Momina

Task Force Argo member Sarah helped Momina, as well as her young American son and her Afghan brother, escape Afghanistan on the very first charter flight out of Mazar-i-Sharif in late-August 2021.

Momina, a US legal permanent resident, was nine months pregnant at the time of her evacuation, and was stranded in Afghanistan without any identification documents. Task Force Argo sprung into action, sending a law enforcement officer to retrieve her documents in the US so she could make copies of them. They continued to support Momina by setting up a safe house and escort for her, coordinating her case with the State Department, and pulling in key personnel who could coordinate the actual flight and follow-on support.

Sarah led this effort with several other US volunteers who proved to be key elements in breaking the code to getting flights off the ground in Mazar-i-Sharif, and who have since ensured the success of every charter out of Mazar-i-Sharif that has followed.

Momina went into labor as her rescue flight entered the lily pad country’s airspace. Once the aircraft landed, she was met by US State Department personnel and a host nation medical team. Shortly after, she successfully delivered her second son.

Task Force Argo’s efforts in saving Momina and her family paved the way for all follow-on evacuation flights out of Mazer-i-Sharif.