Foreign policy and national security professionals

FOR FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY PROFESSIONALS

The Afghanistan War Commission values the views of all who served during the 20-year war, including foreign service officers, foreign affairs officers, development professionals, intelligence officers, contractors, and other U.S. Government public servants who served in Afghanistan or in Afghanistan-related roles elsewhere. We invite foreign policy and national security professionals to share their perspectives by responding to the questions below. Please note that all responses should be UNCLASSIFIED ONLY.

First Name

Last Name (Initial Only)

U.S. Government agency or organizational affiliation

Position or role

Years serving in Afghanistan or in Afghanistan-related roles (please specify range)

What did you view as your mission during the war?

To what extent do you believe that mission was accomplished?

Please describe your understanding of U.S. objectives, strategy, and tactics when you were serving. Were they executed successfully in your view, and how might they have been improved?

To what extent do you believe strategic, diplomatic, or operational decisions made during the war positively or negatively affected your mission?

To what extent did the U.S. Government deploy the human resources to Afghanistan with the right training and skillset?

What did we get right, what did we get wrong about our partnership with our Afghan allies, and conversely, of our understanding of our Taliban adversaries?

What strategic, diplomatic, or operational lessons should we learn from the war?

Were lessons learned during your time in Afghanistan institutionalized within your agency for future conflict settings? What is one lesson you believe should be formally adopted?

Knowing what you know now, would you volunteer for a similar civilian deployment in a future conflict zone? Why or why not?

What questions do you have about key decisions during the war that you would like the Commission to research?

Please note that we are seeking your submission to enhance the Commission’s internal understanding of foreign affairs professionals’ experiences and views of the war; we will not publicly associate your response with your identifying information or publish your responses unless we contact you and receive your permission. Submissions via this website should not include any classified, privileged, or otherwise sensitive information.

View the second public hearing April 11, 2025 here

Foreign policy and national security professionals

FOR FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY PROFESSIONALS