Arif Azimi is an Afghan national who served the U.S. military and coalition forces as an interpreter in Afghanistan for many years. I first met Arif in 2012 when I arrived in Afghanistan with my unit, 3-41 IN. Although it was my first deployment, Arif had a wealth of knowledge and experience he shared with me and my unit that he gained from his time in combat. He had served with numerous Army units in Kandahar and often shared valuable information with my platoon and I as we planned and executed missions in our area of operations. Arif often mentioned his family that he left to serve as an interpreter. He spoke about his goal of eventually making his way to the U.S., but recognized the challenges ahead. In 2015, Arif finally secured an SIV (Special Immigration Visa) from the U.S. government and he made his way to the U.S. Like many interpreters, Arif knew his life was in danger the longer he stayed in Afghanistan. By this time, the Taliban had already demonstrated their desire to kill any Afghan nationals who partnered with the Americans.

The recent events in Afghanistan and rise of Taliban control meant that Arif's family was now going to be targeted for his support to our nation. With many individuals who personally knew Arif, we all worked together to begin assisting Arif's family on helping them navigate onto the Kabul airport and ultimately evacuate the country. Through multiple efforts and coordination from the across the world, Arif's family was finally able to leave Afghanistan with just the clothes on their backs and a small bag. His family, consisting of his father, mother, and four sisters, all made it to the U.S. in late August, 2021, leaving everything they had ever known for the hopes of freedom and security in the U.S.

We are requesting that other Americans, who have been blessed to call this great nation home, make a small contribution to Arif and his family as they begin a new life. Arif's family is just one of many families who now face the challenges associated with learning a new language, culture, and integrating into our society. The goal of this effort is to provide some initial funding to help not only the Azimi family, but other Afghan families who are in the same position. The number is growing daily, and Arif and I are in contact now to help assist other families.

Ultimately, we look to partner with and network to assist these new families with gaining employment and the skills necessary to sustain themselves in our country. However, we recognize this effort is much more difficult with no funding and providing these families some emergency funds will drastically help accelerate their transition and set them up for success. Thank you all!

-Matt Frazier