SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Taliban killing of the ISIS leader who masterminded the deadly 2021 suicide bombing at the Kabul Airport may not offer comfort to the families of fallen American service members, according to a Folsom veterans mental health advocate.
"The mastermind being killed probably doesn't bring a lot of solace," said Danny O'Neel, a combat veteran who runs Warfighter Overwatch, a veteran and first responder nonprofit that focuses on mental health.
O'Neel said he still has questions for U.S. military authorities about how such an attack -- that left 170 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members dead -- could have happened.
"13 American families are devastated and at a loss for words as to how this could have possibly happened," said O'Neel.
O'Neel's tattoo shop, Kinetic Ink in Folsom, displays photographs of the 13 service members killed, including Roseville native, Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee.
"Her entire family misses her every single second of every single day. This is not going to change how they feel," said O'Neel.
On March 8, Folsom native and Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargus-Andrews, who lost an arm and a leg in the blast, gave emotional testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
"The withdrawal was a catastrophe in my opinion, and there was an inexcusable lack of accountability and negligence," said Vargus-Andrews, after describing in detail the catastrophic injuries to his body.
For the families of those other 13 service members whose pictures hang on O'Neel's wall, he said, "We will keep asking the tough questions until we get the answers, because power comes from the people, and they owe us the answers."
WATCH ALSO:
