WASHINGTON — The end of COVID-19 restrictions means guests of the White House and U.S. lawmakers will be in the audience at Tuesday's State of the Union address by President Biden.
Senator Richard Blumenthal invited Alex Plitsas, a former Pentagon official and U.S. Army veteran who helped evacuate hundreds of Afghans as part of the “Digital Dunkirk” following the U.S. withdrawal of troops.
Inviting guests is a tradition meant to highlight everyday Americans who have distinguished themselves in a field of service or endeavor.
"As a nation, we made a promise to those who fought alongside of us, who served as interpreters and in other capacities, that if they served, rendered a year of honorable service to the country, passed a background check, got their letters of recommendation that they would be afforded the opportunity to come raise their children and families in the United States," said Plitsas.
In a statement, Blumenthal called Plitsas a hero.
"Eighteen months after the U.S. withdrawal of troops, the images and stories of men, women and children pleading for help and desperately seeking to escape the Taliban continue to haunt me. Alex courageously stepped up in the days that followed to help many Afghan refugees escape the Taliban," said Blumenthal. "Alex’s remarkable leadership, dedication and determination has provided a path out of Afghanistan for many of the most vulnerable and at-risk of our allies."
Plitsas is a Fairfield resident who served in the U.S. Army for eight years.
He also visited Ukraine this past October in his role with a non-partisan national security think tank. As part of that mission, he studied the impact of Russian propaganda and misinformation.
Plitsas said he hopes for a message of bipartisanship in Biden's State of the Union address.
"And then last year, there was no mention of Afghanistan despite it being the nation's longest war in our entire history as a country. There was no mention of that war ending, and no mention of those left behind, so I'm hoping we will get the chance to see that tonight and continued support for Ukraine in their struggle to defeat Russian aggression," said Plitsas.
As Blumenthal’s guest, Plitsas will witness the State of the Union address, as well as accompany Blumenthal to a Senate dinner where he will have the opportunity to share his story and efforts directly with senators.
"It's an incredible privilege and an honor to be able to attend this. Each senator gets one invite, that's it," said Plitsas.
Angelo Bavaro is an anchor and reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at abavaro@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
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