Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs and a group of House Republicans sent a letter Tuesday to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin regarding a recent social media post circulated by a retiring member of the 82nd Airborne Division, who said he was charged $3,561 for military equipment he claims he was ordered to leave behind during the Biden administration’s Aug. 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the letter, which asks a series of questions about the amount of money owed for equipment lost during the Afghanistan withdrawal — broken down by units deployed — and requests information on how the process for reporting missing equipment is conveyed to soldiers and how often they are notified of this. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Joni Ernst To Release Video Ripping Biden Over Afghanistan Withdrawal On Two-Year Anniversary)
“Our courageous servicemembers ought to be treated with dignity for their service and not slapped with an expensive bill,” Biggs told the Caller before sending the letter. “We need to get to the bottom of what happened with this servicemember and ensure that he and others are not financially penalized for following orders.”
“Secretary Austin must provide us answers and ensure that our servicemembers are treated fairly,” he added.
WATCH:
Wow! Soldier leaving the army blasts the Biden admin and the state of the military. Claims he’s being charged close to $4,000 for gear he was INSTRUCTED to leave in Afghanistan during Biden’s disastrous withdrawal. pic.twitter.com/bzfjYd21EN
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 20, 2023
HERE IS WHAT THE LAWMAKERS ASK IN THE LETTER:
- What is the breakdown of the total amount of money owed for lost equipment during the Afghanistan withdrawal, categorized by the units deployed?
- What information is provided to service members about the process for reporting missing equipment?
- How frequently are service members informed about the process for reporting missing equipment?
- Are there any communication gaps or challenges in conveying this information to deployed units?
- Was the necessary paperwork and documentation procedures completed in these instances?
- Did the reported paperwork receive appropriate approvals?
- Are there any improvements or changes planned for data collection and analysis in this context?
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
Families of the 13 troops killed in Kabul have continued to share their frustration with the Biden administration over the lack of accountability for the botched withdrawal. (RELATED: Senate Armed Services Committee To Hold Open Hearings With Secretary Austin, Gen. Milley And Gen. McKenzie)
The lawmakers called for a response to their questions by Dec. 20, 2023.