Amid the fall of Afghanistan earlier this year, MA in Public Leadership program students and alumni took action to help interpreters, activists and allies in danger, while also advocating for the support of veterans struggling with mental health issues.
David Pham
David Pham is a reservist Marine Corps major who earned awards for valor and a purple heart. Pham was contacted through Facebook by an Afghan officer he had served with.
Pham joined a group of veterans working to evacuate allies, helping them bypass Taliban checkpoints. Pham’s contact, his family and many others were safely evacuated thanks in part to the efforts of Pham and his group.
The son of a Vietnamese refugee. Pham has been fundraising to support evacuees as they begin new lives in the United States.
Alex Cornell du Houx
Alex Cornell du Houx is a Marine veteran, naval reservist and a former Maine state legislator. He is the president and co-founder of a climate change advocacy group and helped create Evacuating Vocal Afghan Citizens, an organization supporting journalists and female activists.
Cornell du Houx was contacted by journalist Fatema Hosseini and female athletes in danger from the Taliban. Working with Ukrainian special forces, sending Hosseini information via WhatsApp and directing bus convoys over the phone, he was able to help the athletes, Hosseini, her family and hundreds more escape safely. Cornell du Houx continues to help evacuees settle in the United States.
Shawn VanDiver
Shawn VanDiver, a 12-year Navy veteran, was contacted by Lucky, an Afghan interpreter in danger, who was eventually evacuated by helicopter after three days without contact.
During his work helping Lucky and his family, VanDiver created an operations center with other veterans and service members in San Diego. He contacted different groups working to rescue allies, connecting the leaders of these organizations in a secure chat room and creating a single shared list of evacuees to ease processing at the airport. VanDiver called the evacuation effort “the most uniquely American thing I’ve ever seen”.
Alex Othmer
Alex Othmer is a former Navy SEAL who co-founded Guardian Revival, an organization that supports first responders and veterans. Othmer is focused on addressing the many invisible wounds veterans carry with them, writing in September about the need to prioritize mental health care for veterans.
His organization focuses mainly on animal ownership and outdoor recreation programs, two proven methods for addressing mental health issues
Aware of the heavy burden placed on veterans by the events in Afghanistan and the 20th anniversary of 9/11, Othmer wrote about the importance of supporting veterans at this time, especially breaking the stigma around seeking treatment for mental health issues.
Amy Bushatz
Amy Bushatz is a reporter and the executive editor of military.com. Her husband, Luke Bushatz, was deployed to Afghanistan where his unit lost 21 soldiers in just four months, and he continues to suffer from PTSD after being injured in an IED explosion.
Speaking to columnist Connie Shultz in late August about honoring the fallen, Amy Bushatz emphasized that “any person who makes a difference in the life of another is not a waste.” The sacrifices of service members and their families are often overlooked, and Bushatz is one of many working to raise awareness of this essential issue.
Ken Goldstein
Professor Ken Goldstein is a faculty member and renowned pollster who has worked on election coverage for ABC news since 1988. Recently, Professor Goldstein has been helping track the evolving opinions Americans hold on the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
An ABC/Ipsos poll released on August 29 found that 84% of Americans supported remaining in Afghanistan until all Americans were evacuated, with 71% in favor of staying until all remaining Afghan allies were evacuated as well.
Professor Goldstein also contributed to another ABC/Ipsos poll, released on September 29, that showed that 38% of Americans approved of the Biden Administration’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, unchanged from late August.
