Republican dispute over Afghanistan rescue claimed by State Department
Two former LTC/O-5s running for the Florida District 7 seat are in dispute over an Afghan rescue last year. Both are relying heavily on their ‘decorated’ military careers in their campaign literature, but one, Al Santos, is accusing Cory Mills, of stolen valor for his stories of rescuing an American woman and her three children.
With a background in special ops, Mills said he was able while working with the representatives to develop an extraction plan. Initially, they wanted to airlift the family out, but U.S. Central Command and the State Department did not authorize a private aircraft landing in Afghanistan for the rescue.
“I could have put 25 Americans, Brian, onto that plane,” Mills told Kilmeade. But the plane could not land and was waived (sic) off without explanation.
Instead, Mills had to go into Afghanistan with an interpreter and evacuate the family by land, then he took them to the aircraft to leave the region.
You may recall the kerfluffle over the mission itself – an American plane tried to land at Kabul to rescue Americans, was denied landing permission, instead the Americans were walked to the border, managed to talk their way past the Taliban sealing the border to freedom – and then the State Department tried to claim credit for the rescue.
For one, State Department officials say the Taliban government now running Afghanistan did not interfere with the rescue, but Mills said that’s not the case. A Taliban commander at the border initially said there was no agreement to allow any Americans to pass and leave the country.
Eventually, Mills said he had to trick border agents into letting the Americans pass through with a number of ruse phone calls and transfers.
Mills called it “absolute nonsense” the State Department helped and said tourist visas were only secured after his team had the Americans out of the country.
“Cory Mills continues to exaggerate a story he is telling on the campaign trail about his alleged role in rescuing Americans from Kabul (edited for length) a
There is no honor on what he is doing for political gain and unfortunately this is an example of stolen valor. As there are so many veterans running for this seat, he should know better and I ask him to drop out of the race.”
Republican candidate Mills recently brought up a rescue story while appearing on FoxNews this week, saying “look, I know about rescues,” … (deleted for brevity) Mills said. “As you know, I conducted the very first successful rescue of Americans out of Afghanistan. We rescued a mother and three children.”
To this country boy, if he says he did it and did it, case closed. If he violated procedures but still got the job done – so be it.
Category: 2022 Elections, Afghanistan, None, Politics
One thing that we know for sure that the State Dprt can take credit for…Benghazi! Never forget!
Well, what does the family say? Or has the (Deep) State Dept threatened them if they talk, like the Benghazi survivors?
Also, while I was sympathetic to the plight of “Americans” trapped there, I noticed a lot of them appeared to be “citizens by marriage” that hadn’t previously gotten out, despite our forces there being decreased for years prior to last August.
Something is disconnected,
Mills called it “absolute nonsense” the State Department helped and said tourist visas were only secured after his team had the Americans out of the country.
US citizens don’t need tourist visa’s to return to their country. Their US passport is the only needed travel document.
Like I said, “citizens by marriage.” Now, having personally tried to deal with the federal bureaucracy on multiple fronts in the last two years, I can believe a lot of glacial-pace paperwork due to the Kung Flu. Maybe a tourist visa was easier to secure than a passport?
I would think they would have had American passports before they went to Afghanistan. That is assuming, of course, that they were actually Americans. Maybe they just identified as Americans; all things are possible these days.
Remember that Joe Biden said that no US personnel would be lifted by helicopter from the roof of the embassy because the Taliban lacked any capability to force that to happen. Therefore the embassy staff insisted that they all walk to the border. That is a kind of facilitation of sorts.
The National Guard guys seems ok.
What were an “American” mother and three children doing in Afghanistan? Where was the husband/father? I am pretty sure that would have been an unaccompanied tour.
Maybe her husband worked for the State Department, Ag Department or one of the alphabet agencies?
It’s good to know our country is in the hands of someone who accidentally leaves their family in a third-world shithole.
While he has no dog in this fight, Ol’ Poe checked out both campaign websites and it appears to him that the candidate who is more heavily running on his combat record is LTC Santos… 🤔
Saw LTC Mills on Fox recently and he’s pretty sharp…
Due to space limitations, I omitted a few observations, one of which is that Santois was primarily a liaison officer working with State. Another was a recorded interview in which Mills claimed repeatedly they had the flight clearances prior to arrival.
Whatever happened to “the quiet professional”?
When you run for office, and start beating your chest about the heroic things you did to save fellow “americans” from the clutches of evil, that is the time I will say to you; “go away, leave my property, get out, set yourself on fire, go drown yourself, or anything else bloody and disgusting; but don’t darken my doorway again.”
I’d rather vote for the Serpent that tempted Eve.
Don’t make your political hay on the backs of others.
Sadly, this seems to be the reality of today’s politics. It’s nothing new.
I grew up on stories of JFK pulling his PT-109 by his teeth. It’s the ultimate flaw in democracy – it eventually boils down to a popularity contest.
Even the timing of D-Day (arguably, the need for D-Day, itself) was intended to coincide with the midterm election.
“So, Lone Starr, now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.”
Hell, even the term “quiet professional” came about because “silent professional” was deemed too dark.
Eat your snake, say nothing, act when necessary.
The quiet professional has grown a bit to loud. Silent professionals are the true professionals.