When Kabul and Afghanistan fell, it was their femininity, not their remarkable military record, that made them prime targets for the Taliban.
Alizada was a member of the “Female Tactical Platoon” in Afghanistan, which was prepared by US special forces to serve alongside male Afghans in the nation’s security. They did everything “shoulder to shoulder with the males,” according to her. Which in turn has made her and her coworkers exceedingly objectionable to the Taliban. Several hundred-night raids involving elite US special operations from the Green Berets, Navy SEALs, and Army Rangers are said to have taken place with the Female Tactical Platoon. When Kabul and Afghanistan fell, it was their gender, not their remarkable military record, that made them prime targets for the Taliban. Alizada shared that her unit regularly walked long distances during night opts in order to protect women in children from the Taliban.
Alizada says she’ll never forget the day the Taliban retook Kabul, saying that the whole city erupted in chaos. Alizada’s husband was also a member of the Afghan special forces ad had worked with the U.S military. Her husband however was unable to flee Afghanistan, and was killed by the Taliban while she was pregnant. Alizada was prepped and extracted by Cultural Support teams, and left behind “her whole family, her homeland, her everything.”
Resettling has been hard for her, but she has found solace in other Afghan Refugees in Utah. Though she has been provided housing and necessities for six months, Alizada aims to take care of her self and her son and constantly works on her English.
