FORT MCCOY, Wis. – The first refugees from Afghanistan to arrive at Fort McCoy after the Taliban take-over, who arrived Sunday, had a hop-skip 7,000-mile itinerary. Most were evacuated from Kabul by giant U.S. Air Force cargo planes. Planes were crammed with 700 people deep, shoulder to shoulder, in cavernous cargo bays. These planes, with both Afghan and U.S. nationals, flew 1,100 miles to Qatar, 1,200 miles to Kuwait, or 3,100 miles to Germany. From those intermediate stops, refugees were routed to more than 30 countries that have agreed to accept them. U.S-bound refugees, according to the White House, received biometric and biographic security screenings by U.S. intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism personnel working around the clock to vet Afghans before clearing them to continue. Covid vaccine was administered. The U.S.-bound Afghans went to the Dulles civilian airport in northern Virginia near Washington. From Dulles, they were flown 800 miles to Fort McCoy in Wisconsin or 1,900 miles to Fort Bless in Texas or bused 140 miles to Fort Lee, Virginia. They are traveling light, most with only a single satchel. At the three Army posts they will begin a resettlement process that will take several months.
SRO. Emergency evacuation flights from Kabul carried 600 to 700 people. No seating. No coffee, tea or milk.
Counts elusive
How many refugees are headed to the United States? The. State Department can’t say because refugees are still queueing up for evacuation from Kabul. President Biden said estimates range between 10,000 and 15,000 Americans and between 50,000 and 65,000 Afghans. Other estimates run higher.