On Wednesday’s broadcast of “CNN This Morning,” V.A. Secretary Denis McDonough stated that “we have seen real manifestations of moral injury” on the mental health of veterans after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and that he’s proud of the fact that veterans are “still fighting to get their interpreters, their drivers, Afghans who worked with them, make sure that they get them here to the U.S.”
Co-host Poppy Harlow asked, “It’s been two years since the withdrawal from Afghanistan and I’m wondering if you could speak to what you have seen as the toll on those veterans who have come home, especially when it comes to mental health.”
McDonough answered, “Look, we have seen real manifestations of moral injury because so many of our troopers dedicated so much of their lives to that remarkable effort in Afghanistan. And so, we have seen a big impact. But I’ll tell you what I’ve also seen is, across the country, veterans still fighting to get their interpreters, their drivers, Afghans who worked with them, make sure that they get them here to the U.S. We see that in every community across the country. I’m really proud of the work that our vets are doing to watch out for, as I said, their interpreters, their drivers, their mates. It’s really America at its finest.”
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