When President-Elect Donald Trump assumes office in January 2025, he should explore the process to rescind the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) that was awarded by President Biden for American military units in Kabul 2021. The award was undeserved. An explanation is in order.
On 26 February 1942, Executive Order 9075 established the Distinguished Unit Citation for outstanding performance of duty (at the unit level) after 7 December 1941. Later, in 1966, it was renamed the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC).1 This prestigious award is worn by every member of the organization cited in the award orders. It is considered an individual award for those servicemembers actually present at the time the award was given to a unit. Later, other members who were not present at the time may also wear the unit award but only when they are assigned to the unit that has actually earned the award in the past.
Army Regulation 600-8-22 (25 June 2015) has the following criteria for the PUC:
“The PUC is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and cobelligerent nations for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy occurring on or after 7 December 1941. The unit must display such gallantry, determination, and esprit de corps in accomplishing its mission under extremely difficult and hazardous conditions as to set it apart from and above other units participating in the same campaign. The degree of heroism required is the same as that which would warrant award of a DSC to an individual. Extended periods of combat duty or participation in a large number of operational missions, either ground or air, is not sufficient. This award will normally be earned by units that have participated in single or successive actions covering relatively brief time spans. It is not reasonable to presume that entire units can sustain DSC performance for extended periods except under the most unusual circumstances and a written justification for an exception must be provided for recognition of any length over 30 days. Only on a rare occasions will a unit larger than a BN qualify for award of this decoration. Units larger than a BN must submit a memorandum of justification for the recommendation through the HRC, ADB (AHRC–PDP–A) to the SECARMY. b. Recommendations for award of the PUC to Army units will be submitted on a DA Form 7594 (Unit Award Recommendation) and processed through normal military command channels to Commander, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, Awards and Decorations Branch (AHRC–PDP–A), 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Fort Knox, KY 40122–5408. Recommendations will be initiated by a senior headquarters for the unit recommended for the award. Each recommendation will be submitted as promptly as practicable, supported by the following data: (1) Operational orders and reports. (2) Maps showing the terrain and the dispositions and actions of the opposing forces. (3) Casualties sustained on both sides. (4) A list of all units assigned and attached, actually present and participating in the action, and the inclusive dates of the period of service for each unit. (5) The complete official unit designation and unit identification code (UIC) must be included for each unit. Include designations and derivative UICs for subordinate elements of parent units and for all elements comprising the task force organization. When less than the entire unit is involved, but more than 65 percent of the modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) strength, it should be indicated by a minus sign (-) next to the unit designation. When the percentage involved is less than 65 percent of a unit’s MTOE strength, the unit should be listed as a detachment of the parent unit. (6) A statement from the commander certifying that more than 65 percent of each unit’s MTOE strength participated in the action. If less than 65 percent participated, a detachment of the unit may be cited. (7) Any other pertinent material. (8) A proposed citation, naming all participating units, and the specific date and geographic location (map feature, town, province name, and so forth) of the action. c. Each recommendation for the PUC unit award must be formally entered into official channels within 2 years from the date of the heroism or services performed. Recommendations made after the 3-year window will be submitted in accordance with the 10 USC 1130 process. Refer to paragraph 1–14 and appendix F.2”
In August 2021, ground forces from the US Army and US Marine Corps were sent to Kabul during the chaotic and embarrassing withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan as the epic collapse of the Afghan government and military unfolded in front of the world on TV. In 2023, the following units were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for ‘heroic combat action’ at the Kabul airport:
Army Units:
Headquarters, 82nd Airborne Division
1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division
1st Attack Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division
DIVARTY, 82nd Airborne Division
82nd Sustainment Brigade
16th Military Police Brigade
82nd Combat Aviation Brigade
50th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 35th Signal Brigade
1st Battalion, 101st Field Artillery Regiment, Massachusetts National Guard
319th Ordnance Company, Washington Army National Guard
1st Battalion, 194th Armored Regiment, Minnesota National Guard
249th Engineer Battalion, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
USA Network Enterprise Center, Qatar
160th Special Operation Aviation Regiment
8th Psychological Operation Group
95th Civil Affairs Brigade
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
MARINE CORPS UNITS:
24th Marine Expeditionary Unit
Command Element
Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 8th Marines
Combat Logistics Battalion 24
Marine Tiltrotor Squadron 162 Reinforced
Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Central Command (SPMAGTF-CR-CC)
Command Element SPMAGTF-CR-CC 21,1
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
Combat Logistics Battalion 21
Marine Wing Support Squadron 373 Detachment
Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron 352 Detachment A
Marine Aerial Refueler Squadron 234 Detachment A
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 364
Marine Operations Group Central-Forward3
In 2023, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth stated:
““The Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division and Joint Task Force 82 (JTF-82) demonstrated heroic discipline and courage during the execution of the non-combatant evacuation (NEO) operations in support of Operation Allies Refuge,” the Army’s top civilian said. “The bravery of the Soldiers on the ground and the dedication of those who supported every evacuation flight exemplify the ideals of service with honor and compassion.”4
The reality is that the Afghan government fled Kabul and the Taliban entered Kabul in a truce and negotiated transfer of power.5 Further, the US had organized discussions with the Taliban throughout the withdrawal. CNN even reported the following:
“Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top general of US Central Command, said the Taliban have been “very pragmatic and very businesslike” during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
McKenzie said that one of the last things Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue did before leaving Afghanistan was “talk to the Taliban commander.”
