# SOGCast 046: Top Secret Tom Reveals Role in Helping Allies Flee Taliban After Afghanistan Collapses Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPOsaQ7aQbc Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/xPOsaQ7aQbc Generated: 2026-02-26T10:03:01.182+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Retired US Army technician, identified as Tom, details his extensive, unsanctioned efforts in spare time to vet and help hundreds of Afghan allies, including American citizens, escape Afghanistan following the August 2021 withdrawal, often working against bureaucratic friction from the State Department. **Key Points:** - Tom began helping allies escape on August 18th, the same day a child named Fouad, whom Tom later championed, was shot in the face during the airport chaos. - Tom's initial effort involved a small group of eight special operations or former special operations members vetting Afghans to ensure they were not on terrorist watch lists. - At one point, Tom was tracking 25 American citizens by himself, which contradicted the President's statement that fewer than 100 Americans remained in Afghanistan. - Tom maintained operational security by communicating indirectly, talking to Americans in the US who then relayed information to people inside Afghanistan. - He managed a massive manifest, peaking at over 900 people, including families of American service members whose relatives were left behind, eventually assisting around a thousand people in total. - Tom failed to get a critically injured six-year-old, Fouad, and his family onto a major evacuation flight on October 19th because the manifest had already been locked down by Emirati authorities. - Tom promised Fouad's strong 16-year-old cousin, Marwa, that he would "do everything in my power" to get the family out, which he continued to pursue even after facing three denials from the State Department between late October and December. **Context:** The SOGCast episode features 'Top Secret Tom,' a retired technician from the Fifth Special Forces Group who worked on the podcast for three years while still serving. During the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Tom used his spare time, while still on active duty, to coordinate efforts to extract Afghan allies and remaining American citizens who were left behind after the US government pulled out. ## Detailed Analysis Tom describes how his effort began when a neighbor, also a former teammate, asked for help setting up a Tactical Operations Center (TOC) in his basement on August 18, 2021, the same day a child named Fouad was shot near the airport. Tom joined a small group of eight special operations personnel who vetted Afghan contacts against terrorist watch lists using their access, acting as advocates for those abandoned. Tom personally tracked 25 American citizens, contradicting official reports, and utilized multiple cell phones, communicating through intermediaries to maintain his military clearance and operational security. He worked tirelessly, often without sleep, managing manifests that grew to over 900 people, including families of US service members. A major turning point was the Abbey Gate bombing on August 26th, after which extraction became significantly harder. Tom recounted a failed attempt to evacuate Fouad and his family on a flight scheduled for October 19th to the UAE, as their names could not be added to the locked manifest, leading Tom to promise Fouad's remarkably composed 16-year-old cousin, Marwa, that he would not give up. He also detailed friction with the State Department, which denied help for Fouad's severe facial gunshot wound three times, forcing him to rely on non-government organizations and international contacts, while noting that his overall efforts resulted in helping approximately a thousand people escape. ### Initiation of Extraction Efforts - Tom was recruited on August 18th, the day the Abbey Gate bombing occurred (though he initially misstated the date), to help set up a TOC for coordinating extractions by a small group of eight special operations affiliates. ### Vetting and Scale of Operation - The group vetted Afghan allies to clear them against watch lists, with Tom tracking 25 American citizens alone, far exceeding official estimates; he managed manifests exceeding 900 individuals, including families of deployed US service members. ### Operational Security and Work Ethic - Tom maintained separation from direct contact with Afghans to protect his military status, communicating through Americans already in the US; he experienced extreme sleep deprivation due to working on extractions after 10-12 hour workdays. ### Challenges and Friction - Tom criticized the State Department for a lack of cooperation, sarcastically noting they were less helpful than NGOs like Pineapple Express; he also detailed a failed attempt to get a plane to land on a desert strip due to lacking diplomatic clearances. ### The Case of Fouad - Tom became deeply involved with Fouad, a six-year-old shot in the face on August 18th, whose family received only basic bandaging at the first hospital; Tom secured a promise from Fouad's strong 16-year-old cousin, Marwa, that he would keep fighting for them after they missed a major flight. ### Success Metrics and Personal Cost - By the end of August, 23 of the 25 Americans Tom initially tracked were out; he estimates his total successful assists are near a thousand, noting this came at a high personal cost to his marriage and family time.