Return to Transcripts main page
New Day
Afghan Interpreter Pleads to get Family Out; C-17 Crew Speaks on their Heroic Flight; Earth, Wind and Fire are Interviewed about the We Love NYC Concert. Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired August 20, 2021 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:30:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, FORMER INTERPRETER FOR U.S. IN AFGHANISTAN, WORKED WITH TROOPS FOR SEVEN YEARS: Women and men in uniform, and this is a disrespect for me, my service, for thousands and thousands of American soldiers that have lost their loved ones, that they lost their bloods. It's a shame. I, and alongside me all my military families are taking this very, very personally.
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very painful. I'm talking -- the pain is not in my chest, it's in my head. It is messing with my head.
HARLOW: Yes.
Sir --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have put -- I have put 20-plus family members at risk. I have no face to tell them that we are working to rescue you. And I want you to -- to allow me to -- to -- to -- to -- to -- to -- to save, if someone is hearing that, if there is someone hearing, to say it, that what we are going through.
KEILAR: Look, I just want to say how much I appreciate you. I mean, clearly, you are doing this at considerable personal risk to yourself. But your family matters so much to you and you're putting your faith in America. And we're going to see how America answers that. And I just want to thank you for being with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're most welcome. It's -- it's a -- it's -- it -- I am an American. I'm America. There is no difference between me America and Americans. I'm an American. This is families of America. It's American family. We lost the battle. We lost the war. We lost the politician. But we should not lose moral. We should show to the world that we have morals. We have ethics. We have generosity. We have heart. We are working for -- for our allies to be rescued from that situation.
KEILAR: And, sir, again, I want to thank you so much. And we're, obviously, going to keep reporting on this situation. We'll be checking in with you as well. Thank you again.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're most welcome.
KEILAR: It's amazing. It's amazing to hear. That is -- that is the fear, right?
JOHN AVLON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
KEILAR: And I think you just see how this -- his service has put his family at risk.
And one of the things I reflect on is, you know, very few people -- a lot of people have served in this war, but very few Americans actually have served.
AVLON: Yes.
KEILAR: There are a lot of Afghans who have served in this war for America.
AVLON: And -- and we just heard, I mean, he is an American citizen. And this is causing a crisis of faith. His family is at risk. And he said, you know, we may have lost the battle, we may have lost the war, but we don't need to lose our morals. And this is a -- this is a crisis of faith to see if we can stand up to our ethics, our value, our dignity, our generosity.
And, you know, you mentioned, you know, Brianna, I know this is very personal from you because you come from a family -- you know, your husband has served. And -- and the feeling that a lot of vets of -- of his generation have of trying to get these interpreters out --
KEILAR: Yes.
AVLON: The government may not be actually stepping up sufficiently. They're trying to supplant.
KEILAR: They're -- there is like a -- I've been calling it a digital Dunkirk (ph) going on. And it's veterans who are doing it because, you know, I mean people like my husband are alive because of Afghans like the man that we just spoke to. These are translators. These are cultural advisers. And you heard him, he spent years and years, he spent years and years in the field. So that, you know, what they contributed is huge. We heard the White House say they have a moral obligation. We'll see if they're going to make good on it.
AVLON: This is a test of that.
KEILAR: The crew of an air force cargo plane, I know that you've seen this picture, well, they broke the rules, maybe even a new record, when they packed their plane just full of hundreds of fleeing Afghans. We are going to talk to that crew. They are standing by to talk to us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:38:15]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): I hope there's awards that are going to go to the crew of that C-17 because they violated basically every Air Force regulation in packing that many people in there. And in the long run, that's going to end up saving a lot of people's lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: That is Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, praising the Air Force team behind this image that you have no doubt seen of more than 640 Afghans aboard a C-17 aircraft who were safely evacuated from Kabul late on Sunday.
This group -- this massive humanity is believed to be among the most people ever flown on a C-17, which is a huge military cargo plane if you haven't seen one, that's been operated by the U.S. and its allies for nearly three decades.
And joining us now, the service members behind that mission, Airman First Class Nicolas Barron (ph), Aircraft Commander Lieutenant Colonel Eric Kut, Technical Sergeant Justin Triola, and also with us Captain Corey Jackson (ph), First Lieutenant Mark Lawson (ph), Staff Sergeant Derek Lauren (ph), and Senior Airman Richard Johnson (ph).
All right, Lieutenant Colonel, I want to start with you on this.
You ultimately were the one who authorized this packed flight. Walk us through what happened, what you were expecting would happen, and then really the mission you ended up carrying out.
LT. COLONEL ERIC KUT, U.S. AIR FORCE C-17 MISSION COMMANDER: Yes, first and foremost, you know, a lot of people are talking about rules and capacity. We were trained to handle that, to max perform that aircraft. And when we have women and children and people's lives at stake, it's not about capacity, or rules and regulations, it's about the training and the directives that we were able to handle to make sure that we could safely and effectively get that many people out and max perform those efforts.
