Episode 50 : Veteran advocate James Powers

The Afghanistan Project Podcast

Welcome to Episode 50 of The Afghanistan Project Podcast. Today’s guest, James Powers, is an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran and advocate for veterans causes, and another American swept into the morass of post-withdrawal Afghanistan.

Today, James and Beth talk about how he got pulled into the volunteer effort to assist vulnerable Afghans in the days before and during the August 2021 withdrawal. He also discusses his subsequent efforts to advocate for the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would increase eligibility for the special immigrant visa program to additional endangered groups of allies. We also talk about the impact of moral injury on the veteran population.

About James Powers:

Follow James on X at https://twitter.com/Justavet11

About the hosts:

Beth Bailey worked in support of Afghanistan operations as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Department of the Army between 2010 and 2013. She is a freelance contributor to Fox News Digital and the Washington Examiner. Follow her on Instagram or X ⁠@BWBailey85⁠.

Mikael Cook was an Army non-commissioned officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He was an active member of the #DigitalDunkirk movement to evacuate our Afghan allies in August of 2021. You can follow him on Instagram or X ⁠@Mikaelcook89⁠.

For Afghan listeners:

If you would like to have your story considered for a future episode, please send us a letter about your experiences to our show e-mail address, [e-mail]. Please include as much detail as possible, and let us know if you would like us to give you a pseudonym to protect your identity.