Hey folks, 

This Independence Day marks a monumental achievement for this growing organization. On Thursday, Three of the original 17 members of NMRG Team #11 received their visas to the United States. With family included, seven people have the chance for a new life, forever free from an oppression greater than you and I could ever comprehend.

This news is especially poignant for myself, as I was actively guiding six of those people when the bombing at Abbey Gate barred access to the Kabul Airport forever. One of the hardest things I’ve had to do was to tell the members of Team 11 that our evacuation attempts had failed. We promised that we would aid them when able. However, it was up to them to weather the oppression of the Taliban on their own.

 And weather it they did.

With immeasurable grit, resourcefulness, and no small amount of courage – those fundamental traits that America aspires to— they evaded the Taliban, survived famine and endured untold hardship. Of course, I would be utterly remiss if I did not mention our donors and supporters. This has been a massively collaborative effort, made possible by over 250 people.

Now, on our nation’s 245th birthday, 313 days after informing Team 11 that our evacuation efforts had failed, seven people stand on the cusp of a future impossibly brighter than anyone of them could ever imagine.

Happy Independence Day, and in the words of the Green Berets that are especially prescient at this moment, De Oppresso Liber!

-Tom

In other news, we are expanding! I will share more in my next newsletter, but the end state is that Team 11 will advocate for and assist the entirety of NMRG members still in Afghanistan, along with their families: some 2,000 people all told.

Naturally, our outreach and fundraising will need to increase accordingly. Please share this far and wide, and remember that donation options can be found at https://www.saveteam11.org/