1208 Foundation

To contribute directly to the Waziri family, you can also donate at this link: https://gofund.me/72fb5a08

On April 28th, Abdul Rahman Waziri was shot and killed in a senseless dispute over parking. His name was not just “another victim” in the headlines—he was a father, a husband, and a former member of the National Mine Reduction Group (NMRG), the elite Afghan unit that protected U.S. Special Forces from IEDs for nearly two decades.

He survived one of the most dangerous jobs in Afghanistan, working side by side with Green Berets, clearing explosive devices buried to kill Americans. But after years of waiting in immigration limbo and finally resettling in the U.S., he was killed in a place he thought was safe.

He had risked his life for this country. We cannot let his death be met with silence.

This GoFundMe is being organized with support from members of the veteran community who served alongside the NMRG. Every dollar raised will go directly to his widow and children, helping them cover funeral costs, legal support, and housing stability during a time of unthinkable loss.

The 1208 Foundation, a veteran-led nonprofit that exists solely to support former NMRG members, has verified this case and will ensure that funds are responsibly directed.

If you’ve ever wondered how you could show gratitude to those who served beside Americans in war—this is one way. Let’s stand by his family, just as he once stood by ours.

All funds will go to Abdul Rahman’s surviving family.

Read about Omar & the NMRG in the Washington Post

Omar, a member of an Afghan minesweeping unit, and members of his team were exposed to Taliban reprisals by 2022's documentary "Retrograde". Produced by National Geographic, the film chronicled the collapse of Afghanistan, but did not conceal the faces or identities of those in the film. This essentially turned "Retrograde" into a hit-list, and the Taliban used it identify, abduct, torture and kill Omar, and force his teammates even further underground

Omar (who leaves a wife and childe behind) and his teammates were members of the National Mine Reduction Group, or NMRG: Afghan minesweepers who directly protected US Army Green Berets. The hazards they undertook were immense: From 2015 onwards, 22 Green Berets died, compared to 47 NMRG members. Our country already owes them a debt for protecting American soldiers, and this makes the exposure of their relationship with the US military by Nat Geo, and subsequent refusal by Disney executives to safeguard the NMRG from Taliban reprisals all the more unconscionable.

The circumstances surrounding Retrograde will be scrutinized in closer detail in the future. However, the mission of the 1208 Foundation is to protect those who protected us and we will not lose sight of what is most important: Omar's family and the NMRG need our help first.

Please donate to assist Omar's wife and child, and his brothers of the NMRG, in securing a safe and hopeful future.

We are a group of Special Forces veterans providing directed aid towards a very specific group of people that we served with in Afghanistan. Team 11 , a group of counter-IED specialists belonging to the National Mine Reduction Group (NMRG) were not fortunate enough to have escaped Afghanistan during the humanitarian airlifts in August 2021, and because of their affiliation with US Special Forces, they are actively hunted. The danger is further heightened by the fact that they are Hazara; an ethnic minority that has endured extensive persecution at the hands of the Taliban.

What separates this non-profit from others is the specific scope of this effort; we know the names and faces of who is to receive the aid, and any donations are not just disappearing into the ether- if you view our website at https://www.saveteam11.org/ you will see we provide feedback to our donors and broadcast our successes.

Our initial goal of $25,000 was intended to ensure their survival through the Afghan winter; It was based off the assessment of the former leader of Team 11 (currently sheltering in Kabul), who estimated that it would require $5,000 per month to sustain the roughly 100 people who make up Team 11 and their family, while also accounting for the gradual purchasing of Tazkiras (The Afghan National ID card) and passports required for immigration

Our goal has increased to $50,000 recently, and is likely to continue to increase. This is because the scope of our program has expanded. We have now taken on NMRG from multiple teams and one day hope to provide for all former members of the program

We are not restricted solely to fundraising; please sign and share our petition to Representatives Waltz Meijer and Moulton.