Service Member's Sacrifices for This Country Are Never in Vain: Veteran

Joining us now is Cihung Kim, White House correspondent for Global Strat View and a US Army veteran. Uh so Cihung, thank you very much for joining us today. Um now you of course work in DC. You you have seen the National Guard in the streets uh every day since the president deployed them. Um and in fact you regularly visit the cafe right beside where the two guardsmen were tragically shot. Uh now this shooting has taken a toll on the nation especially uh with it happening so close to Thanksgiving, right? What what's what's it been like for you as someone who has also served this country in uniform? >> Well, all I can say is that it it's a very um heartbreaking situation right now. uh considering the fact that a lot of us who served in uniform feel that um those who are responsible for guarding our nation um are faced with such danger and I'm talking about the National Guardsmen that are deployed in in DC and I mean to be honest with you it's uh I'm still shook right now and considering the fact that as you rightfully mentioned I I visit the coffee shops right by uh where the in incident has happened and it's uh I'm just out of words right now. So >> yeah, I mean >> that that's that's probably how we feel uh for most of us uh because this is such a tragedy and it happen during the holidays as well. you know, a day before Thanksgiving and the family of Sarah Beckmrom um spending Thanksgiving Day in the hospital. It's just really hard to imagine here. And uh speaking of which, uh this female National Guard member who was shot uh she died, right? And the other guardsman, Andrew Wolf, remains in critical condition. How is this tragedy being felt by the veteran and service member community across the country, would you say? Well, I can tell you at least from my my point of view and from and really frankly the pro of view so many of my other battle buddies as we call them in the army um who served with me and and and even according to a lot of the NCOs's that I've connected with who served in Afghanistan um again this is this is a very uh tragic moment for all of us. I mean, we feel that, you know, this could have been this could have been any one of us um in uniform. And again, I personally have never had the honor of being deployed or being in combat, but I can tell you for sure those who have served in Afghanistan or have been deployed in such condition in in such areas um this is a devastating moment for all of them particularly because uh they feel that something that they have um experienced there uh seems to be something that's happening here in the United states. And when I spoke to some of my battle buddies um who uh who has told me that this was something that not only affected them just mentally, but it it was a great wakeup call for all of us to be a lot more vigilant than ever before. And and and for me to hear this, especially from uh those who served in combat. Um, again, it's uh it was it was it was something uh extremely um uh heartbreaking to to hear um because like they said uh this they've never expected something like this to happen um here in the United States and especially those who are like you right mentioned uh people who are serving in uniform who should have been at home with their families celebrating Thanksgiving. Um, and it's uh, again, all I can say to all I can say regarding this is it's it's just a complete tragedy that should never have happened. I agree with you on that. This should have never happened and arguably it has brought to surface a sore point for many veterans and that is the withdrawal from Afghanistan. And the shooting suspect is of course an Afghan national who had worked with the CIA during the war in Afghanistan. I I'm wondering if you can explain for us why the withdrawal from Afghanistan is such a sore point for so many veterans, especially those who were deployed there. Well, it's a sore point because a lot of veterans uh feel that everything that they have sacrificed and all of the uh work that they have done um is you know it's and and sorry to say this it it feels a bit meaningless considering the fact that um it we you know we have left we left Afghanistan in such a a messy ordeal during such a messy ordeal in a way that costed the lives of so many other servicemen even during the withdrawal. As you may remember that um there were members of the Marine Corps who tragically lost their lives due to a terrorist attack uh during the evacuation the horrific evacuation of of 2021. Um and they feel that this and they feel in such a way also because you know so many of the veterans who fought there um went there thinking that we are going to be there to deal with terrorism and and and and honestly the mission that was given to everybody. And it's really not just that. Also, um it's to a point it's very heartbreaking to see that the people that were involved in helping us um have turned out to be the ones that um have done such uh horrific things like this. Now, I don't mean that every Afghan ally um applies in this issue in in this in this category. Matter of fact, there's so many uh members of the Hzara and Tajik and even the Pashon communities that have given their lives um ensuring the safety of our uh service members when they were there. But then again, for it to happen here um in our home turf right before Thanksgiving, a day where families are supposed to gather together in safety to celebrate all that we're supposed to be grateful for um as Americans, um you know, to them this uh this struck at the core. And I can tell you for sure that as far as the conversations that I've had with my old battle buddies and other veterans, um this is a an event um that has echoed across um the hearts of all veterans and um many of them I'm very sure um are having a difficult time processing all of this. And I just want to echo what you said that not all Afghan nationals fall under this category. U but I do think it does highlight the issue of vetting. However, uh you know whether or not the Afghan national who were brought to the US uh following the withdrawal were properly vetted. Um so in response to the shooting, the Trump administration suspended all immigration applications from Afghan nationals as you're already aware of that. What do we know about the scope of the vetting that took place uh following the withdrawal? The president has indicated that the suspect uh