KEILAR: Yes, look, we've -- we've heard that from military folks, even from generals who have said, this is a plane that can handle two massive tanks. Like these kinds of things are not issues. But can you just describe for us that day, the scene that you saw at the Kabul Airport?
[08:40:05]
KUT: Again, that's what we trained to do. So based upon our command directives, the initiatives, we were there to do what we were trained to do. And our crew had the most faith and trust in each of them to handle their crew positions, to get after it, to get the job done and to get those people out safety and effective and we're there to deliver hope and freedom.
AVLON: And you did.
Justin, I understand that you were sort of the person who was getting everybody inside, sir. And I wonder, when you realized that, you know, a C-17's big, but 640 people, what was the decision that you all made collectively to say, you know what, let's go, this is the right thing to do, we're saving lives, let's put all the other questions aside for the time being?
TECHNICAL SGT. JUSTIN TRIOLA, U.S. AIR FORCE C-17 LOADMASTER: That's exactly it. We were doing just that. And our 640 number was a little bit underestimated. We actually carried 823 to get everybody out of there.
AVLON: Eight hundred and twenty-three?
TRIOLA: Correct.
AVLON: Well, congratulations. I can just --
KEILAR: Amending that.
AVLON: New world record.
KEILAR: That -- I mean that is -- can you tell us, Justin, a little bit about what the -- the mood of the people were? What was it like before, as you were packing them in the plane --
AVLON: Yes.
KEILAR: And what was it like as, you know, you were in the air and they knew that they were going to be rescued?
TRIOLA: Well, they were definitely anxious to get out of the area, and we were happy to accommodate them. And they were definitely excited once we were airborne.
AVLON: Was there a moment of celebration, of palpable relief once you took off inside the plane?
TRIOLA: Absolutely. Everybody was very thrilled to actually leave.
KEILAR: And, Nicolas, another image -- I mean I think the thing -- this picture of your mission is going to be the picture. And the other picture is this picture of a little girl.
AVLON: Yes.
KEILAR: And it's your jacket, right, that is on this little girl. Can you tell us about this?
All right, we just lost our C-17 crew, which is incredibly upsetting.
AVLON: It is upsetting because it is one of the only good stories. But 823 people. That picture, we should probably bring that up again.
KEILAR: Yes.
AVLON: That picture symbolizes so much of the heart of the people working on this issue. You know, we can talk about the difficulties and the things that have gone wrong, but people are putting all their heart and soul into this.
KEILAR: Yes. And, look, you heard that technical sergeant and you heard the colonel there and they're saying, this is what we train to do. The truth is, you wonder, how do you get -- they said 823 people.
AVLON: Eight hundred and twenty-three.
KEILAR: Well, thank you for the correction on that because we had it at 640. They're saying 823. I'm going to take the technical sergeant's official count and take his word for that.
But this is what they train to do.
AVLON: Yes.
KEILAR: This is the professionalism of that crew.
AVLON: It is. And -- and -- and --
KEILAR: Getting this job done.
AVLON: And the love operationalized. You know, we spent a lot of time today talking about that image of the baby being thrown over the wall. The flip side of that is this picture of -- of this young Afghan child covered in the U.S. serviceman's jacket. That is an extraordinary image that also symbolizes what's happening now and the sacrifice and the bravery that's being done. (INAUDIBLE).
KEILAR: Look, this is -- this is going to be a tough time.
AVLON: Yes, it is.
KEILAR: I think for service members who are seeing some of these things they're seeing. But we just want to thank this crew for their service so much.
AVLON: Absolutely. Big time.
KEILAR: Still ahead, doctors warning of dire emergencies in their hospitals as the numbers continue to rise. Some nurses are now making an emotional plea for people to get vaccinated before it's too late.
Plus, CNN is there as rescue crews race to save the youngest patients from this earthquake disaster in Haiti.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:48:32]
KEILAR: The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan effectively ends the work of 2014's CNN Hero of the Year, Pen Farthing, and his non-profit group Nowzad. For almost 15 years, they have been reuniting stray animals with the troops who rescued them while serving there. And now Farthing has a new, urgent mission, which fighting to get his staff and the animals in their care to safety. The former British Royal Marine is demanding the U.K.'s prime minister help repatriate his team and their families and he's still in Kabul working to evacuate nearly 200 dogs and cats by cargo plane.
Farthing spoke with CNN just days before the Taliban entered Kabul.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PEN FARTHING, 2014 CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: Nowzad, before the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, I was actually progressing extremely well.
Hey, guys.
Hello.
We have over 140 dogs in our care. We have 50 cats. A donkey sanctuary, the first of its kind in Afghanistan. So we were really being recognized by the community and we just employed our third female Afghan national as a veterinarian. So -- and we're incredibly proud of that.
You know, our young girls who work for us, the young women who work for the other organizations, you know, they believed they had a future. And now suddenly, in a matter of literally weeks, that has just been ripped apart. And I cannot believe that the west is allowing that to happen.
