Imran

Imran worked for the US Army for years in Afghanistan as a specialist who helped implement the refining processes needed to create jet fuel. His knowledge and skillset was used by the United States until the Taliban breached the air base where he was working, and he was suddenly out of a job and running for his life.

When the air base was breached, his office was left as it had been the day before, with personal effects at his desk, photos of his family, and of course information on where he lived and his sensitive paperwork in the HR filing cabinet. He knew that the Taliban had access to his information, photos of him and his family, and his coworker’s information. He knew he needed to leave to not be forced to work for the Taliban or face death for non-compliance.

He attempted to reach the gates at HKIA almost everyday. He sustained countless beatings from Taliban members as he moved through checkpoints. The Taliban opened fire on the crowds one night at Abbey Gate, leaving him hiding for hours with sobbing children hiding behind a car. He waded through knee-deep sewage to try and call out to the soldiers for help, as his family waited nearby without success. He could not get past the thousands of people to show his SIV paperwork, a photo of his sister’s green card, and ask for help. He kept trying day after day, requesting help from his contact in the US.

As the last airplane took off from the military evacuation, most of his hope left with it. He took his wife and children to the countryside in hopes of hiding from the Taliban daily searches of homes and disappearing neighbors in Kabul. Meanwhile his US contact continued to look for resources to help him safely and legally escape with his young family. He grew desperate as his coworkers were found and disappeared, or their documents were taken and they were told that they would be expected to return to their jobs soon to make jet fuel for Afghanistan. He knew his safety and time were running out.

His US contact was introduced to Task Force Argo in early September. Task Force Argo was getting the impossible done; networking to find those who had not been evacuated but should have been. They were safely, legally, and humanely evacuating those individuals, with no cost to the families needing assistance. His US contact told him about the organization, and he asked for his family to be added to the list of families being tracked. He finally felt hope that an organization might help his family get to safety.

Imran and his family made the 14 hour journey to where flights were originating from, and Task Force Argo took his family in and provided shelter and food until his family was safely evacuated a few days later. He is incredibly grateful to Task Force Argo, for the selflessness of its volunteers, and the generosity of the donors making these efforts possible. He and his wife are now safe with their baby and three older children, and eventually wants to make it to California where his sister already lives.

Imran feels hope again, and wants to continue his education when he arrives in the US to continue to work in aviation fuel production and biodiesel. He especially feels happiness that his three daughters will have access to education and rights, and his wife will be able to study as well. He expresses thanks for not forgetting about people like his family, and for honoring the commitment made to those who stood alongside the United States while they were in Afghanistan.