Welcome to Episode 79 of The Afghanistan Project, where we cover all topics related to two decades of war in Afghanistan, and the fallout of our Afghanistan withdrawal.
Today’s guests are members of Team Alpha, the CIA’s original eight-man team of analysts, linguists, warriors, and tribal experts who went into Afghanistan to defeat al Qaeda in the days immediately following Sept. 11, 2001.
David Tyson retired from the CIA Directorate of Operations in 2020 after a 25-year career at the Agency that involved numerous overseas deployments and two rotations as the Chief of Station. David received the CIA’s Distinguished Intelligence Cross, the Agency’s highest award for valor, and the Agency’s Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal. He also served in the US Army, both as an enlisted servicemember and an officer.
Justin Sapp is a contingency strategist for Constellis, and recently retired as a US Army Green Beret Colonel following 30 years of exceptionally distinguished service. He received numerous military decorations during his service, including the Defense Superior Service Award and the Bronze Star with “V” device.
In this episode, David and Justin talk about their deployment to Afghanistan post-9/11 and the Afghan teammates who enabled their progress in fighting back against al Qaeda.
The majority of our episode focuses on Badger Six, the nonprofit that Team Alpha and supporters have created in order to assist the families of the 30-35 Afghans who were indispensable to Team Alpha, and who are currently in the pipeline for access to U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. We discuss the impediments facing team members, and their success when they reach the U.S.
Finally, Justin and David weigh in on their feelings about the resurgence of al Qaeda, the emergence of ISIS-K, and the return of pre-9/11 conditions for women inside Afghanistan.
Find Badger Six at their website: https://badgersix.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.
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