Dear Home Base Nation,

I have been watching continually as are many of you this withdrawal from Afghanistan.

I wanted to share with you that amidst all that is being shown, written, and said about it all, that I strongly and firmly believe all those who served in Afghanistan have earned 20 years of freedom for all of us in America from terrorist attacks launched from Afghanistan. Our Afghanistan Veterans many more than once and from all our Armed Services, did that with great courage, ability to adapt, selfless sacrifice, intense devotion to each other, and with battlefield skill equal to any generation of our US Armed Forces. All of us in America can be forever grateful to them and to their families and to those who gave that last full measure in that mission and to their Gold Star Families for that accomplishment.

I’d ask us all, if we know any Afghanistan Veterans or families or Gold Star Families, that we reach out to them and tell them Thank You for those 20 years and their own service and sacrifice in accomplishing that.

For your info, at Home Base that you have supported so faithfully and generously over 10 years, we have reached out to our Home Base Family of Veterans to say thanks and to offer help to any of them or their families if they need us now.

With many thanks,

Fred Franks

Gen, US Army (ret)

Honorary Director Home Base SWFL