ARLINGTON, Va.—Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) on Thursday praised President Trump’s pledge to bring all Americans troops home from Afghanistan by the end of the year and urged the Commander in Chief and leaders in Washington to remain resolute in accomplishing this long overdue goal.
“Not only is this what the American people want, it’s what our men and women in uniform deserve,” said CVA Executive Director Nate Anderson. “An American troop presence in Afghanistan serves no national interest, but it keeps our troops in harm’s way and wastes taxpayer dollars without making us safer or more prosperous. With so many other pressing priorities, including our soaring $26 trillion national debt, Americans understand the importance of bringing our troops home and looking toward the future of America’s role in the world. We urge the president to follow through on this pledge and we look forward to welcoming our troops home for the holidays.”
BACKGROUND
According to the agreement struck between the U.S. and the Taliban in February, all American troops are due to be withdrawn from the country by May of next year.
Polling commissioned by CVA earlier this year showed a continued increase in support for a more restrained foreign policy. From 2019 to 2020, support among veterans for withdrawing from Afghanistan rose 13 percentage points – from 60 percent to 73 percent. Among military family members, it rose 9 percent – from 60 percent to 69 percent.
CVA launched a $1.5 million national ad campaign in January aimed at bringing our troops home from Afghanistan. The group followed it up with a second phase of the campaign, which launched in July, continuing its nationwide grassroots effort. In total, the campaign has sent over 700,000 letters to leaders in Washington urging them to end our “forever wars.”