Twenty-Four Hours’ Notice to Deploy to Afghanistan

Lt. Colonel Jacob Helgestad was fast asleep in Kuwait when someone knocked at his door in mid-August, 2021. “Hey, Sir, we gotta go to Afghanistan.” Within 24 hours Helgestad’s 625 troops were landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport and in the thick of a mass evacuation. Host Colonel (Ret.) Scott Halstead speaks with Helgestad about how he had his team prepared for that very moment, the role the unit played in evacuating 124,000 people, and how science fiction military novels are a great escape (and also a tutorial). Note: At the time, Lt. Col. Helgestad was Battalion Commander for the 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment, but has since changed roles. Guest: LTC Jacob Helgestad, Executive Officer, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Minnesota Army National Guard Host: COL (Ret.) Scott Halstead Recommendations for future topics are welcome via email at [email protected].