Help Khalid Become Self-Sufficient in America

My name is Josh Russo. I'm an active duty U.S. Army Green Beret who served in combat in Afghanistan alongside Afghan Police Commander Mohammad Khalid Wardak in 2012-2013.

In 2021, as the Taliban seized control in Kabul, my wife Claire and I worked with a team of our closest friends to evacuate Khalid and his family to the United States. They're currently living and working in Dallas, Texas. I've updated this Go Fund Me to help raise essential funds for Khalid's medical care and rent as he and his family work tirelessly toward self-sufficiency here in America.

Many of you are already familiar with Khalid Wardak's story:

Khalid is a widely respected veteran of the Afghan National Police Commandos, who served faithfully and effectively alongside US Special Forces for over 12 years. I know this because not only did I serve with Khalid - I know members of each and every Special Forces team that worked with him over the years, in some of the most dangerous regions of Afghanistan.

Khalid never gave up the fight through hundreds of intense combat engagements and police raids. He was severely wounded multiple times - including the loss of his lower right leg in 2015 - and survived dozens of targeted attempts on his life and a final bloody siege by thousands of assaulting Taliban in July 2021.

Khalid fought to the bitter end because he believed in a better future for Afghanistan and trusted his American comrades. That he survived those final battles is nothing short of a miracle.

Then during the fall of Kabul, my wife Claire and an incredibly committed team of our closest friends and colleagues managed to get Khalid and his family out of Afghanistan. That's miracle #2.

After all of that herculean effort, chaos, trauma and loss - Khalid and his wife and four boys are now fully embarked on establishing a new life in America. In 2023, Khalid started a job at the Dallas Airport, assisting physically disabled passengers getting to and from their flights. You can appreciate the irony: a former Afghan Police Commando with a prosthetic leg pushing wheel-chair bound travelers around the airport - removing his prosthetic and putting it through the X-ray machine each time he goes back and forth between ticketing and gate.

Now Khalid and his family are continuing to progress toward self-sufficiency in America. He completed his commercial driver's license and is diligently pursuing a variety of job opportunities.

However, he continues to experience serious medical complications with his prosthetic leg, shrapnel wounds, and other injuries sustained in combat. Working with Khalid, I started this Go Fund Me to raise the funds to assist him and his family with essential medical expenses and rent as he works toward financial self-sufficiency.

Please join Claire and me in supporting Khalid as he works relentlessly to "stand up" on his own in America.