Thank you for the article.
At the Lackland AF Base all foreign students (military) go there first to learn English. IIRC it's english immersion training. Then they get sent to whatever military school provides the training. How come we are training them? All of the countries that we have a partnership with are invited to send their troops for training (only a certain amount). Why? We are trying to help the Afghan build their own military. They are learning to become self sufficient and in the future will not need us to be there. All of the above is JMHO and also my experiences too. FWIW, I met many foreign military members from all over the world (and many of their family members too) while they attended school with my Husband last year. (and in previous years).
I noted this when I read the article:
snip:
...Each of the missing Afghans was issued a Department of Defense Common Access Card, an identification card used to gain access to secure military installations, with which they "could attempt to enter DOD installations," according to the bulletin. Base security officers were encouraged to disseminate the bulletin to their personnel...
FWIW, it happens all the time. Foreign Nationals go AWOL all the time.
The CAC card is a identification card that you would call a military ID for those serving in the US Military. It's a temporary CAC for the foreign military. It's a guest CAC and doesn't include full access as it would to our Military. It can be revoked at any time and the revocation is entered into the computer system. If and when that revoked card is used to access an instillaton or other services---the revocation would pop up and they would be busted. (If you have seen a recent US Military ID CAC you will see there is barcode that can be scanned). All of the above is just my humble experiences and not supported by links.
Military Intelligence has nothing to do with these guys. MI is for combat operations not for tracking down Afghans within the continental USA. FBI and maybe homeland security and the perhaps the State Dept. would track these men down. JMHO.
Also I saw this:
snip
..The official further said that an unspecified number of the 17 have been caught. "A number of these guys have already been located or accounted for by now," the official said. "Some are in removal proceedings to be deported already. (Authorities) still need to locate the others, and that is why the bulletin went out."
The official said the information is "kind of old" -- up to two years -- but added, "It is important in the sense that some people look to come to the U.S. and will take advantage of invitations to train or attend a conference or to study, etc. But their real intention is to get to the U.S. and start a new life. It is not completely rare for this to happen....
.
Now when I read that, first I read how long the period of time was that these Afghans went missing.
Then I read that (earlier in the article) it's stated this is an immigration problem not a security problem.
I'm not discounting anyone's fears and I believe that the reporter incited the response he/she wanted to get out of writing that.
Why not cover all the number of AWOL from foreign nations that train here and what their originating country is, and their status? Why just apply this to Afghani military? Certainly we would respond with alarm and concern.
I echo the OP (justthinkin) why run this now? Shame on the network.
