Southern Colorado Gold Star Wife reacts to chaos in Afghanistan

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - The military community in Colorado Springs continues to react to unfolding events in Afghanistan.

Deanna Sartor was married to Sgt. Maj. Ryan Sartor, a Fort Carson Green Beret. He died on his second deployment to Afghanistan in 2019. He was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group at The Mountain Post. He did 11 deployments during his Army career.

His wife, Deanna, says she’s heartbroken and angered watching mayhem play out as the Taliban takes control in the country her husband died fighting in.

“Many Americans feel like we should’ve been out of there a long time ago, and I agree with that,” Sartor told KKTV 11 News. “If we had handled this with all the resources that our military has, my husband would still be alive. He would’ve never gone to Afghanistan.”

She says current events make her question if all the sacrifices the U.S. has made fighting in Afghanistan have been worth it. That’s something she reflects on in personal life events, like one happening this week.

“This week, I’m taking my son to college, and that’s a moment you envision doing with your spouse your whole life ... Doing that alone is emotional anyway, and then on top of it all the emotions of ... did it have to be this way? Did it need to be this way? Is it this way for nothing, you know? … That’s hard to deal with.”

When asked how her husband would feel, Sartor said, “He would be horrified. He was so pro-America, and he would hate to see what we are right now ... with all the political divide.”

Sartor said her opinion is that President Biden’s initial decision to pull out of Afghanistan was premature, given that American civilians were still in the country. Biden announced earlier this week, 5,000 U.S. troops are now being sent to areas that have fallen to the Taliban, with the goal of bringing all innocent Americans home.

“To the families waiting, all you can do is pray,” Sartor said, reflecting on her own experience. “Know that your soldier is well prepared. They know what they’re doing. Their brothers have their back ... We hope every single one of them comes home and that then this can be over.”

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