The service members who carried out the military missions to evacuate and resettle Afghans during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal last year will receive the Meritorious Unit Commendation award, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.
The uniform ribbon is awarded by the individual services — the Air Force calls it the Meritorious Unit Award — and it can signify valorous or meritorious service in combat, non-combat or a support role.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he has also ordered an expedited review of all units deployed to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport from Aug. 15-30, 2021, to determine if they or individual troops will receive the prestigious Presidential Unit Citation.
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The announcement comes as many troops grapple with the one-year anniversary of the U.S. military withdrawal that ended a 20-year war, the nation's longest. Service members evacuated about 124,000 people from Afghanistan and helped resettle many in the U.S., but the historic airlift was complicated by the suicide-bombing deaths of 13 service members, a botched U.S. strike that killed 10 Afghan civilians and a complete and swift Taliban takeover.
“This is a significant recognition for those who served in Afghanistan and participated in this very significant event,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said during a public briefing Wednesday. “From the secretary's…
