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LUBBOCK, Texas – One Lubbock native is now being acknowledged and honored for his actions in the course of the evacuation of Afghanistan final August.
Diplomatic Safety Service particular agent Nolan Blanchette is one among 20 chosen for the award. He and his group rushed to safe and evacuate the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, destroying categorized and delicate supplies in order that they didn’t find yourself within the palms of the Taliban. They then helped safe operations on the Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport.
“It was laborious to get a variety of our contacts out and in or to get to conferences with authorities contacts,” he defined. “Securing these routes securing you understand, the nightly gasoline deliveries, issues of that nature have been at all times a problem.”
The mission was a hit, and a yr later, Blanchette has acquired the 2021 Nationwide Award for Heroism from the Federal Regulation Enforcement Officers Affiliation.
Blanchette grew up within the Hub Metropolis and attended Coronado Excessive Faculty. He then went on to Tarleton State the place he acquired a level in Ag Engineering. After that, he frolicked working for border patrol, then moved into the DSS and has been there for round 15 years.
“I’ve served at, I don’t know, 5 or 6 completely different posts main as much as Afghanistan,” he mentioned.
And it was there in Afghanistan… in August of 2021 that he and his group have been tasked to maintain American diplomats secure as they undertook the most important humanitarian operation within the State Division’s historical past.
He mentioned they confronted many challenges in serving to his group get again dwelling, all whereas avoiding rocket assaults, suicide bombers, gunfire, and much more. He mentioned one other problem was staying in contact with household.
“You may’t let the urgency of the state of affairs take over the place you’re not taking good care of your individuals at dwelling as properly and maintaining their issues considerably coated,” he defined.
And whereas Blanchette appreciates this Heroism Award, “it’s not why I do that job,” he added.
He has been dwelling and dealing in Dallas for a couple of yr now as he’s preparing for his subsequent deployment in January the place he’ll go to Erbil, Iraq.
Thanks in your service, Nolan! You make West Texas and our total nation proud!
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