Afghanistan was not for nothing, says army vet

To my fellow veterans who have courageously served in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and to all the Gold Star families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice, my message to you can be summed up in three short words: We have done good.

I know that might not be the case at this immediate moment.

Ten years ago, when I put my backpack on an IED on my third tour of Afghanistan and lost parts of my arms and legs, I felt angry, hurt, depressed and desperate – a lot of the emotions we are going through right now. I have been there. I feel your pain. Since my injury, I have spent most of my second chance in life trying to live life to the fullest, helping other veterans overcome a series of mental challenges and physical barriers while building a community of welded veterans.

So my message is simple: Afghanistan was not for nothing. It is thanks to us, those who have served, that good things have indeed happened.

We did well.

We have built and dug wells to provide clean drinking water to the Afghan people.

We have built schools so that more of the population has access to education, including women and children.

We have provided modernized western medicine and medical assistance in the region.

We have built hospitals.

We have also contributed to the local economy and commerce by hiring Afghans to build infrastructure.

These are all tools that the public will hopefully still be able to use even after we leave.

We did well.

Could the withdrawal have been better managed logistically? Sure. We probably should have left Afghanistan a long time ago. But don’t let recent events erase all the positive we have done to make the country a better place. It was not in vain, and as difficult as it may be, I hope there is some solace in there.

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Story produced by Sara Kugel.