As Afghanistan continues to spiral into a humanitarian disaster, Americans have been riveted by the events unfolding, US troops are going back in, and the President has finally appeared in public to address the chaos. It’s all getting worse fast. There are many questions. And many voices. But there is one vital group that you probably haven’t heard from. Until now.
How would you feel right now if someone you loved was killed in Afghanistan? What if your son, your daughter, your brother, your mother–died in Afghanistan. How would you feel as the country spirals into chaos? How do 2,443 military families that have lost a loved one in Afghanistan since 9/11 feel right now? You’re about to find out. Thiers is a voice that we haven’t heard. Until now. In this episode, you’ll hear from one of the most powerful among those voices. A true American hero, Jane Horton.
Her 26-year-old husband, Army Specialist Christopher Horton, was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Gold star wife Jane Horton (@JaneMHorton) has been through the worst of it. And after experiencing the unimaginable loss firsthand, she has made helping others her purpose in life. She’s a true helper. And a conscience for America after 20 years of war in the place where her husband died.
Jane is one of the most influential voices for Gold Star families in America. She’s fought for them in America–and also visited Afghanistan numerous times to support families of the fallen there. She’s advised Presidents from both sides of the aisle and currently served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon–leading efforts to advance warfighter brain health and Gold Star family initiatives. She’s also served as the Congressional and Military Liaison for the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington D.C. She’s dedicated her life to helping others and she can help you understand as we all struggle to process what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan.
Host, national security and political analyst and Army veteran Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) explores this side of the story with Jane, and breaks down the latest with a unique focus on national security, media coverage, and the political dynamics from a truly independent viewpoint. It’s a fresh, independent perspective you won’t find anywhere else on the media landscape.
