scott mann was part of task force pine dollar the apple that helped charter flights out of afghanistanr before the committee today. thank you for being here. what will you tell congress today? >> thanks for having me on, todd. what i will try to do today is represent 800,000 war vets and their families and tell the story about how this impacted the families in a way that i don't think has been revealed and remind people why afghanistan matters a year and a half later. we've tried to turn the page on the country and a lot of veterans believe it will put us back. >> todd: this happened in august of 2021, i imagine the impact is still being felt today. what are these folks experiencing still to this day? >> imagine being on the world's longest 911 call, todd. afghan allies and special forces were hunted by the taliban, the veterans did pick up the phone and forming organizations like dunkirk and moral compass and task force pineapple. a lot of them did not make it, these veterans and other volunteers stayed on the phone for a year and a half cashing in pensions and kid's college funds to

a leader in the veteran community, retired lieutenant colonel scott mann is warning of a mental healths they try to help afghan allies escape. colonel mann shared this personal story. >> my friend brad was found dead a few months ago in a mississippi hotel room. his wife confirmed to me that the afghan abandonment had brought back the demons he had managed to put behind him after our time in afghanistan together. >> lieutenant colonel scott mann joins me now. thank you. >> thank you very having me on. >> service members in the wake of the withdrawal and there was also a mental health problem but that has been worsened by that withdrawal. i wonder if you can describe to folks exactly how, how that works and just how broad this problem is when you describe a mental health tsunami. >> yeah. i mean, i appreciate you having me on, jim. just the big thing i try to communicate to people is these war fighters who voluntarily went into harm's way to keep the country safe. and one of the things that's required of that is working with partner forces be with your afghan partners. and there's a pro

finally lieutenant colonel scott mann former marine barre. multiple tours in afghanistan founded task force pineapple volunteer organization set up to get people safely out of afghanistan has successfully evacuated around 1000 afghan allies to dates. i want to thank all of you for being here today. your full statements will be made part of the record. i recognize mr. conference opening statement. >> think he ranking makes, members of the committee per thank you for inviting me here today to testify once of thousands of americans who volunteered to help those left behind in afghanistan. my name is on august 2008 as associate counsel to the president working in the white house as a lawyer. one year later i was captained deployed to afghanistan as executive officer of the u.s. army special forces. every day i served in afghanistan, afghan allies pictured here in afghan security guard stood bravely beside me like tens of thousands of other afghans who chose to support our mission was branded a traitor by the taliban and targeted for reprisals. af