Pete Hegseth Announces Inquiry Into Afghanistan Withdrawal Under Biden

It was one of the most humiliating and heartbreaking episodes in recent American history. Now, under new leadership, justice may finally be on the horizon.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that the Department of Defense will formally launch a Special Review Panel to thoroughly investigate the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 a debacle that left 13 American service members dead, 170 civilians killed, and the world stunned at the incompetence of U.S. leadership.

Hegseth, a veteran and longtime advocate for military accountability, made it clear: “We have an obligation to the American people and to the warfighters who fought in Afghanistan to get the truth and we will.”

Leading this investigation is Sean Parnell, an Army Ranger veteran who spent 485 days in combat, was wounded in action, and lost many of his own soldiers during the war. The symbolism is powerful unlike the suits in Washington, Parnell has lived the consequences of weak leadership.

The probe will not be a whitewash. Key figures on the panel include:

• Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, a decorated Marine officer who boldly spoke out against the mishandling of the withdrawal.

• Jerry Dunleavy, an experienced journalist and congressional investigator who played a pivotal role in uncovering the initial details of the evacuation collapse.

Together, they’ll be reexamining previously buried or downplayed findings from U.S. Central Command’s initial review conducted under Biden’s watch and will pursue fresh interviews, evidence analysis, and post-mortem assessments of the failed chain of command.

Let’s not forget the timeline. Biden overruled military advice to abandon the strategically superior Bagram Air Base, insisting instead on a hasty exit via the crowded and vulnerable Kabul airport. This decision directly led to the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, where American heroes paid the ultimate price for political expediency. More than $7 billion in U.S. military equipment was left behind. Dozens of American citizens and Afghan allies were abandoned. The Taliban re-took control of the country in a matter of days.

And what was the Biden administration’s response? Hollow speeches, zero resignations, and a coordinated PR campaign to shift the blame.

Now, thanks to the leadership of President Trump’s Defense Department, Americans will finally get what they were denied: truth, accountability, and the chance to honor those who were betrayed by incompetence in high office.

Three key facts that underscore the gravity of this probe:

• The Abbey Gate bombing was the deadliest day for U.S. troops in over a decade.

• An Army investigation revealed that the Pentagon had intelligence hours before the attack and failed to act.

• Over 60,000 Afghan allies eligible for evacuation were left behind many now in hiding or dead.

Pete Hegseth’s move isn’t just political. It’s moral. It's a signal to every American service member that their sacrifice is not forgotten and that the era of failed leadership without consequences is coming to an end.

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