The House Foreign Affairs Committee met with Gold Star Families on Tuesday to examine the terrorist attack at Kabul airport, during which 13 Americans were killed. [Source]
One notable moment from the meeting was testimony from Gold Star father Mark Schmitz. His son, Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz tragically lost his life in the devastating bomb blast at Kabul’s airport on August 26, 2021. [Source]
“Not a single person has been held accountable,” Schmitz said. “Our so-called leader can’t seem to even utter their names in public, not even once.”
“You are a disgrace to this nation,” Schmitz passionately declared, addressing Biden directly. “You have no business having ultimate command over our military, and I regret not saying that to your face when I had the opportunity in Dover. I felt it more important to bite my tongue, but I also had more important things on my mind at that time, like receiving my son’s lifeless body stateside.”
Schmitz, recounting the traumatic moment at Dover, shared: “While I stood there on the tarmac watching you check your watch over and over again, all I wanted to do was shout, ‘It’s 2 ****ing 30, ***hole.’ But out of respect for the other grieving families, I bit my tongue once again. Well as you can probably tell by now, I’m done biting my tongue. You, sir, stole their lives, their futures, their dreams and have ripped apart 13 families. You cannot even man up and admit that.”
Revelations from a House Foreign Affairs Committee meeting in March make Schmitz’s words even more chilling. Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews testified that he had the suicide bomber in his sights but was ordered to stand down. Marine Lt. Col. Brad Whited, the commanding officer at the time, is now set to testify, potentially shedding light on this unsettling claim. [Source]
While Schmitz was seeking accountability, he asked, “How it could just be acceptable that our snipers could not get an immediate and straight answer from their commanding officer at such a crucial moment? This bombing did not come out of thin air, we had intel, the bomber was in the area. Lt. Col. Whited and generals on the ground were aware of this, and did absolutely nothing to prepare our snipers which relied on their leadership.”
This bombshell revelation spurred Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) into action. Deeply troubled, he penned a detailed letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on August 15, insisting that Lt. Col. Whited be summoned for questioning.
The letter highlights alarming intelligence lapses, noting, “In the early morning on the day of the attack, intelligence was provided to Sergeant Vargas-Andrews and his team a description of the bomber, identifying him and noting his presence in the area.”
McCaul’s letter paints a grim picture, suggesting there was potentially more than a twelve-hour window of advanced warning, a critical period during which action could have been taken.
Several lawmakers expressed concerns about who gave the order to stand down. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.), a war veteran himself, asserted that the responsibility might extend beyond Whited. He remarked, “I think it’s definitely higher than the commanding officer,” suggesting that even the highest levels of leadership should bear responsibility.
This sentiment was echoed by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), “I’m not surprised by the delays and denials from the current administration.”
Lt. Col. Brad Whited is scheduled for questioning by lawmakers on September 11.
As Mr. Schmitz poignantly stated amidst his grief, and as these revelations emerge, it’s clear that the nation’s fallen and their families deserve truth and justice.