2024 - Q3

Operation Reunification

On Aug 15 2021 the US ally Afghan Air Force flew about 60 military helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft out of Afghanistan, partly to prevent them from falling into the hands of the Taliban.  This was a military mission and there was no possibility to evacuate family members.  Some of the pilots left behind wives and small children.  The US military helped extract the men from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and gave them the opportunity to relocate to the US, through the Operation Allies Welcome program.

Six of these pilots now live in Idaho Falls.  Three were resettled by Bridge Builders in 2022.  Three others were originally resettled in other states and moved to Idaho for education and employment opportunities. All six are members of the persecuted Hazara minority group, and all six are married.  One pilot was finally reunited with his wife in March 2024, R’s wife arrived last week, and the other four couples are arduously and legally working through the US immigration system. 

The purpose of this fundraiser is to help these pilots pay for bringing their wives  from Afghanistan to Idaho.

The approximate cost is $4,000 per family. This includes:

• A bus ticket to Pakistan for the wife and mandatory male family member to accompany her.

• Temporary  lodging in Pakistan, while going through the interviews, vetting, and health screenings required by US immigration. This takes about four months and occurs in Islamabad since there is no US embassy in Kabul.

• Medical screening and immunization.

• Pakistan and US visa fees, and a one-way flight from Islamabad to Idaho Falls.

There is no Afghan or US government financial assistance for these costs. The men are all working their way through college at CEI and ISU. They are all prepared to pay by working more hours and taking loans, but it would be a tremendous blessing to them if the Idaho Falls community would come alongside and help them.  They have stayed in close contact with their wives using messaging and video chat apps, and speak of their wives affectionately and respectfully. The women, all of whom have been denied opportunities by the Taliban, are excited for the chance to further their education in Idaho.

Idaho Falls Bridge Builders is a small, local, very low-overhead nonprofit, and 100% of your donations to Operation Reunification will go to the actual costs of reuniting these six families. You can mail a check to Bridge Builders, 2192 W 81st S, Idaho Falls, ID 83402, or follow the QR code to the Donate page on our website to use Venmo.  As of October 2024, we have received about $6,000 designated for this project.  We hope to raise the full $24,000 by the end of the year.  If we raise too much it will go to college expenses for the women. Thank you!

Upcoming events:

I will be speaking at the Museum of Idaho Museum Club at 3:00 PM Thursday Nov 21.  I hope to have some video of the pilots and their wives telling their story, and R and L may join me in the presentation. Museum Club - Museum of Idaho