Along the way, i gained a great appreciation for the goodness of the Afghan People and their sincere desire for peace and stability after decades of conflict. Our operations the dismantle Terror Networks were very aggressive. And required us to confront terrorist organizations where they operated. Which was often in villages and especially among the Afghan People. Over time, we understood that our ability to have the impact we wanted against these networks required a temple and a mode of operations that was unprecedented when compared to other military experiences. This resulted in dozens of operations every day almost exclusively conducted at night. It brought undesirable impacts for the Afghan People. Exposure to the hazards of combat, tactical mistakes, segregation of families during our operations. And the wrath of violent extremist organizations imposing their will on peaceful afghans who were seen to be actively or passively supporting our american and naval operations. We worked very hard to reduce these impacts using technology to keep people safe, information approaches to inform people and eventually altering tactics on the ground. One of the impacts we were most keen to mitigate was the effect of our operations on women and children who were often on the objectives where we were operating. While our principal focus was always on safeguarding civilians, we recognized there could be practical military advantages to that approach as well. Once this need was identified, our system swung into rapid response, acting on the direction of the then u. S. Commanding general, admiral eric olson. We identified, recruited, and trained female officers from all u. S. Military services, but predominantly from the army, to serve as Cultural Support Team members. Their job was to accompany our strike forces, to be on the objectives with them and use their skills to not only safeguard women and children, but where appropriate, gather information to support our military mission. The training was regress and comprehensive. Rigorous and comprehensive. They were required to meet every standard required of male counterparts on the strike forces, including carrying heavy loads and employing weapons to defend themselves when necessary and or special operators. And their special operators. The program was an immediate success and when combined with modified tactics and other approaches helped further minimize, but not completely eliminate civilian casualties. Information gathered by our team Cultural Support Team members and family members often aided our tactical ops and i personally witnessed this while accompanying our strike forces. As we have often heard, they enabled our ability to talk to the other 50 of the population and i personally witnessed an afghan woman after talking with one of our Cultural Team members, pointing directly to her husband and saying that is the man you want right there. Kind of a form of righteous there justice for her. Afghan women were also very surprised to see other american women on the objectives with them, and this had a huge impact on them and provided an example of empowerment. This approach was not without risk, and several support team members were killed or wounded in combat operations. Their stories are well told in the excellent book ashleys war. We see the pictures here. But overall, the program was so successful, that we continued to develop and expand the male units, we encouraged an afghan leadership listened them to and afghan leadership listened to them to create an afghan version of Cultural Support Teams known as the female tactical platoon who would especially serve with Afghan Special operations forces. As you can imagine, the introduction of this approach in a culture that held women in a particular role was a challenge to a particular role was a challenge, but one that was largely overcome by the perseverance and discipline and professional excellence of not only the afghan women assigned to the female tactical platoon, but also the professionalism of the u. S. Cultural support team members who trained and developed them, and leaders in the afghan army who not only believed in the program, but inherently appreciated that it was the right approach. Their impact was legend. It increased effectiveness, safeguarding afghan civilians, and breaking down cultural barriers. The female tactical platoon served as an example of the positive leading role women could and were already playing in modern Afghan Society. For me, the example of the Cultural Support Teams and the female tactical platoons were a significant factor in my 2015 recommendation to the then secretary of defense to open up all combat specialties to female Service Members and in doing that, we talked with our cst partners and they were the most influential factor in my recommendations to the secretary of defense. As if the example of courage and bravery was not enough, this Extraordinary Group of women of afghan and american women saved their greatest lesson for when the going was most difficult, during the evacuation of kabul nearly two years ago. In a lifetime of service, mostly in combat and around combat troops, i was never more inspired than by the efforts led by american women, military and civilian, to successfully evacuate their afghan counterparts under arduous, dangerous conditions, and of the sheer bravery and courage of the female tactical platoon members to get themselves and some of their family members out. Americans have no reasonable frame of reference for the fear absorbed and the tenacity demonstrated during that evacuation. We can never forget those who were lost or gave so much for their freedom, and we must tonight and on the upcoming second anniversary of this evacuation rededicate ourselves to helping them and their families. Their sacrifices cannot have been made in vain. We have no reasonable recourse but to do the right thing. Today, afghanistan is in a humanitarian political crisis that demands international attention. The taliban believes it is doing the will of god. Purifying Afghan Society to create a perfect islamic emirate. The combination of these efforts these taliban purification efforts along with poverty and extremism and lack of education is a toxic combination that is not good for the Afghan People or the region. The rollback in rights, Democratic Values and human rights is eye watering. Women and girls have officially been denied the opportunity to education. The taliban has issued over 60 decrees reducing space for women in Afghan Society, including most recently ordering the shutdown of hair salons across the country, denying an important cultural opportunity for women to gather among themselves and talk outside the home. Outside of their homes. Females previously served as military or Civil Servants are being deliberately targeted. Overall, freedom of expression and of the press is severely restricted. If even existence. Civil society is all but nonexistent. Exclusion is widespread. Minorities, not just women, are being persecuted. Across the country. There is a spike in Child Marriage and child labor. We cannot afford to turn