You go to any country in the west and people talk about, you know, women's rights, women's equality.
[08:50:04]
Yet we almost had that here in Afghanistan, and we've just thrown that away.
So I would ask everybody, you know, please don't give up on Afghanistan yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KEILAR: For more on Pen Farthing and Nowzad, you can go to cnnheroes.com.
Just ahead, their sound has endured for generations. You know it.
AVLON: Hey.
KEILAR: The one and only Earth, Wind and Fire, joining us ahead of tomorrow's We Love NYC Homecoming Concert in Central Park.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:55:22]
AVLON: Is there a better way to start off the weekend than with a little Earth, Wind and Fire? KEILAR: You were grooving there, by the way.
AVLON: Oh, yes. You know it.
All right, so that's the new single "You Want My Love" featuring Lucky Day. That will be a song they'll be performing at tomorrow's We Love NYC Concert.
And with us now are the members of Earth, Wind and Fire, Philip Bailey, Ralph Johnson and Verdine White.
It iembers of Earth, Wind and Fire, Philip Baley, Ralph Johnson and Vhing has a new, urgent s good to see you all.
Not saying -- we were saying before the break, you know, I'm a big fan of "Shining Star." But you've got a "September" hard core fan here because guess who's birthday.
KEILAR: The 21st of September. So, this is like bucket list stuff for me to talk to you guys.
You know, Philip, I just -- how great is it going to be to get back on stage?
PHILIP BAILEY, EARTH, WIND AND FIRE: Man, we are like little kids, like seriously, getting out of, you know, out of the house, you know, after so long. We're beside ourselves, ready to get back out there. We're going on tour actually in September, through the end of the year. But, yes, fantastic to be back out.
AVLON: And we should say, you know, look, they're expecting 60,000 people at this concert, but we want to say, all have to show proof of vaccination alongside their tickets. Want to make that real clear.
But, you know, this is really -- you've got this new single coming out. Tell us how that came about.
BAILEY: Well, we were in the middle of doing a project that -- of duets. And we were -- we asked Kenny "Babyface" Edmond to hook us up with -- with Lucky Day. And to do "Can't Hide Love." And they got together and then worked on a re-imagined version of "Can't Hide Love," rewrote the lyrics and did some special stuff and played it for us, and we went, wow. And the rest was history.
KEILAR: Well, I mean, look, just the bit we heard sounds awesome.
AVLON: Yes.
KEILAR: And I know the crowd's going to love it.
Ralph, you just must be thrilled.
RALPH JOHNSON, EARTH, WIND AND FIRE: We are totally thrilled. It's -- you know what, it's great to be back in New York, number one.
BAILEY: Right.
JOHNSON: Because we love New York, you know.
But, no, we're very excited about the new single. And we're very excited about appearing on this concert. And it's a star-studded event. And what a great way to reopen New York.
BAILEY: And a great celebration for it as well.
AVLON: It is. And, you know, New York City is back and no better way to celebrate it than by bringing together some great musicians with vaccinated people in the park.
BAILEY: No question.
JOHNSON: Right.
AVLON: I've got a question for you, though, because, you know, you formed 50 years ago. And that was a time of great upheaval and unrest. But politics aside, what's the role that you believe music can play in healing and bringing people together?
BAILEY: Well, we think about the intent of music, especially for Earth, Wind and Fire. And playing it forward, you know, 50 years later, the music, its intent and purpose has been something that has resonated with all our fans around the world, you know, to just -- to make a positive difference.
KEILAR: Yes.
Verdine, what do you think?
VERDINE WHITE, EARTH, WIND AND FIRE: Well, I agree with Philip. And what I love about it, when you come to our concerts, you feel better when you leave than when you came. And that's our goal.
KEILAR: I just think it's amazing the music that has had such an impact on people, you know? That it's just -- it's really timeless. And I think that more than ever that's really needed, Verdine, right now.
WHITE: I think so too. I think, you know, we are the sound track of people's lives. They tell us where they were. And they always thank us for making the music. That's what happens now.
KEILAR: Yes.
AVLON: Yes, I'm sure some of those stories get a little bit -- a little bit saucy.
KEILAR: I mean, let's be honest, though, we all kind of got like probably married to some Earth, Wind and Fire. So that's a big -- you're a big, big part of our lives.
AVLON: There was some Earth, Wind and Fire in marriage (ph), for sure.
KEILAR: Hey, Philip, Ralph, and Verdine, good luck.
WHITE: Thank you.
KEILAR: We're so excited for you guys. We're really excited to see this concert and Earth, Wind and Fire.
AVLON: Absolutely.
KEILAR: And we're just so thankful you're with us this morning.
BAILEY: Thank you for having us.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
WHITE: Thank you.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
AVLON: Take care, guys.
KEILAR: All right, and you can check it out. Watch "We Love New York City: The Homecoming Concert," tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. Eastern exclusively on CNN.
And CNN's coverage continues right now.
[09:00:00]
