U.S. resumes flights out of Afghanistan after hours-long pause, and announces countries that will aid in evacuation efforts
CBSN
The United States has resumed flights out of Afghanistan following an hours-long pause, Pentagon officials said Friday afternoon. The temporary suspension occurred after a facility in Doha, Qatar, hit capacity, leaving officials scrambling to find more places to assist with the transit of desperate evacuees.
"Flight operations have resumed and U.S. military flights to Qatar and other locations are departing Kabul as we speak right now," Army Major General William Taylor, Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations, said at a press briefing. "We are looking at additional locations for these initial flights to land." Taylor emphasized that aircraft availability is not an issue, and said the U.S. aims "to maximize each plane's capacity."Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.