our eyes away from the situation in afghanistan today. The fact is, the diminishment of human rights and Democratic Values in afghanistan is a National Security threat for the United States, our partners in the region, and all our friends around the world, and if you do not believe me, you just need to travel less than two miles from this location to visit the pentagon 9 11 memorial and be reminded once again of the cost of taking our eyes off the threats to our citizens and to our friends and interests. There are things that can and must be done. We must draw attention to the deteriorating situation in afghanistan. Accountability begins in the court of public opinion. We must clarify pathways and properly support the visa process to ensure those who help us are served quickly and effectively, and we should prioritize our females, partners in the female tactical platoon and their families for this progress. We must support nongovernment organizations and government elements, including from the united nations, who is working to relieve the crisis in afghanistan. We must support organizations like Freedom House and others that work to support human rights defenders and pursue a diplomatic process that holds the taliban accountable and has as its goal to peacefully restore Democratic Values and human rights for all citizens of afghanistan. We must confront the abuses we see in afghanistan and support our friends and partners. We must honor those who stepped up and did their duty. We must aspire to the example that has been set for us by the brave women of the afghan tactical platoon, putting country and family first, it being willing to put skin in the game, and willing to exhibit that resilience to see it through. I am very proud of all of our afghan female tactical platoon members and Cultural Support Team members. I think they represent the very best in all of us. Thank you for the opportunity this evening, and i look forward to the rest of our time together. [applause] thank you, general, as always. What an honor to be here representing the penn fed credit union. Im the president and ceo. I think what i represent tonight on behalf of the credit union and foundation is the commitment to service. As a former military officer, i learned at a young age coming out of west point what it meant to train men and women to go into harms way on behalf of a nation and i learned during my time in the pentagon how we can never forget the men and women we ask to go into harms way to fight on behalf of our nation so we are here tonight because of the penn fed foundation, we do not just thank veterans for our service, we demonstrated through our actions. We demonstrate it through our actions. Two years ago, during the pullout of american troops from afghanistan, we knew our afghanistan allies were in danger. The women you are about to meet are just a few of the courageous afghans who risked their life to serve alongside our u. S. Troops. These women, members of the female tactical platoon, were personally and directly recruited and trained by an elite group of american servicewomen. Known as our Cultural Support Team. Those american heroes exemplify bravery and loyalty. About 10 members of that team worked relentlessly around the clock to evacuate their sisters when we evacuated kabul. Amidst the chaos at the airport, they succeeded in bringing 43 afghan women and immediate family members to the United States, and i cannot thank my board enough for their support. [applause] i cannot thank my board enough for their support. They provided the funding and the donors that provided funding to allow us to take good care of these women who deserve to be taken care of. For two years, the families have faced tremendous hardship, grieving the loss of loved ones they had to leave behind while adapting to a new life in america. Put yourself in their shoes. Drastically, middle of the night, even their country, coming here to learn a new language, trying to secure employment and move forward with their lives. Many with Young Children with them. Our foundation is honored to have played a small part in supporting these families but the reason we are here tonight is because the struggle is not over. Only 11 of the 43 female tactical platoon members have been granted asylum and that is not right. The rest remain in limbo, uncertain of the future for them and their families. Our afghan rescue and Resettlement Program has aim to provide them with some stability during this challenging time. The foundation is proud to stand behind them as they did for us and all americans. We know the value, grace, and work ethic they bring to the communities across america. It is a tremendous honor for me to introduce the next part of our program. We will hear from some members of the female tactical platoon and one American Woman who worked alongside them in afghanistan. I would like to introduce amanda ripley. Who probably needs no introduction. Multiple bestsellers, an accomplished journalist for politico, and her reporting on afghan women soon after they arrived in the u. S. Has been important, but what she taught me is that in america we need hope, agency, the ability to influence and do things that have an impact, and dignity. I think what amanda will highlight tonight is that when you meet these women, they have all three and they represents the best of america. Represent the best of america. Our afghan partners. Thank you for being here, amanda. [applause] amanda good evening. It is good to be here with you all. I would like to invite my esteemed panelists to join me up here. I will introduce you more formally in turn. Lets give them a round of applause. [applause] ok. A couple of years ago, i got a call from my editor at politico, who said she had a story for me. I know there is at least one other reporter, jennifer is here. Are there or there are there other reporters here . You know when an editor calls you and it is their idea, you are always like, this is not going to be good. [laughter] i asked three other people and they all said no and now they are coming to me. So i was like, ok, tell me. She says, believe it or not, there are a few dozen elite afghan soldiers, allfemale, who served alongside u. S. Special operators for 10 years in afghanistan, that did incredible things to fight the taliban and isis. And now, they are in the United States, scattered across the country, starting from scratch. And i was like, you had me at female soldiers. This is an amazing story. Thank you. In 20 years of writing for magazines, i have never, ever gotten the privilege to work on a story that so changed my own conscious and subconscious ideas about afghan women, about female soldiers, and about refugees. It was a true honor to work on this project, and i am very grateful to the teams for putting up with a lot of foolish questions, graciously, as i learned what to ask and all that i did not know, which was a lot. Im going to ask some more foolish questions right now. You are used to this by no w. But i just wanted to tell you how much this has meant to me and i know that many of you in the audience have had similar expe