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Kansas City Veteran Jason Kander Reacts To Afghanistan Withdrawal

A closeup of Jason Kander with a black T-shirt standing next to a grey wall with a slight smile on his face.
Luke X. Martin
/
KCUR
Jason Kander was a lieutenant in the U.S. Army while serving a tour in the war in Afghanistan.

"My first reaction was not an intellectual one, it was an emotional one. It just sort of took my breath away."

After earning his law degree, but before being elected as Missouri Secretary of State, Jason Kander served as a military intelligence officer in Afghanistan. Since hearing the news of the troop withdrawal, Kander says he's felt relief, guilt and worry over a decision he understands to be right and for which he has advocated.

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