Veterans ask public to help Afghans who helped them

Navy veteran Art delaCruz felt a lot of emotions as the U.S. military pulled out of Afghanistan this summer, but strongest among them was a desire to help the refugees he saw scrambling to get out.

As a fighter pilot from Cottage Grove who served several tours in the war-torn country, delaCruz wanted to give back to the Afghans who helped American service members like him.

Now, as chief executive of a veteran-led disaster response nonprofit called Team Rubicon, delaCruz and scores of volunteers are rallying the public to chip in, too: They are hosting a winter clothing donation drive at Target Field on Saturday for Afghan refugees at Fort McCoy, Wis., and Camp Atterbury, Ind.

"You can imagine an Afghan veteran watching what was transpiring on the news," said delaCruz, 53. "They can't drop in and get people over the fence in Kabul. But they can make sure an Afghan fam in Fort McCoy or Camp Atterbury has clothing for winter, so they jump into action. Selfishly, it feels really good to be able to jump in and help in one of these moments of need."

Like many who join the military, delaCruz sought meaning in his life.

After graduating from high school in Woodbury, delaCruz went to the University of Minnesota, the school where his Filipino immigrant parents had met. That was his presumed path. But something about sitting in those college classes didn't fit. He wanted to do something he felt made a difference.

So he headed to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. He was Goose from "Top Gun," piloting F-14s and F/A-18 Super Hornets and serving as an instructor at the Navy Fighter Weapons School. He retired in 2013 after 22 years of service, which included two tours in Afghanistan.

But in retirement he again wanted something meaningful. He found that meaning in Team Rubicon.

"In the military, we love being part of something 'bigger than me,' and doing things with a clear-cut purpose," delaCruz said. " 'Afghan families don't have materials to survive a Wisconsin winter; will you help?' 'Yeah!' "

The idea of Team Rubicon is simple: Veterans leave the military with certain skills — say, a specialty in logistics and planning — and a drive for service. But civilian life is less mission-oriented than the military. Team Rubicon offers veterans and others an outlet to make a positive difference helping people prepare, respond and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises.

The group, founded after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and now comprising some 150,000 volunteers, complements other disaster relief organizations. After a hurricane or flood, while the Red Cross finds temporary shelter for evacuated families, volunteers from Team Rubicon muck out houses and clear downed trees.

DelaCruz's emotions about the pullout have, as with many veteran friends, been all over the place the past couple of months: "It changes back and forth," he said. "I'm in the reflection phase." He was in Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks. When he returned in 2008 and 2009, it felt like the military was doing the same things, and the Taliban seemed to have grown stronger. It felt past time to pull out.

When he looks at the withdrawal, he's seen an impressive American achievement amid headlines of chaos. Some 53,000 Afghan refugees evacuated in August are now living in the U.S., mostly at a half-dozen military bases, delaCruz said. Another 12,000 are at American military bases overseas.

"That's a pretty amazing accomplishment, even if it's nowhere near perfect," delaCruz said.

One of the biggest challenges of refugee resettlement is the distribution of donated goods. So far, Team Rubicon has distributed 2.2 million donated items worth more than $10 million to Afghan refugees.

Saturday's donation drive will be held from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Thomson Reuters Champions Club parking lot at Target Field. The first 500 people to make a donation will receive a voucher for two complimentary Twins tickets in April or May 2022 (excluding the home opener).

Among the needed items: toddler clothing, winter clothing for children and adults, children's athletic shoes, children's and adults' winter boots, hats and gloves. Clothing must be in modest styles and is requested to be new and in original packaging, if possible. Gift cards and monetary donations will also be accepted; more information is available at teamrubiconusa.org/resettlement.

Reid Forgrave • 612-673-4647