So I’d like to ask both of you, how long had you been serving in the military at that point? And where were you in that moment? Ken, let’s start with you. There has never been a moment of my adult life that was not post-9/11. And I did not realize at the time the next 20 years of my life would be defined by this thing I was watching on television. So I want to start with September 11th, 2001. And we’ll provide some resources at the end of the conversation for veterans and anyone else who might be struggling right now. After leaving the Navy, Ken’s worked as an advocate for veterans.Ī quick content warning: We mentioned suicide in this episode. Navy pilot from 1996 to 2005 and was in Afghanistan in 2006 with the human rights organization. Ken Harbaugh - and before you ask, not related to those Harbaughs - served as a U.S. It ultimately inspired Mike to become a therapist for veterans and first responders. In 2008, his son Michael Jr., who was also a Marine, was killed in action in Afghanistan. Mike is a former marine and firefighter who was deployed to the Middle East after 9/11. Both of them have spent a lot of time thinking about what 9/11 and the 20 years since have meant to their communities. They met years ago through Team Rubicon, an organization that helps veterans serve communities and humanitarian emergencies. Michael Washington and Ken Harbaugh are friends. That’s the official name of the United States’ global war on terror. So today we’re bringing you a conversation I had with two veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom. And what I wanted to do this week is hear from veterans who fought in that war about what 9/11 has meant to them and how it’s colored their lives, their service, and their feelings about our country since. Beginning in October 2001 with the war in Afghanistan. And it’s even more staggering and sobering and sad and awful to come to terms with the almost 20 years of wars that have followed. It’s wild to think that it’s been two decades since the only morning of my freshman year of high school I remember absolutely perfectly, every detail seared into some part of my skull. This week is the 20th anniversary of September 11th. If you’re 20 years old today, you’ve never known an America at peace. I refuse to open another decade of warfare in Afghanistan. I refuse to continue the war that was no longer in the service of the vital national interests of our people. And if we wanted to be soldiers, it would be over in 10 days - one week to 10 days, if we wanted to. And we’ve acted as policemen, not soldiers. It was here from within these borders that Al Qaeda launched the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocent men, women, and children. It was here in Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden established a safe haven for his terrorist organization. On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against Al Qaeda terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Last night in Kabul, the United States ended the longest war in American history. Today on The Argument: How do America’s veterans talk about September 11th? Wednesday, September 8th, 2021 jane coaston Transcript ‘You Don’t Bring Democracy at the Point of a Gun’ Two veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom reflect on where the Sept.
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