Ep. 129 What the War in Afghanistan Left Behind: Khalid Noori on Brotherhood, PTSD, Healing, and Rebuilding

In this episode of TheMilVet Podcast, we sit down with Khalid Noori — Program Strategist at Honor the Promise, Special Operations Veteran; Afghanistan National Army Special Operation Command  (ANASOC), and graduate of Hindustan University — for a powerful, wide-ranging conversation on service, sacrifice, and storytelling after war.

Khalid shares his extraordinary journey as a Veteran of Special Operations Command in Afghanistan to rebuilding a life and purpose in the United States after the fall of Kabul. Through raw honesty and deep reflection, he speaks about navigating the trauma of war, becoming a father in exile, and the enduring brotherhood between Afghan and American veterans.

We explore NOORI, a documentary set to be released in 2026, led by Honor the Promise and Lyla Kohistany, and produced by Dulcinea Productions, directed by Will Agee. The film follows Khalid Noori and Abdul Matin Popalzai—two former Afghan Special Operations members—on their journey across America as they transition to civilian life, explore identity and purpose, and reconnect with their fellow Afghan and U.S. SOF veterans, including GEN(R) Scott Miller, Michael Rodriguez, and Luke Focer, while confronting the personal and collective wounds of war.

The film’s impact partners are the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation (GWOT) and the Global SOF Foundation (GSOF).

If you’re interested in supporting this cause, please open the link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/fundraising/operation-enduring-bond.

In this episode:

🔹 How Khalid's experiences in combat and as a refugee inspired the healing journey behind NOORI
 🔹 Why telling the full story of Afghanistan means honoring sacrifice—and celebrating partnership
🔹 The identity crisis veterans face after service—and how fatherhood redefined Khalid’s mission
🔹 What Americans often misunderstand about Afghanistan—and why that must change
🔹 A call to view Afghan veterans as assets, not victims, in the next chapter of American society

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🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

#VeteranTransition #AfghanistanVeterans #NOORI #TheMilVetPodcast #PostTraumaticGrowth #MilitaryBrotherhood #HonorThePromise #SpecialOperations #VeteransStorytelling #AfghanSOF #MilitaryToCivilian #RefugeeToLeader #VeteransInAmerica #FatherhoodAfterWar #GlobalWarOnTerror #ForcesForGood #9_11Legacy #VeteranHealing #AfghanAmericanCommunity

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