Meet our Afghan Sisters - Sisters Of Service

Who Are Our Afghan Sisters

As Cultural Support Team (CST) members, we were selected and trained to enable US Special Operations combat forces in and around secure objectives. Our primary task was to engage the Afghan female population on targeted objectives when such contact may be deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male service member. CSTs quickly learned that success on the battlefield would not occur without Afghan counterparts at their sides. Our teams stood up an all-Female Afghan Tactical Platoon (FTP) that mirrored the CST Program. CSTs consistently trained this unique group of women to US standards in physical fitness, weapons ranges, counter IED training, navigation, medical training, and tactical training exercises. The FTPs worked continuous five-month deployment cycles with minimal time off. Together FTPs and CSTs supported Special Operations Forces (SOF) for two decades sharing values, breaking bread, and risking their lives to defend the United States.

FTPs Today

After the US began to withdraw forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban hunted the FTPs due to their gender, ethnicity, and association with US forces. Such danger eventually forced them to end their service upon the fall of Kabul. Our female Afghan allies escaped their homeland with nothing but the clothes on their backs and are now in the process of resettling in cities across the United States. This unique group of women puts their lives out on the line, night after night, to advance US interests in warzones across Afghanistan in a unit the US Special Operating Forces created for their own safety. They truly embody duty and selfless service, both ideals the US holds dear, and continue to work towards peace and security here in the US.

Today, Thirty-two women (and 31 family members) have jobs as baristas, roofers, Amazon employees, legal advisors for Afghan asylum clients, Chick-fil-a cashiers, seamstresses, and English teachers. Sixty-six women and family members are enrolled in English classes, and eight are enrolled in college courses. Twelve FTPs have passed driving exams, eighteen children have been enrolled in school, and six FTPs gave birth to brand new American citizens. These women dream to be MMA fighters, Police Officers, US Army Rangers, educators and so much more! To achieve these dreams, these women still need a clear legal pathway to citizenship. Thanks to the Paul Hastings legal task force, all the FTPs and their family members have applied for asylum and many have been granted as we work towards green cards! Two years later, we are endlessly impressed that our Afghan sisters continually overcome obstacles, despite all odds, and are determined to achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Read In Their Own Words Their History, Dreams, And Pathways

I never thought our government would fall to the Taliban and it was unbelievable for me to end my work as a soldier. When Kabul fell, I had to hide for three days, burn any military identification documents, and say goodbye to both my family and my country not knowing when I’d be back. Personally, I want to continue my education, master the English language, and eventually join the US military to be the best soldier I can be. Right now I am enrolled in an intensive English Program and have classes with ESL students from around the world. My first goal in the military is to attend ASU ROTC, attend Ranger School and then become a fighter pilot. No matter where I am in the world, I will never stop proving to everyone women can be pilots, judges, and presidents.

Working in dangerous missions and training my fellow Afghan women in the military with CSTs taught me how to become a leader and a fighter. I want to continue to achieve my military dreams in the US and one day become an Army General. I want to show the world that Afghan women are capable of doing anything they set their minds to. Right now I work in a cafe to make a small income while I take English classes but I am looking for another job that matches my skills.

Unfortunately, my SSN card and employment authorization have been lost in the mail for the past 3 months, not allowing me to begin work, set up a bank account or even obtain my full benefits of food stamps. My caseworker is overwhelmed with the number of Afghans resettling, making it difficult to advocate for myself or access English courses. My nursing degree is not recognized in the US so I will work to learn enough English to retest and hopefully one day be an Army Nurse. I am hoping to get a job at our local coffee shop.

Working unrestrictedly in the most masculine military environment has given us, who had been suppressed for years by the Taliban's extremist demands, a glorious power to dispel the negative effects of the Taliban's religious misconceptions about women and also realize that women can work with men in all areas. I currently work as a project manager for I-ARC to assist resettled Afghan families through legal advocacy. I want to get a masters of higher education so that I can work with NGOs and return to Afghanistan to serve my people. I hope one day to open an orphanage in Afghanistan for the children of my homeland.

Although Afghan women were not allowed to go outside the home without the presence of a man or her family, I went and beyond. I was able to fight and show myself not only to the Afghan society but to the whole world that I am not of the second sex, but that I am a talented and educated woman. In the military, I learned not only to pray, but to pull the trigger of my weapon to rescue captured soldiers and people from the clutches of terrorism. I was a true servant of my country and all that made me happy was that I was able to serve and fight for the peace of the oppressed of my homeland. With the fall of the Afghan system, I had to change my dreams and leave Afghanistan with the help of my international coaches while I was 7 months pregnant. I currently live in the US state of Georgia with my husband and newborn baby girl, Arezoo, and want to show the whole world that Afghan women have talent and unique abilities when they are given freedom of expression and access to achieve their unfulfilled and long-standing dreams.