By Grant Haxton
In August 2021, I deployed to Kabul with the 82nd Airborne Division as the leader of a rifle platoon. I was fresh out of Ranger School and had yet to meet all of my platoon when we received the no-notice activation to reinforce security at Kabul’s airport and aid in the evacuation of Americans, other expatriates, and certain Afghans before the August 31 deadline to be out of the country. With the U.S. exit imminent, the weight of maintaining my platoon’s morale became one of my biggest challenges. As tensions mounted, my noncommissioned officers and I had to draw on every ounce of our training—and their past deployments—to keep spirits high. This paper shares the strategies that worked best during those crucial, chaotic days.
The Challenge
The exit and evacuation of U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan was, under the Army’s tactics field manual, a “retrograde,” which is the removal of troops from the enemy or battlefield as a transitional operation, typically to the offense, but sometimes to the defense or in preparation for post-conflict stability operations. The field manual warns that “retrogrades can negatively affect Soldiers’ morale more than any other type of operation because they may view a retrograde as a defeat,” and instructs that “leaders ensure Soldiers remain disciplined and aggressive during retrograde operations to preserve unit morale. Additionally, units can counter any negative effects on morale by planning and efficiently executing the retrograde and ensuring Soldiers understand their task, purpose, and the duration of the operation.”
The situation at the Kabul airport resembled the field manual. Chaos sown by the rapid collapse of the U.S.-supported Afghan government and the impending retrograde deadline tested my platoon leaders’ management of morale. We juggled multiple tasks as near-riotous crowds of civilians desperate to be evacuated challenged our security posture and occupied us with their many humanitarian needs. The intelligence warnings of a terrorist threat kept us on edge, and we distrusted the Taliban fighters surrounding the airport. To deal with the uncertainty and danger as the last to hold the line, my platoon’s NCOs and I saw it necessary to lift morale when it fell, and maintain it when it was satisfactory. Both proved immensely difficult during our two weeks at the airport.
The Three Methods
The platoon’s NCOs and I maintained morale by focusing on three key methods: we consistently communicated the purpose behind our missions and tasks, emphasized the importance of human connection both during operations and downtime, and ensured structure by reinforcing rules and conducting regular training sessions.
“Why” – The “why” was integral to keeping the platoon on board with the mission and alleviating Soldiers’ concerns as they stood guard while gunfire zipped overhead and rockets fell. Most of the time, we received the “why” from our leadership, but in its absence, we formulated the “why” ourselves because we found that morale suffered when there was no “why” or the “why” seemed forced or weak. Sharing the “why” built trust within the platoon, contributing to a higher level of morale.
Human-to-Human Connection – We allowed our Soldiers to use their cell phones as much as possible, consistent with operational security, which bolstered morale. Cell phones were collected in the U.S. shortly before boarding C-17s to Kabul, but midway through the deployment, our leadership gave the okay to redistribute them. Soldiers benefited from the return of their cell phones because they could now communicate with their families and friends back home and take photos to document their deployment, lifting spirits. Squad- and platoon-level leadership enforced the responsible use of phones to not imperil the platoon’s operations and Soldiers’ safety and focus.
We also encouraged human-to-human connection by ensuring the platoon respectfully attended to the humanitarian needs of evacuees. At the gate our platoon guarded, the platoon distributed water and food, consoled anxious university students, and attempted to reunite separated families. When human interpreters were not available, we used hand motions and facial expressions to communicate or used Google Translate when we had our phones. This controlled and dignified approach to interacting with evacuees maintained morale as platoon members felt good helping others.
Structure—Throughout the deployment, we emphasized the warzone’s restrictive rules of engagement and its escalation criteria. We explained how the rules applied in both expected and hypothetical situations, the legal, ethical, and geopolitical ramifications of their adherence, and the importance of their adherence as the world’s attention was on us. We found that repeatedly reviewing the rules and having Soldiers write them down improved morale because clear rules helped make the operational environment more orderly and less chaotic.
We also emphasized structure near the end of the deployment, when we planned and rehearsed the platoon’s midnight evacuation from the gate we were guarding to the C-17s that would fly us out of Kabul. Squad leaders practiced walking part of the route with their Soldiers and gave instructions on where to erect obstacles and how to react to possible contingencies in the event of a mission change. Between the gate we were to barricade and the awaiting C-17s, squad leaders staged hot-wired baggage carts to use as transportation. This positively affected morale, as it focused Soldiers on the end of the mission rather than the mission’s existing dangers and difficulties.
Future Application
With U.S. military forces projected to soon retrograde from Iraq, future platoon leaders there may be faced with some of the same challenges our platoon faced. The methods our platoon used to improve morale are perhaps tailored to the rapidity of the Afghan military’s collapse, but I believe they could apply elsewhere. While my Army experience is limited, I presume that rehearsing tasks, emphasizing the warzone’s rules, providing “why,” and treating civilians respectfully are timeless tactics platoon leaders and NCOs could incorporate into their operations. Most importantly, though, I think the key to our platoon’s success was not some sort of checklist or field manual but the strength of the platoon leadership’s personalities, professionalism, and adaptation to conditions. These intangibles helped us to dynamically implement measures to improve morale during the Kabul airlift.
Conclusion
Following our return to the U.S., the platoon’s morale initially varied between relief, exhaustion, and even wistfulness for the exhilaration we experienced in combat and navigating an active airport tarmac. Soon enough, though, morale hit a bump. Some in the platoon began to question the value of our mission as the national debate over the Afghanistan evacuation grew. I made it my priority to remind them that their efforts were part of something monumental. They helped evacuate over 120,000 people from the grasp of the Taliban—a feat that truly mattered. No matter the external opinions, I wanted them to leave knowing they played a critical role in a historic operation.
Grant Haxton is an active-duty U.S. Army captain attending the Military Intelligence Captains Career Course at Fort Huachuca, AZ. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and previously served as a branch-detailed infantry officer leading rifle, heavy weapons, and innovation platoons in the 82nd ABN DIV at Fort Liberty, NC.
