U.S. Trained Afghan Pilots Stranded in Pakistan

A group of 18 Afghan combat helicopter pilots and their 17 family members are trapped in Pakistan and need our help in getting to the U.S. We urgently need to raise funds for their support and resettlement. Here is our story.

My name is Tom Schram and live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I am a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Class of 1969, spent 4 years supporting the Vietnam war on Asia-Pacific installations, played a small role in the evacuation of Vietnam. and lost a dear friend and USNA classmate on 9/11. In response to a request from an Afghan family member in the U.S., I joined an all-veteran, all volunteer team on August 31, 2021, working to get loyal Afghans and Afghan military veterans out of their country and to the U.S. We are called the Afghan Refugee Resettlement Group or ARRG.

ARRG has already resettled 771 Afghans.

ARRG is now focused on bringing 18 Afghan combat pilots (trained by the U.S.) and their 17 nuclear families stranded in Pakistan where they are in safe houses, while they await Humanitarian Parole P-1 processing to the United States. From September 2021 to April of 2023, financial support for this group of 35 has been totally funded by veteran pilots from their personal resources. ARRG took over financial support of these pilots with fundraising efforts in May 2023.

Recently, the Pakistani government instituted a policy to deport any Afghans without current and valid visas back to Afghanistan. We were able to renew their visas and get them validated, which cost $36,000, but in the process severely depleted the financial resources of ARRG to about $2,000. Our financial need is critical.

The U.S. Department of State is now processing these courageous men and their families through the humanitarian pipeline. Background checks are underway, and we are tracking the process for every individual carefully and accurately. But ARRG expects that it will be another eight months before everyone is in the U.S. and starting to become contributing members of our society.

It costs $5200/month to support these people in Pakistan and it will cost about $42,000 to acquire all the needed documentation. Together with travel cost, initial living expenses in the U.S., and immigration fees, the Group estimates a need of about $184,000 until they are safely resettled, employed, and have permanent residency.

ALL collected funds will be used to pay costs associated with getting these pilots to the U.S. This effort has been underway now via ARRG since May of this year. Collected funds are delivered directly to ARRG and used for payment of rent, utilities, food, medical care, incidentals, processing fees, travel, immigration fees for resettlement to permanent residency, and initial support when they reach the U.S., as well as helping them find employment.

We respectfully ask that you consider the needs of these courageous Afghan pilots who put their lives on the line for the United States. The veterans of ARRG follow the credo of "Leave no one Behind."

We CANNOT leave these pilots and their family members behind!

Please help us help those who fought for their country as well as supporting the United States of America. You can contact me for more information by hitting the "Contact" button on the page.