may have been radicalized or become unstable, you know, after he arrived in the US. >> Well, like the report said, uh this individual was not vetted at all. There was absolutely no vetting process done on him before he arrived in the United States. That's one. But number two, um, you have to remember back in going back to 2021, the Biden administration did not did not have any plan in place or have any actions in place that really should have provided all the vettings that were needed um during the evacuation. It was also it was also been said among uh the a lot of the other Afghan communities all hazaras Tajik puns us and so on that the individuals that were coming into the countries were not only largely unvetted but people didn't know who was coming in and why they were coming in and a lot of the individuals that did come in through the evacuation frankly didn't need to be here considering the fact that a lot of them reportedly um were not in under any imminent danger and and and again many according to uh the conversations that I've had uh with the Afghan communities particularly from uh those who have lived in Kabell um Jalalabad and even Mazar Shari that um the individuals that came in were actually um they were essentially celebrating uh at the site of the fall of Kabell when they were seeing it on television in in the um in the camps that they were staying in within our own soil. Um and and and when that and and however um when that when that news came out um they the Biden administration did little to nothing in terms of dealing with um who was supposed to be here, who wasn't supposed to be here, and they were essentially just released into society uh without um any consideration for what they might do in the future. Now again, like I said before, this doesn't apply to every single Afghan and uh who who came here after the fall. Um I would even say that when when we say Afghan allies, um Hazar, those from the Hzara community in particular, those that have been um touched with very closely um they actually have been the ones that sacrificed the most um in terms of uh aiding our troops abroad. But they've also warn warned us about this that there was little to no vetting done uh on a lot of the Afghans that were that were coming here and and it was just a matter and and they they they said look it's it it it is not a safe thing to do and the government needs to do everything it can um to deal with this issue and that that voice has been echoed um since the fall of Kabell in 2021 up until now and unfortunately um it strongly seems seems like our uh men and women in uniform are paying for it right outside the White House, which in and of itself is um again it's it's a very tragic thing u for all of us who are Americans and for freedom loving folks across the world. >> So on that point, Cihoon, um let me just ask you one more thing. What do you say to the men and women in uniform who may feel discouraged um you know all that they have sacrificed for this country and then they see this shooting happen as if their efforts in Afghanistan or in other aspects weren't worthwhile. What would you say to these people? Well, the only thing that I would say is that anything and everything you you that you have done and we all have done in uniform uh should not uh be uh we there there should there shouldn't be any shame to it. Um and particularly for those who were deployed in Afghanistan who uh saw a lot of their battle buddies losing their lives or getting hurt um in such a way. I mean I would even say that look anybody who has s anybody who's gone through all of that um is is a hero and particularly for myself I I had the honor and the privilege of serving in a medical support unit. I've talked to many many veterans and um NCOs and listed men or even officers who uh were coming through um our our clinics during our um annual training for example and they would tell us stories about their time in um dur during deployments the uh the the type of sacrifices that they witnessed they themselves had to also endure as well and just for that and I mean just for having that type of will to serve one's nation in and of itself is enough uh to assure them, assure all of us that it was actually worthwhile because we didn't do it for ourselves. We did it for our nation, for the flag that flies proudly um all across the United States. And most importantly, we did it uh knowing that it will um in some way, shape or form uh keep safe all all the men, women, and children of ordinary citizens that are staying here that are are living here within the United States and really across the world. And so, um you know, it's it's not it's, you know, it's not meaningless at all. Um anything that has been done in uniform is is is something that's beyond honorable in my view. And I think even even as a veteran uh that is a sense of peace that we are um that we're okay and we are uh that we will be keeping until the time of our uh our passing. I mean, you have to remember it takes it takes courage to put on that uniform and particularly to go into an area where one may lose one's life, you know, and that in and of itself is a is a great act of honor and glory. And um I and I think that's the only uh focus point that we should be keeping to no matter how the Afghanistan situation has turned out and no matter how any situation has turned out. um those who took up uh to took up arms to serve our nation, our heroes. And um and every American should remember that it is because of folks like these uh that we are able to enjoy the freedoms that we um have here have here in this country. And and I would I would say, you know, for those of us who have ensured that we're um we should be proud of it and for those of us who have u witnessed or even even go gone over um to fight for our nation uh should look at that and and be proud of it all through our lives and that's the only thing that matters. Um and look, politics will politics will always play out. Uh politicians will do whatever they need to do. But uh for those of us who served in uniform, you know, the glory will remain um until the time of our death and our legacy will also remain. And that is that is I think in final the greatest blessings that um I think we uh we have um that we have been given uh from Lord above. >> Well, Seun, very well said. Thank you for speaking with us and thank you for your personal service to the country. I have so much respect for that.