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Operation Allies Welcome concludes at Fort McCoy; last Afghans depart post

By CourtesyFebruary 25, 2022

The last family of Afghan guests is shown departing Fort McCoy, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2022, to end the Operation Allies Welcome mission at the post. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment)
1 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The last family of Afghan guests is shown departing Fort McCoy, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2022, to end the Operation Allies Welcome mission at the post. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert Wormley) VIEW ORIGINAL
Task Force McCoy staff wave goodbye to the last family of Afghan guests as they depart Fort McCoy, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2022. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment)
2 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Task Force McCoy staff wave goodbye to the last family of Afghan guests as they depart Fort McCoy, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2022. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert Wormley) VIEW ORIGINAL
Rosana Resende, Deputy Lead for U.S. State Department at Task Force McCoy, gives an Afghan child of the last family to depart Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, a sticker as they prepare to board to the bus, Feb. 15, 2022. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment)
3 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Rosana Resende, Deputy Lead for U.S. State Department at Task Force McCoy, gives an Afghan child of the last family to depart Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, a sticker as they prepare to board to the bus, Feb. 15, 2022. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert Wormley) VIEW ORIGINAL
The last family of Afghan guests are shown departing Fort McCoy, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2022. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment)
4 / 4 Show Caption + Hide Caption – The last family of Afghan guests are shown departing Fort McCoy, Wis., on Feb. 15, 2022. The Department of Defense, through U.S. Northern Command, and in support of the Department of Homeland Security, is providing transportation, temporary housing, medical screening, and general support for at least 50,000 Afghan guests at suitable facilities, in permanent or temporary structures, as quickly as possible. This initiative provides Afghan guests essential support at secure locations outside Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Robert P Wormley III, 50th Public Affairs Detachment) (Photo Credit: Sgt. Robert Wormley) VIEW ORIGINAL

As of 8 a.m. Feb. 15, the last Afghan evacuee guests departed Fort McCoy — effectively ending Operation Allies Welcome on post. Their departure marked the end of Fort McCoy’s participation in the six-month-long humanitarian mission to provide a safe haven for and relocate Afghan allies who assisted the United States’ interests in Afghanistan.

Over the course of the months, the Fort McCoy community supported Task Force McCoy — the overall military support to the federal mission — and federal partners, including the Department of Homeland Security, the lead agency for OAW, in enabling the resettlement of some 12,600 Afghan personnel into new communities across the United States.

“On Aug. 22, 2021, we began welcoming nearly (12,600) Afghans. The mission was to temporarily house; feed; clothe; process for immigration benefits; provide medical attention; and, ultimately, resettle the Afghan guests. Essentially, it was our job to help them start their lives in the United States,” said Angie Salazar, Department of Homeland Security lead for the OAW mission at Fort McCoy.

According to a Task Force McCoy presentation, “upon arrival at Fort McCoy many (Afghan evacuees) were malnourished. Diseases rarely seen in America were prevalent. And evacuees suffered from mental illness not readily seen on the surface. Work immediately started to revitalize this community so they could begin their American journey.”

In all, more than 4,000 people from 35 federal, state, local and nongovernmental agencies and volunteer organizations participated in the OAW mission on Fort McCoy, Salazar said.

“We literally put up an entire city with a population of approximately 15,000, despite having to overcome unique challenges like language barriers and cultural differences all the while creating our own handbook,” she said.

To bridge the language and cultural issues, Salazar said, they established a communications system to keep guests informed of ongoing activities and updates on their stay at Fort McCoy via text messaging, town halls, and a guest service center.

And to keep the public informed and allow them to get to know some of the guests, the mission hosted a media day; later added weekly calls with community leaders; and community leader outreach engagement visits in coordination with the Fort McCoy Garrison Public Affairs Office.

To help prepare guests for life in the United States, as well as to keep them entertained and active during their time at Fort McCoy, Salazar said that the mission established an informal education system comprising 12 schools hosting 70 classes per day.

They also established countless activities, including arts and crafts, movie nights, a production of the Nutcracker ballet, sporting events and competitions, sewing centers, tea rooms, community care centers, and recreation centers, she said.

The mission provided medical, dental, and vision screening, including providing 87,000 vaccinations to the guests covering traditional childhood vaccinations — such as measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and polio — as well as COVID-19 and the flu, leading to 100 percent of the guest population being fully vaccinated, according to a Task Force McCoy presentation.

One unique collection within the guests was a group of more than 100 female university students who were at risk simply because they were female and wanted to further their education in Afghanistan. Salazar said the mission staff worked to allow the women to continue their educations by connecting them with universities that provided full scholarships.

One effort that brought smiles to faces whenever it was shared was the coordination with the state of Wisconsin to issue 65 birth certificates. In addition to births, Salazar said, there were also weddings.

She put the mission into perspective: “With community donations, support from many organizations, and close coordination with surrounding hospitals and public safety, the mission accomplished the remarkable feat of resettling nearly 13,000 at-risk Afghans, including 65 newborn U.S. citizens.”

“At times it felt like our mission objectives were exceedingly ambitious and faced seemingly insurmountable challenges. I was always able to find inspiration around me. In fact, we were surrounded by nearly 13,000 sources of inspiration,” she said, adding that “for nearly two decades, this resilient population faced suffering the likes of which, fortunately, many Americans cannot relate. Though no level of effort would be worthy of their sacrifice, I am proud we were able to represent our nation in welcoming them.”

Fort McCoy Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss echoed Salazar’s sentiments in recognizing the all-of-government effort and all-of-Fort McCoy effort in a message to the Fort McCoy community.

“I would like to thank the Fort McCoy Garrison, tenant organizations, and Team McCoy workforce for your dedication with the Operation Allies Welcome mission, while also continuing to provide outstanding services for our regular training customers. Thanks also to all the Task Force McCoy Soldiers, inter-agency partners, and non-governmental organizations for leading the OAW mission,” he said, adding an additional thank you to “the local communities and public for their unwavering support of all that we do at Fort McCoy. We would not be successful without that support.”

In a press release from Task Force McCoy leadership and public affairs on Feb. 15, they also highlighted the completion of OAW operations at Fort McCoy.

“This mission was all about being of service to something bigger than ourselves,” said Brig. Gen. Andrée Carter, Task Force McCoy commanding general.

“It was an honor and privilege to welcome our Afghan guests from a harrowing journey and wake to a better day in the United States. I am proud of our teamwork with numerous federal agencies, state and local governments, and nongovernmental organizations. One of the fondest memories I will hold on to is the overwhelming generosity of the local community.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the lead federal agency, also announced the end of OAW operations on post in a press release Feb. 15.

In the press release, Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command, said that Task Force McCoy is the seventh of eight task forces to conclude its temporary support of Operation Allies Welcome. “I am incredibly proud of the important work our service members along with their interagency partners at Task Force McCoy have done over the last five months, enabling the resettlement of more than 12,600 Afghan personnel into their new communities across the country,” he said.

(Article prepared by the Fort McCoy Public Affairs Office and multiple sources.)

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