The US did coordinate with the Taliban commander on when the US was leaving, “but there was no discussion of turning anything over of that at all,” McKenzie said.”6
In short, aside from the infamous bombing of the Abbey gate that killed 13 US servicemembers AND was condemned by the Taliban, the US forces were not under fire. The Secretary of the Army even admitted it was a NEO operation. And yet…they received the PUC for heroism ‘under fire’ even though it was an uncontested evacuation under a truce.
The PUC is a prestigious unit award for heroism in COMBAT. Past PUCs have been awarded for real unit heroism under fire. The author spent nearly 3 years at war in Iraq and Afghanistan and was under fire more than the contingents at Kabul in 2021. Although warfighters in the author’s units did way more heroic deeds under fire individually in small actions, the author’s units never had enough collective sustained combat heroism to warrant an PUC and rightfully so. The author’s grandfather’s unit earned a PUC for jumping into Normandy on D-Day with the 82nd Airborne Division. The author’s father’s unit earned a PUC for serving in Vietnam during the most violent periods of the war. These were legitimate awards that even now most in the lay public remember from history.
The units at Kabul 2021 were passing out MREs and loading refugees onto a plan during a negotiated truce. US Servicemembers are in more danger driving through inner-city Houston on a daily basis than they were at the Kabul airport (with the noted exception of the bombing).
Now GEN Christopher Donahue, the 2021 ground commander in Kabul, should have shown the courage to protest the award that he had to have known was false and forever cheapened a once meaningful award.
The soldiers and marines did nothing wrong in receiving the award. This is not a slight against them as they had no control in the unit award process. They did their duty, even though it did not rise to the level to warrant even consideration for a PUC. The PUC for 2021 was most likely a blatantly political ruse perpetrated at the Presidential and senior general officer level. If the PUC is allowed to stand, it will forever cheapen the PUC. It will no longer have any significance. Units could expect to receive the PUC for the next humanitarian relief for hurricanes for hand washing percentages. It is obvious that the PUC was given in 2021 to wallpaper over the disaster engineered by senior US civilian and military leaders. Its awarding was false and fake and substantially cheapens the sacrifice of REAL heroic units from years past.
President Trump should rescind the PUC for the Kabul 2021 evacuation to restore the proper dignity and requirements needed to receive this once special and respected unit award.
- https://tioh.army.mil/Catalog/Heraldry.aspx?HeraldryId=15475&CategoryId=9147&grp=4&menu=Decorations%20and%20Medals&ps=24
- https://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/docs/r600_8_22.pdf
- https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-marine-corps-presidential-unit-citation-afghanistan-evacuation/
- https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/08/31/soldiers-marines-from-kabul-evac-awarded-presidential-unit-citation/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20210815101537/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-official-tells-ap-taliban-negotiators-heading-presidential-79464790
- https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-us-news-08-30-21#h_0fd40af00d53c966a155ae1f46355c00
Nobody in our military in the last four years deserves anything but a kick in the behind.