Former Afghan “Zero Units” Face Trauma and Turmoil in US

DID Press: Former Afghan members of the elite “Zero Units,” who carried out some of the most dangerous missions during the war in Afghanistan, are facing severe mental health and social crises after resettling in the United States, according to a report by Trauma and Turmoil in US.

The report says many of these former fighters, who survived years of intense combat operations, are now struggling with serious psychological trauma and unstable living conditions in the US.

Among the cases highlighted is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a former Zero Unit member who was arrested in Washington, DC, after allegedly shooting two members of the US National Guard on the eve of Thanksgiving. One guardsman was killed and the other seriously wounded.

NPR journalist Brian Mann, who interviewed several former Zero Unit members and people close to them, found that many are suffering from severe mental health disorders linked to their wartime experiences and the lack of adequate post-resettlement support.

According to the report, at least four former members of the Zero Units have died since their arrival in the United States.

The findings have renewed attention on the plight of former war fighters who, after years of extreme combat exposure, now face the long-term psychological consequences of war without sufficient institutional support following migration.