Combat· Kabul NEO (Op ALLIES REFUGE)
Op ALLIES REFUGE Pre-Bombing Phase (14-25 Aug 2021)
Operation Allies Refuge was the noncombatant evacuation operation at Kabul's airport during the collapse of the Afghan government, the desperate effort to fly out American citizens, Afghan allies, and other endangered people as the Taliban swept back into power.
In the days before the bombing, Marines of an expeditionary unit and supporting task forces secured the airport and managed the chaotic evacuation, holding the perimeter and the gates against the crush of tens of thousands of Afghans who sought to flee. The Marines processed evacuees, controlled the surging crowds, and maintained order at the airfield, the last American foothold in the country, under enormous strain and the constant threat of attack. The operation was among the largest evacuations in American history, conducted under extraordinary pressure as the country fell. This phase captured the grueling work of the airlift before the suicide bombing that would strike the gate, the Marines laboring to save as many lives as possible amid the collapse.
Record no. 831