I Taught English to Afghan Soldiers. Now I’m Part of the “Digital Dunkirk” Trying to Get Them Out.

As the US began its chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan last week, I couldn’t stop thinking about the many Afghans who have aided American forces and are now stuck in the country, potentially with targets on their backs. A family friend of mine, Joan Barker, worked closely with Afghan special forces and interpreters during her time as a military English teacher there; we connected by phone earlier this week. 

I’m an English-as-a-second-language teacher who’s taught on military bases overseas, including in Afghanistan from August 2017 to August 2018. Over the past couple...