The Bulwark - Thank You

Service Takes Many Forms

Howdy,

Gettn’ on a plane this afternoon to fly to the great state of TEXAS. Unfortunately, I’ll be attending a funeral for my good friend, Trey Mooney. I’ll try to knock out a rant tomorrow on the road, but forgive me if I don’t make the deadline.

Yesterday, I concluded my Military Affairs Fellowship at The Bulwark.

Unbelievable. How did I pull something like that off? It’s a good story, so get yourself a cup of Joe, and I’ll try to make it succinct.

As my colleague Tim Miller likes to tweet, “Never Trump From the Jump.” That was me. As soon as Trump said McCain wasn’t a real hero, I was out of the party. I’m many things, but I’m not one to forgive anyone who dishonors POWs. Call me old-fashioned, but there’s no coming back from that.

In the fall of 2019, I was trying to learn Dari for the final push of my life — Afghanistan 2020 to 2021. While walking to snag a salad, I read about a new start-up magazine called The Bulwark with Bill Kristol. Over lunch, I did some digging and quickly found my new oasis.

I immediately signed up. I had never heard of JVL, Sarah Longwell, or Tim Miller. No offense. I’ve been preoccupied with other matters. But I knew Mona Charen, Charlie Sykes, and, of course, Bill Kristol. Soon after signing up, I started receiving JVL’s ‘Tri-ad,’ and I became hooked.

While I don’t claim to be a JVL completist (is that even possible?), I read all of his Triads and listened to Charlie Sykes religiously. It was soup for the soul.

“Okay, I’m not insane. Phew.”

Not only did these writers have game, but they were principled Americans, a very rare thing. They threw away their promising careers in Conservatism Inc. to start a new publication (sound familiar?). In essence, they not only talked about it, they were about it.

In June 2020, I deployed to Afghanistan as the Air Attache at the United States Embassy in Kabul (attache = diplomat). Unfortunately, I spent nearly a month in COVID lockdown. Luckily, I was staying in the nicest apartment ever. Seriously. The US Embassy in Kabul was dope. It fucking had an indoor pool. LOL.

So, for one month, I was basically alone. Not great, Bob. During that time, I became a paid subscriber to The Bulwark, even though there was no difference between the free and paid options (sound familiar?). But there was a difference. Paid subscribers got their own little podcast, ‘The Secret Podcast’ (we’re working on it).

I think on my 3rd week of lockdown, JVL wrote something about guns. I’m a 2nd Amendment purist (you’ll want me around in a year, bank it). Regardless, I sent a very rude email to him.

To my shock, he replied! And he was, of course, so gracious and friendly to me, even though I had been a dick in the email. I immediately responded, and we started a friendship via email.

I started every subsequent email with . . . “Greetings from the Afghanistan.”

Then came 6 January 2021. I was at the United States Embassy in Kabul when former President Donald Trump mobilized an angry mob to attack the capital. I was a fucking diplomat selln democracy/capitalism to the masses when we decided to shit the bed for everyone to see. Of course, I turned to The Bulwark. As I still do today.

I was so impressed with them that I decided to get them all presents. What can I say—I’m a thoughtful guy. I got them all American flags flown over the Embassy—yes, the same one President Biden abandoned in August 2021. Life is not without a sense of irony.

Then Bill Kristol emailed me to thank me, and I nearly fell out of my chair! LOL.

The rest, as they say, is history.

I returned in June 2021 and immediately wrote my first Bulwark article, ‘Do Not Forget Afghanistan.’

As my plane took off, I felt like I was abandoning my friends to a cruel death. Leaving Afghanistan does not feel like a cause for celebration for a job well done but rather an escape before a future calamity we helped create.

I’m not foolish enough to believe that we will re-engage or change our minds. My only request to my fellow Americans is that we do not forget Afghanistan.

That we do not forget the men and women whose names adorn memorials on bases being abandoned across Afghanistan.

