Yesterday, Afghanistan was once again taken over by members of the Taliban, forcing Embassy leaders, and  military personnel to seek safety at the Embassy. Hundreds of civilians fled for their lives out of the country, and the new Afghanistan President was “stripped of his power” by this radical group. 

On Saturday 65 soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard’s C Battery, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery Regiment, headquartered in Alexandria, were returning to Minnesota Saturday after a nine-month deployment with personnel stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel and Operation Inherent Resolve.

The soldiers had provided security in support of critical military infrastructure and personnel through the use of the Land Based Phalanx Weapon System (LPWS) which intercepted enemy rocket, artillery, and mortar attacks. President Biden announced two days ago that he is still set on withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan despite the latest crisis.