Retired Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a survivor of the August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate bombing, stated that U.S. Marines faced a chaotic evacuation in Afghanistan due to insufficient preparation and support, forcing them to improvise amidst overwhelming crowds.
Vargas-Andrews, who lost his right arm and left leg in the attack, told Fox News that Marines at Hamid Karzai International Airport were left to adapt to a dire situation despite prior warnings. "Everything we were doing while we were there was like figuring it out on the go," he said, noting that Marines are trained to "adapt, improvise and overcome."
He detailed the lack of resources, stating, "We were lacking in the support. We were giving [the refugees] our food. We were giving them our water. There was no tent set up to process refugees." Vargas-Andrews described the scene as reminiscent of the movie "World War Z," with immense crowds of people.
"We were just put in a very, very precarious situation that could have been better prepared for over the weeks and months prior leading up to that," Vargas-Andrews recalled. "And that decision was never made."
Although troops had received intelligence warnings about potential threats, Vargas-Andrews asserted that no proactive measures were taken to prevent the attack. He attributed the failures to a combination of decisions and inaction from multiple administrations, the State Department, and other organizations over decades.
Vargas-Andrews acknowledged the recent recognition of Marines who served during the evacuation, including an event where Secretary of War Pete Hegseth presented medals.
However, he emphasized that such recognition should not overshadow the ongoing lack of accountability. "It's a good step in the right direction, is what I will say," Vargas-Andrews commented. "I think that the real important things still haven't happened, but we hope that it does and we pray that it does."