Out of Afghanistan: How a local veteran is helping Afghan commandos get to Spokane
SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash.– Gold Star families across Washington and Idaho are working to help those left behind in memory of their own children who died in the service. The man behind this effort is Scot Frazer, a Spokane Valley veteran trying to rescue his Afghan commandos in hiding.
America’s last days in the Afghanistan war took place in the Hamid Karzai International Airport where United States forces scrambled to get out of the country. As Americans were fleeing, the Abbey Gate was attacked.
11 marines, a soldier, a sailor and 179 Afghan civilians were killed in the attack last August.
U.S. Central Command released its investigation earlier this month, blaming ISIS-K for the blast.
However, the Department of Defense reports ISIS-K wasn’t the only group to have carried out terrorizing efforts as the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan. Marines also reported seeing the Taliban beating and turning potential evacuees away. Allegations even accuse the Taliban of shooting at potential evacuees.
Many of these evacuees were supposed to be Afghan commandos and their families who helped our country.
The Department of Defense’s latest report is nothing new for Frazer. He’s known the Taliban was getting in the way of Afghans who were cleared to come to America.
“They gave away their house and all their possessions because we ordered them to come to Kabul to hopefully evacuate and then all hell broke loose,” Frazer said.
Since last summer, Frazer has been in contact with Afghan commandos he says are being hunted by the Taliban. He believes they’re targeted for working with Americans. He spent 15 months in Afghanistan, personally training more than 100 Afghan commandos in critical response training and also fighting alongside them.
“I was just very blessed to have been assigned some soldiers who believed in their word more than their life,” said Frazer.
An indescribable bond he cannot forget since he left the war-torn country 15 years ago.
“So long as one of us is still breathing, we’re still family,” said Frazer.
Frazer says he’s now running a sustainment operation from the Inland Northwest by raising money to save them.
“With that 100 dollars U.S., we’re able to cover the safe house and food for a family of 5 for two to three weeks,” said Frazer.
Frazer believes it’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ he’ll see his men again. He’s already making plans for one of them who 4 News Now will refer to as ‘the medic’.
“So he asked me ‘can you find me a hospital where I can volunteer? I want to give back to my new community. I want the Spokane community to know that we thank them very much for accepting us,'” said Frazer.
Until that day, Frazer says he stays in contact with ‘the medic’ and other Afghan commandos, trying to keep their spirits up by reminding them of their time together.
4 News Now’s Nia Wong has been talking with ‘the medic’ on an encrypted app.
“We can’t show you who this medic is. We can’t tell you a lot about him because of the Taliban. But since last year, I’ve been chatting with him on an encrypted app,” Wong said. “I can tell you tonight, he is alive, at times losing hope, but clinging on to the dream of bringing his family to Spokane for a better life”
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