has extensive academic credentials including a PhD, 7 Masters degrees, 2 bachelor’s degrees and is currently enrolled in the Masters in Liberal Arts and Science (MLAS) program at Vanderbilt University with a concentration in History.
A former Adjunct Professor at the University of North Florida for 10 years and a guest Lecturer at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design’s Professional Education program for 5 years.
Professionally his Executive assignments included 10 years with The PGA TOUR, Smith and Wesson and The State of Tennessee Growing up the son of a WWII Veteran Chris knew from an early age he was destined to be a military officer and to serve his country. His favorite film growing up was Lawrence of Arabia and little did he know that the 6-year-old boy watching that film would someday travel a similar path.
It Mattered To Them, is his second book and documents his time as the Commanding Officer of the Combat Support Group at Camp Zafar in Herat, Afghanistan. Chris lives just outside of Franklin, Tennessee with Black Lab Molly, Barn Cat Chloe and wife Cherrie.
It matters to them is my second book and describes my war time experiences as the Commanding Officer of the Combat Support Battalion at Camp Zafar, Herat Afghanistan in 2013-14. I felt inclined to write this book as ten years ago, my men risked their lives to join U.S. efforts to overthrow Islamist rule and rebuild Afghanistan.
But a year after the United States abruptly pulled out of Afghanistan, my men live in constant danger, hunted by Taliban militants who now control the country. Those who haven’t lost their lives have lost homes, jobs, families, and freedoms
Those of you who know me know that I live by the Motto Leave No Man Behind…. but we did.
Today, those left behind in Afghanistan can apply for the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program but the process is a slow government grind. The SIV program grants legal permanent residency for those employed by, or on behalf of, the U.S. government for more than a year.
But more than 60,000 SIV-eligible Afghans are still waiting for approval. Ten of those men are mine. The SIV system involves complicated paperwork and requests, convoluted State Department bureaucracy, and poor to nonexistent communication with applicants. The slow, understaffed program is a failure and hasn’t improved as President Biden promised.
Most Veterans including me supported the U.S. exit from Afghanistan, but the sudden nature of it was a travesty causing immediate deterioration in women’s rights and education, healthcare, infrastructure, and freedoms—and abandonment of allies to terrorists.
Just this week in an e mail, one of my engineers reports that there is wide spread famine, power outages and that many are freezing in the Afghan winter.
As a combat veteran I feel guilt over my Country’s treatment of my Afghan brothers.
I’ve written countless letters of recommendation in support of the SIV applications of fully qualified men and have even offered to sponsor them here in America.
We made a promise to those individuals who risked their lives and the safety of their families for our mission.
Looking at all the pictures from ten years ago makes me sad. I am proud of all the good we did and the friendship we made and I will keep repeating my motto of Leave No Man Behind even though I sometimes think… I shouldn’t.
I never got to say goodbye to all my men…… until now
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