That we do not forget my comrades, many of whom bear invisible wounds—and some who could not bear them anymore.

And that we do not forget our allies remaining in Afghanistan. Their war will continue and will be far more bloody and ruthless than anything most of us experienced. Tens of thousands will perish in the coming civil war and even more from the humanitarian disaster sure to follow. While opinions vary on the wisdom of President Biden’s decision to leave Afghanistan, surely we can agree that we must do our best to alleviate the suffering that will come.

Losing a war is hard enough. Compounding this abject feeling is coming home to a country eager to move on after twenty years of bloodshed in a conflict in which less than half of 1 percent of the population served. We must remember that, even if our soldiers are coming home, our responsibilities born of this conflict continue. It’s the least we can do.

How’d I do? I thought there’d be a Civil War because I erroneously assumed we would provide air support to our former allies. LOL. Other than that—pretty good?

When Afghanistan fell, I helped them write, ‘I Promise I Will Be a Good American.’ By the way, the guy I interviewed is in America and attended my retirement ceremony. Why? Because we don’t leave our allies behind. That’s not something we do here at GCV+F.

Then, I wrote one of my favorite pieces for The Bulwark, ‘A Terrible Year.’ This is what JVL wrote about it.

JVL’s Triad, 15 August 2022

During my time in command, I decided to hang them up. Luckily, during my time in command, I came across the DoD Skillbridge program, which allows separating Airmen to intern with a company for the last six months of their careers.

I’ve always believed in shooting your shot. It was even my motto in command: shoot your shot! So I did. I emailed JVL about the program, and to my surprise, he said that The Bulwark was interested. Luckily, Jim Swift helped me fight the bureaucracy that is the DoD, and on 16 January, approximately two weeks after my retirement ceremony, I became The Military Affairs Fellow.

I had no idea what to expect. I just hoped I could pull my weight.

What I found was a motley crew of principled writers courageously speaking truth to power, consequences be damned. I loved them even more. I knew what they were going through. During America’s final year in Afghanistan, General Scott Miller repeatedly shit all over my reporting because it didn’t align with his official narrative. I didn’t give a shit. I took the punches from a four-star because I knew it was the truth.

Who turned out to be correct, General Miller? Me or You?

Sorry. I digress. Thus, I’ve written weekly columns for my favorite online magazine for the last six months. They treated me as equals and valued my contributions. They elevated my voice even though I was incredibly critical of President Joe Biden’s dishonorable exit from Afghanistan.

Yet again, The Bulwark not only talks about it, they are about it.

That’s rare in this life. Most people are full of shit. Not The Bulwark. You might disagree with them on various points on policy (I do, all the time). But you should never doubt their sincerity. This ain’t some triple bank shot to make more money.

Nah, they’re true believers.

As my BFF, Kate K, said after listening to a YouTube special following Biden’s disastrous performance, “I know why these are you people.”

Indeed.

OG Bulwark. #NeverTrumpFromTheJump.

G*d bless them.

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Service Takes Many Forms

This is an inspiring story of perseverance, resilience, and service. Dr. Tia Corbin-Myers is an American hero.

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Doha 3: This Time It’s Really Stupid

The Taliban is in Doha, Qatar having another conference. It’s amazing. Even though they violated the Doha Agreement by overthrowing the previous government, we’re still trying to enforce it—-for what? As always, Beth Bailey has the goods.

Afghan women were blocked from attending the high-level meetings between the Taliban and United Nations leaders and special envoys dealing with Afghanistan in Qatar on Sunday. The Taliban had earlier demanded the exclusion of its country's women as a condition for its attendance. 

"The diplomatic community’s constant caving to terrorist demands only reinforces the Taliban view. Women and girls in Afghanistan are living in an open-air prison and are treated as less than human. Abduction, rape, torture, and murder are daily realities for women under the Taliban’s gender apartheid system," Jason Howk, director of Global Friends of Afghanistan, told Fox News Digital.

Read the whole thing.

Until Next Time