Welcome to Episode 74 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Our guests today are John Moses, Elizabeth Lynn, and Terry Symula, all of whom are intimately involved in cases where Afghan families separated as a result of the noncombatant evacuation operations are struggling to achieve reunification. We discuss several reunification cases, the incredible burden that separated families face, and the need to increase support and information to these families under the incoming Trump administration.
About the guests:
John Moses, co-founder of the Massachusetts Afghan Alliance, an organization that is supporting Afghan allies who have located around Massachusetts. John is also a 23-year veteran of the US Army, a veteran fellow at The Hoover Institution, and the Director of Operations at Wizardline Technologies, Inc.
Find Massachusetts Afghan Alliance here: https://massafghanalliance.org/
Elizabeth Lynn is director of government operations at Operation Recovery, where she directs the Afghanistan and Grow America Farm Corps initiatives. Elizabeth served in the U.S. Air Force and the Navy Reserves, and has received multiple commendations for her service. After holding a variety of positions with the U.S. Postal Service, USCIS, IRS and other U.S. government institutions, Elizabeth retired in 2020. She came out of retirement shortly thereafter to help Afghans left behind in their homeland.
Find Operation Recovery here: https://operationrecovery.org/
Terry Symula is a volunteer at Ascentria Care Alliance, where she leads a Neighborhood Support Team that welcomes Afghan families to the area. In Terry’s small town of Harvard, she was at one point supporting 36 Afghans. Terry’s background is in computer technology sales and marketing management, but she began volunteering in the field of resettlement 8 years ago to support a Rwandan family who arrived in Worcester, Massachusetts in the middle of the winter with numerous medical needs.
Find Ascentria Care Alliance here: https://www.ascentria.org/
About the host: Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X @BWBailey85.
For Afghan listeners: If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, theafghanistanprojectpodcast@gmail.com. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.
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