So many of us are shocked and disgusted over the news of Thursday’s attack in Afghanistan, which killed 13 U.S. service members and 90 Afghans. While the terrorist group ISIS-K has claimed responsibility, many of us believe that a mishandling of the withdrawal process, at the White House level, greatly contributed to this tragedy.  We must always ensure that our service members and servicewomen are protected by any means. We certainly hope that all possible avenues are pursued in ensuring that justice is obtained for these soldiers and their families. 

Carlsbad has many residents who always want to help in times like this, and some of our veterans organizations send care packages and have other ways they help our soldiers. Please contact the American Legion at (575) 885-2493, the VFW Post at (575) 689-7301 or the Auxiliary at (575) 361-5445. You can also contact the United Way’s 211 line and they will be happy to get you in touch with various organizations who want to assist. There are also a variety of national charities that focus on helping the families of fallen soldiers, including the Children of Fallen Patriots foundation and the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. Thank you, Carlsbad, as always, for finding ways to support our military and veterans. 

From the office of Mayor Dale Janway