The final scramble out of Kabul required skills only commandos have, special-ops veterans say

STAVROS ATLAMAZOGLOU

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In the final weeks of August, US troops and international allies scrambled to get evacuees out of Afghanistan.

Getting foreign citizens and at-risk Afghans out was tricky, requiring many of them to make it through Taliban-held areas.

Key to those operations were special-operations units, which got outside the wire and extracted people in risky conditions.

The lighting speed of the Taliban conquest of Afghanistan caught the US and its allies ill-prepared.

The resulting evacuation was marred by confusion, mistakes, and tragedy. But not all went wrong. US and coalition forces managed to get roughly 115,000 people out of the country, including US citizens, third-country nationals, and vulnerable Afghans and their families.

Key to the evacuations were special-operations units, which were able to go outside the wire and extract people in risky conditions.

The special-operations face of the evacuations

An 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper supports evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, August 22, 2021. US Central Command

There were several special-operations units assisting the US troops during the evacuations, including elements from Joint Special Operations Command - likely Navy SEALs from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group or Delta Force operators, helicopters from the Army's elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the "Night Stalkers," and Air Commandos, such as pararescuemen to provide medical support and combat controllers to provide air traffic control and call in close air support if needed.

It is also safe to assume that the 75th Ranger Regiment had a presence - probably a platoon or company - at the airport to support any special-mission units.