In 2016–2017, Ryan served as a Special Forces Medical Sergeant on an Operational Detachment Alpha. While in Afghanistan he engaged in numerous mission sets, including counter narcotics, direct action, and foreign internal defense. His team endured some of the most sustained kinetic fighting since the beginning of the war, and our success would not have been impossible without a dedicated group of Afghan interpreters. Two of these interpreters went above and beyond on countless occasions--saving numerous lives and in one case giving his.
Fazal Hamid was a husband, father, and sole income earner for over 20 people in his family. He spent a decade committed to the mission of the U.S. military. Because he was so skilled and reliable, he was consistently assigned to work with Special Operations forces in high-level, high-stress political negotiations. He often provided atmospheric and language interpretation from the front lines in direct combat situations.
Reza Mohammadi was an Afghan Army Commando Officer before becoming an interpreter. For 3 years he worked with Special Operations on the front lines against both the Taliban and ISIL-K. In the course of his service to the U.S. he sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his lower extremities, leaving him permanently disabled. After this disability he received a Special Immigrant Visa. He now lives in California with his family, but his struggles are not over. He does not receive any follow-up medical care and has not been provided with the tools needed to navigate the U.S. educational system to reach his potential. He currently works the graveyard shift as a security guard as this was the only work he could find to support his family given his disability.
The brotherhood and bond created between the interpreter and Special Operations troops cannot be understated. For his service Hamid was given a U.S. Visa. The night he received the Visa his wife had a dream that he would die during a mission. Since he had already received his Visa, he had every right not to participate in future missions; however, the day after receiving that Visa there was a mission fighting ISIL-K. At great risk to himself he decided he could not let his brothers go without him. His wife, fearing his death, begged him not to go. His dedication and commitment to the mission, our team, and the U.S. overtook his better judgment and he joined us. He did not make it home and was never able to use his well-earned Visa.
On that mission during a convoy, Hamid dismounted the lead vehicle to assist with identifying pressure plate IEDs and to provide necessary communication back to us. A command detonated IED exploded--killing him. To add insult to injury, the contracting company, his employer, attempted to deny his family a death gratuity which was guaranteed by his contract. The dinning facility on Camp Dyer, Jalalabad Airfield, is now named after him in honor of his sacrifice and dedication.