August 31, 2026
- 6 hours ago
- 5 min read
Rewards for Valor, Finally
Yesterday (Sunday) was the 5th anniversary of Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. The last plane departed a few minutes before midnight on August 30th, 2021. Five days earlier, August 26, 2021, the suicide bomber attack occurred in Kabul, Afghanistan, at then-Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate. This attack killed 13 American service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.
Shortly after this, on November 12, 2021, our friend and JAG officer, medically retired Major William Ostan, wrote a powerful post about the withdrawal. After clearly stating his respect for the office of the presidency, and also that he prayed for President Biden every day, he did level some very strong truths and criticisms regarding the withdrawal, saying:
“I believe President Biden’s disordered withdrawal from Afghanistan will go down in history as one of the most tragic failures of leadership ever committed by an American President.”
Major Ostan went on to say:
“President Biden dishonored the many sacrifices made by every combat veteran who set foot in Afghanistan. He completely disregarded the memory of those killed in action, who Lincoln said, ‘gave the last full measure of devotion.’
“…[President Biden] committed an unforgettable breach of faith with our NATO and Afghan allies. One Afghan Air Force Captain who piloted C-208 airplanes recently spoke to a New York Times reporter from a safehouse in Kabul and said, ‘I stood shoulder to shoulder with my American allies for five years – but now they have forgotten us.’[vii] The immediate consequence is a significant loss of trust in the international community. This will have inestimable negative repercussions for the wars to come. Potential future allies will not forget the abysmal end to a 20-year war.
“President Biden’s decisions destabilized a dangerous geographic region and emboldened the enemies of freedom around the world. A worse attack than September 11th is now possible, if not probable. The Taliban became more powerful on 9-11-21 than they were on 9-11-01.
“Furthermore, a much greater threat is that China, Russia, and Iran are newly baptized with confidence. God forbid, if a World War III scenario ever unfolds, these countries now believe they can win. In their minds, America is weaker than ever before, as Ronald Reagan’s ‘peace through strength’ is no longer a guiding principle.”(1)
Ostan then prayed and declared his faith that in time, “there will be a renewal of honor on our military.” How true these assertions turned out to be, including the decree:
In the war against Iran, Trump has struggled mightily to get support from past allies.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, just 5 months after the withdrawal.
Iran continued to aggressively build their weapons/nuclear capabilities, ultimately convincing President Trump that he had to act.
And thankfully, the decree that “there will be a renewal of honor on our military” has come to pass through the leadership of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Hegseth has transformed the military back into focusing on warrior ethos – being warfighters with honor.
Also, Fox News recently reported that: “Secretary Hegseth presented three retired Marines with upgraded awards for valor today during a ceremony at the Pentagon, for their actions after the Abbey Gate terrorist attack.
“…Hegseth presented the Bronze Star Medal with Valor to retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Eby, who rallied his remaining forces following the blast and established security before working to evacuate injured Marines. He also presented the Bronze Star Medal with Valor to retired Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jordan Houston, who helped multiple Marines get to safety amid gunfire and clouds of tear gas following the blast, despite having sustained his own injuries. Finally, he presented the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Valor to retired Marine Corps Cpl. Michael Gretzon, who continued to conduct crowd control from an exposed position following the explosion.
“…‘These three Marines embody a timeless truth written in the book of Proverbs: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” On that chaotic day, you men were as bold as lions,’ Hegseth told the awardees at the outset of his remarks.
“‘When the wicked sought to sow terror, these men stood as lions at the gate — bold in their purpose, fierce in their resolve and unbreakable in their courage,’ he continued.
"…‘[Our adversaries] cannot fear our resolve if our own warfighters — if our own Marines — do not trust that the department will stand by them in the hours of their greatest need. And today, at least in part, we restore that trust,’ he said.”(2)
Well said, Secretary Hegseth. And today we join in honoring these brave men, as well as those who lost their lives on the fateful day. We also thank Secretary Hegseth for restoring honor and integrity to our Department of War and to those who serve us so sacrificially.
And thank you and your family, Major Ostan, for your great sacrifices and love for America. You still pay a great price for the sacrifice you made. We owe you a debt of gratitude. You can read Major Ostan’s entire post here, and if the Lord so moves, you can donate to his nonprofit organization, Arc of Justice, which strives to help other wounded veterans.
Pray with me:
Father, thank You for the brave men and women who serve us in our military. Thank You for helping Secretary Hegseth restore honor to our Department of War and increase enlistment numbers. And thank You for a President who believes in peace through strength.
We recognize the ongoing price paid by so many service women and men, including the price paid by their families, and ask You to bless and reward them. We pray for those who still suffer from bodily harm and mental issues, asking for Your supernatural help and grace to them, and for comfort to the families who have lost loved ones. May we never take these patriots for granted.
We continue to pray for resolution and breakthrough in the Middle East. Thank You for the progress made. Please cause the economic pressure to succeed quickly, and bring stability to the region. Break the back of the evil regime in Iran. Cause the nation to be a stronghold of the gospel and once again be a friend of Israel. We thank You for Your hammer of power and authority that is releasing blow after blow to the influence of the principalities that have ruled that nation, and to the wicked regime. We declare that the victory of Jesus at Calvary is being released into that nation and region.
We continue to pray that wisdom and great insight be given to President Trump and his team regarding Iran. We ask You to supernaturally eliminate mistakes, wrong alliances, and any potential failure to recognize strategies of the Iranian regime. Cause our leaders’ intel to be the absolute best, and their strategies to be flawless. And this, too, we ask in the holy name of Jesus. Amen.
Our decree:
We declare along with our Secretary of War that “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” (Proverbs 28:1)
Portions of today’s post were shared by our friend, retired Major William Ostan. You can learn more about Will at WillOstan.com or his mission at ArcofJusticeUSA.org.
Thank you, Dutch, for this special on Abbey Gate, SofW Hegseth’s presentations, and Major Ostan’s post. When Major William Ostan, USArmy Retired, wrote the 90 page book “PATRIOT’S FIELD MANUAL ..a citizen’s guide to saving America at the local level,” c2023, I ordered several, sent to my kids n adult grands. Had I heard of this from you? I don’t recall. It would appear that perhaps publically pushing/spreading IFApray's ‘Seven day prayer guide’ combatting DSA along with Major Olstan’s 90 page manual, we/me/us’ns may be able to mobilize even more folks to actively engage in reclaiming America, back to the Republic of its beginnings? A thought, anyway.