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Afghan Air Force vets living in Boise share story of escape, reality of life in Afghanistan

The pair escaped Afghanistan in 2021 as the Taliban took over, forced to leave friends and family behind.

BOISE, Idaho — Aug. 15, 2021, the day that signaled significant change in Afghanistan. As the United States began to withdraw from the country, Taliban fighters entered the capital of Kabul. 

“The last day I was leading a squadron in northern Afghanistan, so the Taliban came almost in the airport. So, they start shooting and we felt that, time is up,” Habib said.

Habib and his fellow Afghan airman, Bashir, were there on Aug. 15, serving alongside Americans in the Afghan Air Force. Habib specialized in helicopter work, Bashir a specialist in fixed wing air crafts.

“I flew the aircraft until 2021, making the intelligence, giving the videos, capturing the Taliban cartels and drug dealers flying just shoulder-to-shoulder by Americans, but their squadron,” Bashir said.

Two weeks before American forces were set to leave the country, Taliban forces quickly took advantage of the situation.

“Taliban came, they got the north of Afghanistan. Then, they just paved their way to the capital of Afghanistan," Bashir said. "So, we got the calls, we didn't know, like it's going to fall, all the government. We didn't have time to even talk with our families. We were in an airport, just stand by."

While Habib worked through crisis in the north, Bashir watched chaos in the capital.

“It was not like a big fight between Taliban and the government that day. It was so calm and you just knew it's just a dealing thing and I think the president just left Afghanistan on Aug. 15 at 11 a.m.," Bashir said. "So, we were there 'till like 3 or 4 p.m. and then we left Afghanistan."

“Lots of troops in Kabul, but there was no leadership. So, and the presidency and the coalition forces, they were all in the airport side, and people were scared because the Taliban, they act like last 20 years was very brutal," Habib said. "So, they didn't care about children and woman. People were scared that day. It was like a nightmare."

Images of Kabul circulated around the world, showing a chaotic rush to flee the violent Taliban.

“All Afghans that work with the United States, people who are trying to get out. You're seeing the women and children running on the runway. So, we almost hit the people on the runway as we were taking off from the runway,” Bashir remembered.  

Bashir was able to escape the capital and Bashir, the northern part of Afghanistan. They both headed to Uzbekistan.

“So, we broke some international law because we went to their country all equipped with fighter copters, with all of our gear, weapons and everything we had, like advanced equipment,” Habib said. “We left nothing back home for the unit, so we took all the computers, like hard drive and stuff. So, it was to make everyone else safe. They were like, 'you planning to attack? Or you can be a fleeing. How can you see that like this?' So, we had a hard time for like a month. We were like everyday, they were, like, questioning us. They were very suspicious.”

The pair reunited in Uzbekistan, but said they did not realize it would be the next part of the nightmare. After weeks and weeks of working with officials and going through analysis, the pair was able to get into the EU and from there, to the United States.

“I had some friends, they live here in Boise. They had lots of good stories and things about the Boise. That's the place you need to be,” Habib said.  

“I never heard of Boise, Idaho. I knew Washington, D.C., California, Texas and Chicago. We had five friends together, so we chose to stay in Boise and maybe we can just make a way to fly again and that's our hope right now,” Bashir said.

Both Bashir and Habib are working through complicated visa, refugee, and asylum processes. For now, they both work to help make ends meet for their families, who they were forced to leave behind. The pair knows the daily dangers their families face, threats of the Taliban.

“Two weeks ago, the home we had, the home me, my dad and my older brother tried to build it and everything, the Taliban took it and they gave the people three days to get your couch and your TV's and everything. We have the house, so it's hard. You're right," Bashir said. "When you get pushed out of your house, your homeland. They get everything. Not just me. Like lots of our friends of happened the same thing. They got their houses and you can live whatever you want, but we have the house."

The pair thinks about their families and situation constantly.

“My home, my people, especially the women right now, they are fighting everyday. They are on the street. They are asking for their rights, but no one can see that. Unfortunately, because they won't let the media show, Taliban is actually against education, especially with the women. It's like we just went back 20 or 40 years," Habib said. "So, they're afraid of people giving smart to education, especially the woman to have the right. They make explosion in institutions, schools, especially on woman and children, and they just want to keep the government from doing so for maybe too long. That's why they are building the people and education side."

The reality of everyday life in Kabul, it can be a very difficult place to live.
Habib and Bashir hope to get their families state side, but know it will be a challenge. The pair continues to work hard on their own journey to get green cards here, so they can follow the passion and livelihood they both love, flying air crafts and helicopters. 

It is challenging, because certification in the U.S. does not count their thousands of hours of military flights. It is a challenge both are ready to tackle, as they continue to work jobs to support themselves and family back home.

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