August 24th 2024.
Ahmad Fahim reflects on his experience as a former Paratrooper in Afghanistan, particularly during the chaotic and intense two weeks of Operation Pitting. As he remembers the dust and chaos of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, he considers himself fortunate to have been part of the thin line of British troops who saved thousands of desperate Afghans from an uncertain fate at the hands of the Taliban.
Being among the first UK personnel to enter the country and the last to leave, Fahim played a crucial frontline role in the Allies' final act in Afghanistan. However, this came at a great cost as he witnessed hellish scenes, including a suicide bomb blast just 200 meters away that killed 13 US service personnel and around 170 Afghan civilians at Abbey Gate.
Reflecting on the chaos on the ground at the airport, Fahim shares that it was far worse than what was shown on TV, especially with so many innocent women and children caught in the mess, followed by the bombing. He considers himself lucky to have escaped physical injury, but the emotional trauma still lingers and can be triggered by seeing similar scenes in films or TV shows.
As a decorated veteran who was born in Afghanistan and served as an interpreter with the US Special Forces, Fahim made the difficult decision to leave the military after Operation Pitting. He now lives in London, but the memories of the mass evacuation are still fresh in his mind, especially as the third anniversary of the Allies' withdrawal from the airport approaches.
Despite leaving the military in 2022 and embarking on a new chapter in his life, Fahim shares that the memories have never gone away. The impact of Operation Pitting and the Taliban regime still weigh heavily on him, and he often thinks about his friends who didn't make it. He also opens up about the emotional detachment he experienced, causing his friends and family to see him as a different person.
The largest humanitarian aid operation since the Berlin Airlift, Operation Pitting, ended on August 31, 2021, with the last US cargo planes departing from the airport in the darkness while Taliban fighters celebrated below by firing gunshots. Throughout the two-week deployment, Western troops worked tirelessly and in dangerous conditions to evacuate over 15,000 foreign nationals and eligible Afghans from the airport, which is no longer named after former president Hamid Karzai.
Fahim, who now works in the security industry, not only left behind the failed Western intervention but also his home country. As an interpreter, he played a crucial role in helping to pull his fellow Afghans from the crowds during the evacuation. He shares that the Taliban's swift takeover was a shock to the entire world, leaving little time to plan every detail. Despite the unexpected speed and scale of the operation, Fahim and his fellow soldiers did everything they could under the circumstances.
As the countdown to the last flight from Kabul began, Fahim reflects on the events leading up to it. On April 14, 2021, US President Biden announced the withdrawal of US troops, stating that it was time to end America's longest war, with a planned departure no later than September 11, 2021. On August 13, 2021, over 1,000 UK military personnel, mainly from 16 Air Assault Brigade, deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Pitting. And just two days later, on August 15, 2021, Taliban fighters entered the Presidential Palace, marking the beginning of the end of the Allies' involvement in Afghanistan.
Ahmad Fahim was one of the brave soldiers from the British troops who played a crucial role in rescuing Afghans from the clutches of the Taliban. He vividly remembers the chaos and dust-filled atmosphere of the Hamid Karzai International Airport during that turbulent time. Being able to share his experience of how a small group of British soldiers managed to save thousands of desperate Afghans from an uncertain fate fills him with gratitude and a sense of responsibility.
As a former Paratrooper, Ahmad considers himself fortunate to have been a part of the frontline team during the Western allies' final act in Afghanistan. He witnessed the horrors and devastation caused by the Taliban's takeover, including a suicide bomb blast that killed 13 US service personnel and around 170 innocent civilians. Ahmad recalls the chaos and confusion that surrounded the airport during Operation Pitting, which he describes as the most intense and challenging two weeks of his life. He adds that the situation was far worse than what was shown on TV, especially with women and children caught in the middle of the turmoil.
Despite being just 200 meters away from the suicide bomb blast, Ahmad miraculously escaped physical injury. However, the traumatic experience still haunts him, and even watching similar scenes in movies or TV shows takes him back to that dreadful moment. The 38-year-old decorated veteran, who was born in Afghanistan, served as an interpreter with the US Special Forces before joining the Paras. He left the military after Operation Pitting and now resides in London, but the memories of the mass evacuation from Kabul are still fresh in his mind as the third anniversary of the allies' withdrawal approaches.
Ahmad explains that he decided to leave the military in 2022 as he felt it was time for a new chapter in his life. However, the memories of Operation Pitting and the Taliban regime never left him. He shares that the experience has changed him emotionally, and even his friends and family noticed that he was like a different person. He confesses that he still struggles with detachment and the memories come flooding back during this time of the year. He thinks about his friends who didn't make it and the Taliban's oppressive regime, which he left behind in Afghanistan.
The mass evacuation from Kabul, also known as Operation Pitting, ended on August 31, 2021, when the last US cargo planes took off from the airport amid gunfire from Taliban fighters celebrating their victory. This was the culmination of almost two decades of Western involvement in Afghanistan, which began in the aftermath of 9/11. British troops, who were exhausted and in a dangerous situation, were stationed just yards away from their former enemies as the Taliban regained power two weeks before the final flight. The Taliban had seized the Presidential Palace in Kabul, and their fighters could be seen posing in the former president's office, Ashraf Ghani, who had fled to the United Arab Emirates.
During the two weeks of Operation Pitting, more than 15,000 foreign nationals and eligible Afghans were evacuated from the airport, which was renamed from Hamid Karzai International Airport. Ahmad, who now works in the security industry, not only left behind the failed Western intervention but also his own homeland. His role during the mass evacuation included helping his fellow countrymen escape the chaos and violence. He shares that the Taliban's swift takeover was a shock to the entire world, and there was no time to plan every detail. Initially, they were evacuating only 1,000 people, but as the situation escalated, the number increased to 15,000. Despite the unexpected speed and scale of the evacuation, Ahmad and his team did everything they could to help those in need.
As the third anniversary of the allies' withdrawal from Kabul approaches, Ahmad reflects on the events that led to that moment. He remembers the countdown to the last flight from Kabul, starting from President Biden's announcement on April 14, 2021, about the US withdrawal. He also recalls the deployment of over 1,000 UK military personnel on August 13, 2021, for Operation Pitting and the Taliban's entry into the Presidential Palace on August 15, 2021. These memories will forever be etched in Ahmad's mind, as he will never be able to escape the role he played in the mass evacuation from Kabul.
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