wagner. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank our witnesses for their time, and that service to our country. you are certainly some of these gold star families that have joined us. not today. one of the 13 laws to advocate for, as in my community. lance corporal jared schmidt. i would like to look at our colleagues today, that the title of this particular hearing, is an excess mint of president joe biden administration withdrawals from afghanistan. this is by america's generals. even by today, 2.5 years after president joe biden's administrations withdraw, countless roundtables and briefings, the incompetence that led to the abandonment of afghanistan, absolutely astounds me. the administration had adored the advice of allies, experts, and military leaders. blowing past warning sign, after warning sign. allowing afghanistan to collapse. the total betrayal of our u.s. military servicemen and women, looking at our allies of afghanistan and the subsequent, chaotic, shameful withdrawal, has seriously damaged our credi