My name is Jim. In 2011-2012 I was deployed to Afghanistan as the Company Commander of an Infantry Company in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. One of our interpreters, an Afghan citizen named Shirzad served along side us on dozens of combat missions. He put his life on the line daily to provide us something we could not do, speak the local language. Shirzad left his family and came to work as an interpreter because he believed in what we were doing and wanted to help his country. He served us faithfully, in in one instance even foiled an attack against our soldiers by turning in some local police who wanted to attack us. Shirzad turned down the money offered to him to keep quiet and loyally protected us, at great harm to himself.
After working as an interpreter Shirzad returned home to his family. The fact that he stayed loyal to us and prevented an attack on our unit followed him, and the local taliban harassed him forcing him to relocate and put his family into hiding for years.
A few years ago we began working on his Special Immigrant Visa- he served us faithfully, he and his growing family were in great danger, and he wanted a better life for his family. While very close to getting his SIV Visa two years ago, the almost total stop on processing visas the past few years meant that he could not come and had to stay in hiding. He was by this time receiving death threats against him and his family.
With the rapid fall of Afghanistan Shirzad took the decision to move him and his family to Kabul, a very difficult and stressful move. Once there he was beaten by the Taliban in front of his wife and kids. Undeterred by the desire to improve his family's future he tried again. On the third time he was able to get through the gate with his eldest daughter at the airport and receive a visa to come to the USA. Unfortunately in the confusion and checkpoints his wife and three other children were unable to make it through. He tried for days to get them through but was advised by the State Department that the most important thing was to get his daughter out and then work to bring his family here once he gets to the US.
Shirzad and his daughter left with only the clothes on their backs. They are separated from the rest of their family and will be arriving to the US with nothing. Shirzad will need to get his daughter into school, get a place to live, get a job and work night and day to reunite his family. I am asking for any help we can provide him and his family- he has sacrificed so much because of the work he did for us.
