Afghanistan: Five Years After the Withdrawal
Afghanistan: Five Years After the Withdrawal
Afghanistan: Five Years After the Withdrawal
Featuring Lieutenant Commander Michael Sarraille (Ret.), U.S. Navy SEAL, and Dr. Geoffrey Wawro, Founding Director of the Military History Center at UNT
Reception: 6:00 PM
Speaker Conversation: 6:30 PM
Five years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the legacy of America’s twenty-year engagement in the region continues to shape our foreign policy, our national security, and the lives of the veterans and military families who served there.
Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Michael Sarraille will guide us through the history of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and the human cost borne by those who served. From the early years of the war to the chaos of the final withdrawal, he’ll explore how decisions made in Kabul and Washington continue to echo today.
This is a conversation about more than withdrawal – it’s about legacy, sacrifice, and what comes next.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mike Sarraille is the Chief Talent Officer of Overwatch Mission Critical, a retired Navy SEAL officer, host of Fox Nation’s The Unsung of Arlington, bestselling author, and #3 globally ranked leadership speaker. As a former special operations team leader with extensive experience, to include the Joint Special Operations Command, in geopolitically sensitive regions, Mike brings a rare, firsthand understanding of global conflict, leadership under pressure, and the intersection of national security and economic stability. Today, he channels those insights into developing elite teams and resilient leaders in the private sector, as well as serving as a trusted news resource. Mike also champions veteran employment and family resilience, proving that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off, it simply evolves.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Dr. Geoffrey Wawro is a University Distinguished Research Professor and founding director of the Military History Center at the University of North Texas. Educated at Brown and Yale and a former Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, he previously served as a professor of strategy and policy and strategic studies at the U.S. Naval War College. A leading scholar of modern military, diplomatic, and strategic history, Dr. Wawro is the author of seven major books and serves as series editor of Cambridge Military Histories. He is also a frequent commentator on contemporary global and national security issues, bringing historical context to current events through the lens of applied history.
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About the event
Five years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the legacy of America’s twenty-year engagement in the region continues to shape our foreign policy, our national security, and the lives of the veterans and military families who served there.
Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Michael Sarraille will guide us through the history of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and the human cost borne by those who served. From the early years of the war to the chaos of the final withdrawal, he’ll explore how decisions made in Kabul and Washington continue to echo today.
This is a conversation about more than withdrawal – it’s about legacy, sacrifice, and what comes next.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Mike Sarraille is the Chief Talent Officer of Overwatch Mission Critical, a retired Navy SEAL officer, host of Fox Nation’s The Unsung of Arlington, bestselling author, and #3 globally ranked leadership speaker. As a former special operations team leader with extensive experience, to include the Joint Special Operations Command, in geopolitically sensitive regions, Mike brings a rare, firsthand understanding of global conflict, leadership under pressure, and the intersection of national security and economic stability. Today, he channels those insights into developing elite teams and resilient leaders in the private sector, as well as serving as a trusted news resource. Mike also champions veteran employment and family resilience, proving that service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off, it simply evolves.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Dr. Geoffrey Wawro is a University Distinguished Research Professor and founding director of the Military History Center at the University of North Texas. Educated at Brown and Yale and a former Fulbright Scholar in Vienna, he previously served as a professor of strategy and policy and strategic studies at the U.S. Naval War College. A leading scholar of modern military, diplomatic, and strategic history, Dr. Wawro is the author of seven major books and serves as series editor of Cambridge Military Histories. He is also a frequent commentator on contemporary global and national security issues, bringing historical context to current events through the lens of applied history.