Meet the Families
Over 120,000 Afghans evacuated from Kabul in the largest airlift in U.S. history. Now we need to follow through and help them as they find a new home in the land of the free. Below are just two of the countless stories that are being shaped by this event.
We are actively supporting families with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) as well as parolee statuses. We are staying informed on the various government services provided to families with different forms of documentation.
Said Noor
Originally from Khost, Afghanistan, Said grew up in the heart of the brutality of the Taliban. He and his six siblings witnessed the fighters drag his mother from their home by her hair, attacking her from a young age. At 13, he had an encounter that would change everything; noticing a suspicious man in his neighborhood, he reached out to American soldiers for help. This day began a relationship that would eventually lead him to join the U.S. Army returning to Afghanistan to serve as an interpreter. Serving faithfully since 2014, Said received the U.S. Army Combat Action Badge. His dedication to the Army is shadowed only by his commitment to his family.
Because of Said's work, his family was placed squarely on the Taliban's dangerous radar. Moving from Khost to Kabul, they fled for their safety, but as the conflict in the country increased, so did the danger to the Noor family. In September of 2021, they were very recently able to escape Kuwait with persistence and a little luck; they are now making their way to join Said, where he lives in Houston, Texas.
Abdullah
(Name Changed and Photos Redacted for Safety)
Abdullah supported U.S. soldiers on several military bases in Afghanistan. He worked with Chris Liggett as a trusted cultural advisor in 2014 and he was involved in complex base security measures which thwarted complex attacks and enabled events like the Afghan national elections.
While Abdullah continued to serve in Afghanistan, he and Chris remained friends and worked on his Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) application. After several years dedicated to the SIV process, Abdullah and Chris watched together as the Taliban quickly started to take control of the country in August of 2021. Abdullah and his family of 9 fled their home and joined the mass of families trying to escape through the Hamid Karzai International Airport.
While Chris was advising him from the United States, Abdullah took it upon himself to organize a group of Afghans (known as the Gate Volunteers) who chose to focus their efforts on safely transporting women and children, providing real-time information to U.S. soldiers, and organizing crowds outside the airport gates in addition to providing for their own families. This was a harrowing task and many of the Gate Volunteers were outside of Abbey Gate when the explosion tragically killed 13 U.S. service members.
Luckily, Abdullah and his immediate family made it out of Kabul together. He is currently at an inprocessing center in New Mexico and plans to settle in the Colorado area where Chris’ family will welcome them into their new community.