Afghans Arrive at Fort Bliss

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brandon Banzhaf | Spc. Khaled Debei (left) and Sgt. Noel-Antonio Sanchez, Soldiers assigned to the 1st Armored Division in support of Operation Allies Refuge, await the arrival of vulnerable Afghans before they disembark the plane at Fort Bliss, Texas, Aug. 25, 2021. Soldiers across Fort Bliss were selected to assist in the operation based on their specialties, from their medical expertise to linguistic capabilities. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of State and Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for up to 50,000 Afghan evacuees at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides vulnerable Afghans essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf)  

FORT BLISS, TX, UNITED STATES

08.25.2021

Story by Sgt. Brandon Banzhaf 

Operation Allies Welcome - Operation Allies Refuge   

FORT BLISS, Texas- After leaving their homes with only a bag of clothes and their most sentimental items, the Afghans who supported the United States throughout the past twenty years, made their way onto an aircraft destined for America.
Fort Bliss is one of several military installations chosen to receive, process and house the Afghan evacuees after they have arrived from overseas. The first flights began arriving at Fort Bliss August 24, via military aircraft and commercial airlines.
“There were a myriad of reactions to coming off of the plane, from complete excitement to kind of nervousness,” said Capt. Tyler Lightfoot, a troop commander with 1st Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. “These people have been through a lot.”
Lightfoot’s unit has a variety of roles to support Fort Bliss’ involvement in Operation Allies Refuge, the official name of the reception and housing mission. Those roles include providing medical support, receiving the evacuees as they arrive and assisting them through processing before they are moved to the Doña Ana Village in New Mexico, where they’ll remain for the duration of their stay.
“We are in charge of ensuring when the evacuees arrive that there are no medical emergencies on flight,” said Sgt. Noel-Antonio Sanchez, the noncommissioned officer in charge of the medical section at the Arrival/Departure Air Control Group, the Afghans first stop on Fort Bliss. “We are with a physician’s assistant who will screen those patients as they come in as well as providing personal protective equipment to our Soldiers and the evacuees.”
As notification of an incoming flight is received, Sanchez and his team head out with wheel chairs to the flight line in case they are needed by any of the passengers. Another team of Soldiers is in charge of welcoming one family at a time and escorting them to the main processing center.
Standing at the bottom of the airplane stairs was Spc. Khaled Debei, who is fluent in Arabic. While aware that the primary languages in Afghanistan are Dari and Pashto, he can understand the basic terminology to communicate directions, help with concerns and answer questions.
“Today I was assisting in getting all of the evacuees from the plane to the ADACG center for processing and getting them ready to the next placement at Doña Ana Village,” said Debei, a Soldier with the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1AD. “It’s really a big operation, and I’m proud to be helping everybody to sort things out for them, especially after what they went through in Afghanistan.”
As units across the installation helped develop the plan for receiving and processing of the Afghans, they took into consideration the situation the evacuees were in and ensured they were treated well and with respect as they arrived.
They were focused on making sure basic needs were met, keeping families together and facilitating them to Doña Ana Village.
“The Soldiers attached to this mission all understand that it is a very important operation,” said Lightfoot. “A lot of our Soldiers in Comanche Troop have been to Afghanistan and have seen what it’s like over there. And those who haven’t, have heard the stories from their seniors. We understand that these people are leaving a country under turmoil to hopefully become citizens.”

• Date Taken: 08.25.2021
• Date Posted: 08.30.2021 19:13
• Story ID: 404084
• Location: FORT BLISS, TX, US