Las Vegas City Wire

Pulling out U.S. troops in the Middle East is triggering mixed emotions from Nevada guardsmen as the Afghanistan crisis continues to unfold. 

The Nevada Guard played a big role in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. More than 1,250 Nevada Guardsmen served in 19 service activations. Now, none are left, 8 News Now reported.

“We’re here to follow our Commander in Chief and what our Commander in Chief says and he said it was time for us to go ahead and pull out of there,” Chief Master Sergeant James Lindsay said, 8 News Now reported. “And I support that 100%, but obviously there’s a lot of mixed emotions for all the time and effort that was put in there by a lot of service members from all around the world.”  

The Nevada Army Guard’s 2/238th Aviation unit was the first and last Army Guard unit from the Nevada Army Guard in Afghanistan, This Is Reno reported. 

“It never should have been like this. We are praying that stranded Americans in Afghanistan are able to safely evacuate and for the safety of our troops that are being deployed," Nevada Young Republicans said in an Aug. 18 tweet. 

The majority of the unit returned home in the fall of 2020 after a deployment that began in April of the same year. The final five soldiers from the unit returned to Nevada in January, This Is Reno reported.

"We all have to take care of each other and whatever emotions they’re feeling, we just have to be there for them and make sure that they understand, because there are a lot of people who lost their lives over there," Lindsey said, regarding those that struggling with the news coming out of Afghanistan, 8 News Now reported.

Command Sergeant Major Michael Spaulding worries about the allies left behind and those struggling to deal with Afghanistan's current situation, 8 News Now reported.

“In that crucible of war, you develop some pretty good friendships so it certainly was emotional,” Spalding said. “But at the end of the day, we all know that the mission has to come to an end.”