CBS’ new comedy The United States of Al airs tomorrow night at 8:30pm EST, and its trailer hits right in the feels.
We were nervous, really nervous, waiting for this. We weren't sure how Hollywood could 1) accurately depict the bond between a service member and his/her interpreter and 2) make it relatable to the 99% of the country that doesn’t serve in the military… until we watched the trailer.
Starting with the welcoming at the airport, it’s clear the writers understood what a huge moment this is. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Marine veteran Riley, played by Parker Young, and his sister Lizzie, played by Elizabeth Alderfer, wait patiently at the terminal. When Al, played by Adhir Kalyan (Timmy from Rules of Engagement), comes around the corner, Lizzie screams. Riley and Al hug it out.
But then it’s Lizzie who steals the trailer. With tears in her eyes she tells Al, “Thank you for keeping my brother safe.”
For the thousands of veterans who have experience this joy, this scene is what Mission Accomplished looks like. A grizzled Special Forces officer told us the trailer made him “weepy.”
2021 will mark the 20th anniversary of our war in Afghanistan. When President George W. Bush addressed the nationon October 7th, 2001, he stated:
"We did not ask for this mission, but we will fulfill it."
The President closed by promising:
"We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter; and we will not fail."
Today, most Americans probably disagree with his words.
There is a sense that the country has wavered, it has tired, and it has faltered in Afghanistan, but we (those working to save our allies) haven’t failed yet. A TV show – a comedy no less – might actually be our best chance to make systemic changes to the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program and keep our moral obligation.
In the show Riley is roughly 30 years old. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2008, which means he was about 10 when 9/11 happened. His whole teenage and adult life has happened under the shadow of The Global War on Terror. He didn’t ask for the mission to protect Al, but he fulfilled it even when he took his uniform off because Al was his friend. Keeping that promise reflects the Marine Corps Core Values: Honor, Courage, Commitment.
It bothers us that we just landed a rover on another planet 138 million miles away and did so within 7 months, but it takes on average 3.5 years and repeated Congressional interest to process paperwork for people who risked their lives for us... it just doesn't make sense.
Our feelings about “The United States of Al” and the SIV issue can be summed up with a quote from Deborah Burlingame, whose brother “Chic” was the pilot of American Airlines Flight 77. She said “[9/11 is] a love story of human decency triumphing over human depravity.” In no other way is that better exemplified than by U.S. veterans working for years to keep our promises to our allies. Our effort to keep our moral obligation is something every American can be proud of.
Hopefully, the show, President Biden’s Executive Order 14013, the overwhelming support from the military community including from 8 Veteran Service Organizations representing 5 million U.S. veterans, this petition, and true bipartisan support on Capitol Hill will finally fix the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program once and for all.
Be sure to tune in.