Controversy & Clarity #16--Lee Bowden (Voices of HKIA Series)
Link to Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) Foundation
OAR Foundation’s Instagram handle: OARfoundation
Lee’s Instagram handle: Leer_Bow
In this episode, we discuss the following topics.
*The skills and missions of EOD Marines
*How Lee’s previous five deployments shaped the way he led and made decisions at HKIA
*The people and organization of Blackbeard's EOD Section
*What Lee’s 2021 deployment with the 24th MEU looked like before heading to HKIA
*The section’s preparation for HKIA
*Lee’s preparations for the mission
*Lee’s understanding of the situation on the ground before getting to HKIA
*Working with other US EOD teams
*The inherently joint nature of the NEO
*The missions of the Blackbeard teams that did not make it to HKIA
*The fall of the US embassy in Kabul
*Some of the challenges posed by the geometries of fire at HKIA
*Lee’s participation in trying to clear the runway
*His advice to service members who might find themselves in similar situations
*Lee’s reaction to Coalition forces partnering with the Taliban
*What Lee’s teams did 20-22 August
*His involvement in an incident where civilians risked overrunning the Military Terminal
*Widespread failures to inform refugees about each step of the evacuation process
*The value of Afghan refugees who spoke English and could serve as interpreters
*The atrophy of electronic countermeasure skills in the Marine Corps
*Finding large caches of weapons and ammo aboard HKIA
*The two holding areas at the airport
*Lee’s tour of the gates
*The frustration Lee felt as pressure built to evacuate as many refugees as possible while also conducting a joint tactical exfiltration
*Being told by the JTF-CR staff that controlled detonations of gear and weapons were prohibited
*The JTF’s decision to bury ammo and arms
*An incident involving friendly fire between 1/8 Marines and the NSU
*Blackbeard’s actions on the day of the Abbey Gate Bombing
*Lee’s participation in a post-blast analysis at Abbey Gate
*The performance of the units Blackbeard supported
*What Blackbeard’s teams did on 27-28 August
*Returning to Kuwait and what Lee observed in his Marines
*Lee’s advice to leaders on talking to their teammates about situations as harrowing as HKIA
*The role mental health checks, mental health services, and other kinds of support should play in the lives of HKIA veterans
*What it was like returning home to Camp Lejeune
*The influence of cell phones on operations at HKIA
*The demilitarization process
*Maneuver warfare concepts and tools used during the NEO
*Lee’s approach to leading Marines
*The command relationships at HKIA
*Serving alongside EOD techs from other countries
*The MEU’s Female Search Team
*The 2nd Recon element at HKIA
*Preserving the capacity of Blackbeard's section
*Logistical challenges during the NEO
*The most frustrating and rewarding aspects of the mission at HKIA
*The actions of Lee’s Marines at HKIA that make him proudest
*Lee's most challenging decision at HKIA
*Where he thinks he performed well as a leader and decision-maker and where he could have done better
*The lessons Lee took away from HKIA and how these might apply to the Marine Corps in the future in the context of FD 2030
*Lee’s thoughts on the role and value of decision games based on HKIA
*How well the Marine Corps has studied and learned from the Kabul NEO and, more generally, its experiences in Afghanistan
*Lee’s thoughts on the other Voices of HKIA podcasts
*The one thing Lee would like Marines and other service members to know about what Blackbeard's section did at HKIA
*The Operation Allies Refuge Foundation