U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate and a Global War on Terror veteran is joining fellow Senate Armed Services Committee members in calling on Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) to exercise the committee’s authority by holding hearings on the mishandled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Specifically, the senators requested testimony from senior military leaders, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, Commander of U.S. Central Command General Frank McKenzie, Jr., and the final commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, General A. Scott Miller.
In their letter, Ernst and her colleagues write, “The American people, and in particular many of those who serve our country in uniform, are hurting, angry, and disappointed. We owe them a clear and comprehensive understanding of what happened, why, and how best to learn from these events for the future.”
They go on to say, “We owe it to our nation, those who served, their families, and our allies and partners who fought alongside us, to preserve the records of how our fight in Afghanistan concluded. The insights we gather will help prevent future loss of American blood and treasure, a solemn responsibility and sacred trust we believe all members of our committee will seek to uphold.”
To read the full letter, click here.
