Andy Reid, a veteran who lost both legs and an arm in Afghanistan, believes Donald Trump owes an apology for his comments about NATO allies' roles in the war. When Mr. Reid stepped on a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, it marked a life-altering event for him and underlined the perilous conditions British troops faced.
In a recent interview, Trump claimed that America’s NATO allies sent "some troops" to Afghanistan but stayed "off the front lines." These comments have upset many veterans and their families in the UK, as they downplay the significant contributions and immense dangers faced by British forces. Reid recollects collaborating closely with American soldiers and asserts that they were on the front lines together.
Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the United States invoked Article 5 of NATO for the first and only time, treating the attacks as an assault on all NATO members. The UK, along with countries like Denmark, Estonia, and Canada, committed troops to support the US in Afghanistan. British troops, peaking at around 11,000 in 2011, were heavily engaged in the volatile Helmand province.
Andy Allen, a former soldier who lost his right leg to an improvised explosive device in Helmand, also wants to clarify NATO's role in confronting Taliban forces. He intends to write to the White House to assert that British forces were indeed on the front line alongside their American allies.
The comments are part of a series of critical remarks from Trump's administration regarding the contributions of allied forces. This includes a remark by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth implying that the NATO ISAF badge reflected American leadership in the conflict. Diane Dernie, whose son Ben Parkinson is regarded as the most severely injured British soldier to survive in Afghanistan, also finds Trump's comments dismissive and hurtful to those who served and sacrificed.