Senators Coons, Rounds introduce bill to preserve records for at-risk Afghan allies

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the Afghan Ally Records and Credential Heritage (ARCH) Act, legislation to establish a process at the Pentagon to identify, verify and preserve the service records of certain Afghan allies who served alongside our forces during the war in Afghanistan. The bill is also cosponsored by Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.). Under the ARCH Act, the Department of Defense would establish a secure online application system through which eligible Afghan allies or their representatives could submit service information and supporting documentation. After reviewing available military, contractor, and biometric records, the department would preserve verified records for future use. The bill also provides applicants with notice of adverse decisions, an opportunity to appeal and the ability to request reconsideration when new evidence becomes available. “We owe an enormous debt to the Afghans who supported U.S. forces during their 20-year mission in Afghanistan,” said Senator Coons . “In exchange for that huge risk to themselves and their families, we promised them protection. This is a first step to fulfilling that promise by ensuring those who put their lives on the line for our country don’t fall through the cracks.” “Thousands of brave Afghans stood shoulder-to-shoulder with American service members in some of the most dangerous missions of the war,” said Senator Rounds . “Many of these individuals risked everything to support the United States, yet the records documenting their service remain vulnerable to loss or destruction. The ARCH Act creates a secure process to preserve this documentation, making certain that accurate records are maintained.” “We must keep our covenant with the Afghans who served beside us, risking everything — often at great personal expense to themselves and their families — to further America’s mission,” said Senator Klobuchar . “Our bipartisan legislation will ensure Afghan allies can be confident their service records will be preserved to help them establish facts about their service in future applications to the U.S. government.” “We owe it to our Afghan allies to provide a fair and efficient process to preserve the service records documenting the sacrifices they made while serving alongside U.S. forces,” said Senator Tillis . “I’m proud to cosponsor this effort to ensure those records are available for those who stood with our servicemembers in Afghanistan.” Specifically, the ARCH Act would: Establish a Department of Defense Afghan Allies Records Preservation Program Create a secure online application portal for eligible Afghan allies outside the United States Verify applicants’ service using available military, contractor, and biometric records Preserve validated service records and supporting documentation for future use Provide applicants with written notice of denials, an appeals process, and an opportunity to reopen applications with new evidence Prohibit application fees and authorize personnel necessary to administer the program Maintain the application process for at least 10 years, unless the Secretary of Defense later determines that termination is in the national interest The legislation recognizes the service of former members of Afghanistan’s special operations forces, the Afghan Air Force, the Special Mission Wing, intelligence personnel, justice-sector officials, female members of the former Afghan security forces and other individuals who supported the United States mission in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021. The ARCH Act is supported by AfghanEvac, No One Left Behind, With Honor, REACT DC, the Lamia Afghan Foundation, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Afghan Scout Relief Fund and Keeping Our Promise Inc. “For the men and women who served as commandos, pilots, intelligence officers, and judges alongside American forces, and for all the women who served in the ranks of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, the record of that service is the difference between being recognized and being erased,” said Shawn VanDiver, president of AfghanEvac and a U.S. Navy veteran . “When Kabul fell, so did easy access to the documents and biometrics that prove who stood with us, and every day those records sit unprotected is a day we risk losing them for good. The ARCH Act makes sure that proof survives, so our allies can still be identified, verified, and protected when it counts. We’re grateful to Senators Rounds, Klobuchar, Coons, and Tillis for their bipartisan leadership, and we urge the Senate to move this bill without delay.” “Retaining Afghan allies’ service records is a national security necessity, and is vital to supporting our wartime allies,” said Andrew Sullivan, executive director of No One Left Behind . “No One Left Behind proudly endorses the Afghan Allies Records and Credential Heritage Act, a bipartisan recognition that would document the service and contributions Afghan allies made alongside American service members. Evacuating allies left behind remains a moral obligation, and this legislation is an important step in accomplishing that mission.” “The United States and coalition forces relied on brave Afghan allies for years. In the wake of war and withdrawal, many records of their service were lost,” said Rye Barcott, co-founder and CEO of With Honor . “With Honor Action is proud to endorse the ARCH Act, which provides a formal process for Afghan allies to document their service alongside U.S. military forces. We are encouraged to see the inclusion of this language in the Senate’s draft of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act, and urge Congress to preserve this provision as they work to conference this bill. With Honor Action thanks Senators Mike Rounds, Amy Klobuchar, and Thom Tillis for making sure that Afghans who served alongside Americans are never denied recognition simply because of missing paperwork.” Read the full text of the bill here.