#16--Lee Bowden (Voices of HKIA Series)

Controversy & Clarity

Link to Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) Foundation

OAR Foundation’s Instagram handle: OARfoundation

Lee’s Instagram handle: Leer_Bow

In this episode, we discuss the following topics.

*The skills and missions of EOD Marines

*How Lee’s previous five deployments shaped the way he led and made decisions at HKIA

*The people and organization of Blackbeard's EOD Section

*What Lee’s 2021 deployment with the 24th MEU looked like before heading to HKIA

*The section’s preparation for HKIA

*Lee’s preparations for the mission

*Lee’s understanding of the situation on the ground before getting to HKIA

*Working with other US EOD teams

*The inherently joint nature of the NEO

*The missions of the Blackbeard teams that did not make it to HKIA

*The fall of the US embassy in Kabul

*Some of the challenges posed by the geometries of fire at HKIA

*Lee’s participation in trying to clear the runway

*His advice to service members who might find themselves in similar situations

*Lee’s reaction to Coalition forces partnering with the Taliban

*What Lee’s teams did 20-22 August

*His involvement in an incident where civilians risked overrunning the Military Terminal

*Widespread failures to inform refugees about each step of the evacuation process

*The value of Afghan refugees who spoke English and could serve as interpreters

*The atrophy of electronic countermeasure skills in the Marine Corps

*Finding large caches of weapons and ammo aboard HKIA

*The two holding areas at the airport

*Lee’s tour of the gates

*The frustration Lee felt as pressure built to evacuate as many refugees as possible while also conducting a joint tactical exfiltration

*Being told by the JTF-CR staff that controlled detonations of gear and weapons were prohibited

*The JTF’s decision to bury ammo and arms

*An incident involving friendly fire between 1/8 Marines and the NSU

*Blackbeard’s actions on the day of the Abbey Gate Bombing

*Lee’s participation in a post-blast analysis at Abbey Gate

*The performance of the units Blackbeard supported

*What Blackbeard’s teams did on 27-28 August

*Returning to Kuwait and what Lee observed in his Marines

*Lee’s advice to leaders on talking to their teammates about situations as harrowing as HKIA

*The role mental health checks, mental health services, and other kinds of support should play in the lives of HKIA veterans

*What it was like returning home to Camp Lejeune

*The influence of cell phones on operations at HKIA

*The demilitarization process

*Maneuver warfare concepts and tools used during the NEO

*Lee’s approach to leading Marines

*The command relationships at HKIA

*Serving alongside EOD techs from other countries

*The MEU’s Female Search Team

*The 2nd Recon element at HKIA

*Preserving the capacity of Blackbeard's section

*Logistical challenges during the NEO

*The most frustrating and rewarding aspects of the mission at HKIA

*The actions of Lee’s Marines at HKIA that make him proudest

*Lee's most challenging decision at HKIA

*Where he thinks he performed well as a leader and decision-maker and where he could have done better

*The lessons Lee took away from HKIA and how these might apply to the Marine Corps in the future in the context of FD 2030

*Lee’s thoughts on the role and value of decision games based on HKIA

*How well the Marine Corps has studied and learned from the Kabul NEO and, more generally, its experiences in Afghanistan

*Lee’s thoughts on the other Voices of HKIA podcasts

*The one thing Lee would like Marines and other service members to know about what Blackbeard's section did at HKIA

*The Operation Allies Refuge Foundation

--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/damien-oconnell/support