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by WILL FOLKS
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In politics, the name of the game is distinguishing oneself from the competition… which is especially difficult to do in crowded races like the one for South Carolina’s first congressional district.
Luckily for retired United States Air Force (USAF) colonel Alex Pelbath, he is definitionally distinguished.
Pelbath spent 22 years serving his country as a pilot – during which time he flew more than 4,000 hours (including 1,000 hours in combat). He was the air mission commander for America’s evacuation from Afghanistan – piloting the last plane out of Kabul.
“I’ll never forget the final images I had of watching our aircraft take off,” he said.
Pelbath is a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross award for “heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight.” Previously awarded to Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, the Flying Cross is America’s highest aviation honor.
Pelbath also received the first-ever Sully Sullenberger award for courage in 2021.
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“His leadership and bravery significantly contributed to the successful evacuation of an estimated 124,000 Afghan refugees, 79,000 of whom were airlifted on C-17s out of Kabul in August 2021,” the Sullenberger award citation (.pdf) noted. “It was ultimately the largest air evacuation in history.”
According to the veteran officer, his heroism took place against the backdrop of a spectacular failure – one which hinged on former U.S. president Joe Biden putting an “arbitrary end date” on American operations and simultaneously telling “the bad guys (our) plans.”
Pelbath recalled a moment in the days leading up to the evacuation when he and other airmen had gathered in the “chow hall” at the air base early in the morning.
“The Taliban commander comes on (the television) and he gives us an ultimatum,” Pelbath said. “He says, August 31 is a line in the sand – America will be gone by August 31. So you imagine the way that we felt dealing with this and then seeing a terrorist on TV… since when does a terrorist tell the United States of America what to do?”
Pelbath said he and his fellow airmen were adamant that Biden must go on television and respond to the Taliban’s ultimatum.
“Well, we did see Biden on television the next day,” he said. “And you understand, from our perspective, this isn’t just the president. This is the commander-in-chief, right? This guy’s in our chain of command. This is the commander.”
How did Biden respond?
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“Instead of rebuking the Taliban, he bowed down to them, and he agreed with that August 31 end date,” Pelbath said.
Biden’s surrender left American airmen and soldiers in a terrible situation – both militarily and in regard to morale.
“One, our commander doesn’t have our backs, right?” he said. “Our boss doesn’t have our backs out here. And number two, things are gonna get harder before they get easier. And they did.”
Two days later after Biden’s acquiescing to the Taliban’s demands, the Abbey Gate suicide bombing took place – killing 182 people (including 13 American soldiers).
Colonel Pelbath and I engaged in a wide-ranging conversation on multiple topics – including his view of applying American military might around the world. He praised current U.S. president Donald Trump’s approach of “peace through strength” – and also heralded efforts to eradicate the cancer of wokeness from the military.
“There’s a reason recruiting numbers are way high right now, and it’s because we’re getting back to basics,” Pelbath said.
We also discussed the field of competitors he is facing in the current congressional race, the challenge of selecting the “right” Republican candidates for elected office and how America’s only solution to the debt crisis it currently faces is sustained economic expansion.
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Pelbath is facing a crowded field in his first political contest. State representative Marvin “Mark” Smith announced his candidacy back in August, as did Dorchester County councilman Jay Byars (who recently dropped by our studios for a visit). Physician and entrepreneur Sam McCown – a contender who has pledged to commit significant personal resources to his bid – entered the fray in September, while Charleston County councilwoman Jenny Costa Honeycutt announced her bid just last week.
Stretching from Hilton Head Island to the Santee River along South Carolina’s Lowcountry coast, the first district includes parts of Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties. After 38 years of uninterrupted “Republican” rule, Democrat Joe Cunningham briefly held it from 2019-2021. Nancy Mace ousted him in the 2020 election, however, and decisively defeated a well-funded Democrat challenger in 2022. According to the latest Partisan Voting Index (PVI) from the Cook Political Report, the district is listed as R+6, slightly more centrist than it was two years ago (R+7).
To view my entire conversation with Colonel Pelbath, click here…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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2 comments
Obviously qualifies to be a pilot in command – nothing about that qualifies him to be a congressman. It’s well established that our Afghan withdrawal was an unmitigated effing disaster. What else ya got? Air Farce transport Pilots generally “lead” a team of 4-5. (In truth, the loadmaster does most of the “leading”) Southwest Airlines pilots (Pelbath’s current occupation) don’t even lead that many. Pelbath has no experience in business and beyond saying he “supports Trump” no real political positions or experience. NEXT!
This guy really going to ignore that Trump has welcomed the Taliban to the oval office more than once? Or that the whole withdrawal was agreed to by Trump during his first term and that Biden was simply implementing what Trump agreed to in writing?