Changes to immigration policies may impact thousands of people already in the U.S., including men and women from Afghanistan who served alongside the American military. 52 women who served in the Female Tactical Platoon resettled in the U.S. after the American military withdrew from that country in 2021. Over a dozen who now live across the United States recently traveled to Richmond, where they were honored at a memorial walk, hosted by the Drew Ross Memorial Foundation.
Over 200 veterans, active-duty service members, and gold star families gathered at the Virginia war memorial in downtown Richmond. The event honored those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, including women who fought in the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon, or FTP. They joined the U.S. military in night raids, and collected intelligence.
One of them, Sima Alizada, now lives in Blacksburg. She brought her five-year-old son, Amir, to participate in the two-mile walk.
“So I told him today is Memorial Day,” Alizada said. “I didn’t explain to him what happened in Afghanistan and what happened to those military in Afghanistan. And I didn’t tell him because of his dad.”
Alizada’s husband was killed by the Taliban in 2018. She was two months pregnant with Amir. “Today is the saddest day for me, because I am one of those people who lost their best friend,” Alizada said, her voice breaking as she keeps walking.
While crossing a suspension bridge over the James River, her son gets excited to see all the water. Three other FTPs with children stand close to Alizada, laughing, steadying each other as they walk along the bridge, which sways slightly.
On one of the stops, another FTP who now lives in Blacksburg, Azizgul Ahmadi, stood beside a sign that shows the face of a fellow FTP who was killed in the war.
“She was very young, and she had a lot of dreams. And she was [a] very strong woman,” Ahmadi recalled. “She always volunteered to go to mission. Unfortunately, the last time, we lost her.”
Ahmadi helped organize this memorial walk. But she has mixed feelings, recalling the deaths.
On another stop, an audio exhibit plays clips of emergency responders during 9-11.
The sounds of screams is too traumatic for Ahmadi to listen to. She steps aside and stands beside the river.
“Everybody have a dream. Everybody want a peaceful life. Like a safe life. To stay with family, with friend. And nobody want war,” Ahmadi said. “Or fight each other. Or kill each other. But sometimes we lose people for nothing. It’s very hard for me to talk about. All of this. Like, I want everybody can enjoy together. Not kill each other.”
“I am enjoying to walking with these people. But in my heart, is not enjoying. My heart is dark,” Ahmadi said.
Ahmadi and the other FTP’s who were allowed into the United States did so through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which President Trump paused on his first day in office. Some of the women have been approved permanent residency cards, or green cards, but most are still waiting on their residency and citizenship cases, which appear frozen. They’ve lost hope of being joined by their family members still in Afghanistan, at least for the time being. If they return home, they fear retaliation from the Taliban because of their involvement with the U.S. military.
Dozens of FTPs are still living in Afghanistan, in terror being discovered by the Taliban, said Rebekah Edmondson an army veteran who helped train the FTPs in Afghanistan. Other FTPs who fled to Pakistan or other countries risk deportation back to Afghanistan, which could be life threatening to them, said Edmondson.
She runs a nonprofit, NXT Mission, which helps FTP’s evacuate and resettle in the United States. “There’s still very much a need. It takes a long time to get resettled into a new country,” Edmondson said. “And there’s still a lot of people that are deserving of evacuation that shouldn’t be forgotten about to include many of their family members.”
This memorial walk honors Drew Ross, an army captain from Lexington, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2018. Ross’ sister, Sarah Ross Geisen, organized it. She said she feels it’s important that the military community stand beside the FTP’s.
“I like to think that I am a strong woman, with strong convictions, but I feel like I pale in comparison to what they chose to do, situations that they faced and they still decided to go forward. I’m sure that there was fear. But seemingly without trepidation,” Geisen said.
“I hope that our administrations are able to provide them the citizenships that they seek. Cause they’re incredible people and we need to have them here amongst us," Geisen said.
After the event, the FTPs take some time catching up before they head back home to their incredibly busy lives. Ahmadi works at Walmart and is helping raise her teenage sister, who just graduated high school.
Alizada is working as a carpenter at Virginia Tech, and in the fall will begin her freshman year at New River Community College to study auto mechanics. There’s very little time to worry about their immigration status, but it does weigh heavy on their minds.
Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing series following women who served in the Afghan Female Tactical Platoon who have resettled in Blacksburg. Click here for more from the series.
