LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Taliban moved into Afghanistan's capital of Kabul Sunday, after the president fled the country and its government collapsed.
For U.S. military who served in Afghanistan, watching the Taliban take over brings many mixed emotions after the U.S. spent two decades in a campaign to remake the country.
"We were getting calls from veterans who are just infuriated, they're angry, they're hurt, they're upset, and they also care about those that live there that are still there, who helped us," said Veteran's Club Founder and CEO Jeremy Harrell.
Harrell says many veterans feel they're watching their sacrifices and decades of work crumble as the Taliban takes control in Afghanistan.
"When we're looking at everything that has been accomplished unfolding right before our eyes, it's like, 'what just happened,'" said Harrell. "Like 'I just sacrificed for no reason.' And that's hard to stomach, that's very difficult."
Harrell and other veterans he speaks with, see what's happening as a lack of leadership.
"Right now we're reacting to something that we should have had a great and proper plan in place before this even occurred," said Harrell. "Somewhere up top there was a failure to communicate, a lack of a solid plan, which was leading us to where we are now and it's a terrible thing to watch."
The immediate concern for the Veteran's Club is the emotional toll this situation is taking on former service members who were in Afghanistan.
"I just feel bad for them thinking that what they did didn't make a difference," said Harrell. "I don't know anybody with a heartbeat that served this country in a wartime environment that didn't put their heart and soul into what they were doing, you have to."
He encourages the public, regardless of politics, to be kind to the veterans who are now struggling.
"Don't let politics get in the way of your support for the veteran or the service member," said Harrell. "Because oftentimes we don't have a choice on where we go and what we do, we just answer the call."
Veteran's Club offers peer support and counseling, and is ready to serve anyone facing concern for their allies or feelings that their sacrifices were in vain.
"We definitely want them to reach out. Don't go down this rabbit hole by yourself," said Harrell. "Be proud of you service, be proud of what you did, and know that you actually, you absolutely made a difference. And just because we're seeing what we're seeing now, that doesn't negate all the hard work and dedication and the care for the folks there."
Veterans who need help can find resources and contact information on the Veteran's Club website.
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