Walmart, Pfizer and Amazon are among companies offering special benefits to hire some of the Afghans evacuated last summer.
Samimullah Samim, an Afghan refugee, flying over a wildfire near Salmon, Idaho, to make a map of the fire for Bridger Aerospace.
The Wall Street Journal
By Jessica Donati
September 11, 2022 8:03 am ET
BOZEMAN, Montana — Samimullah Samim flew his last mission for the Afghan air force a year ago, rescuing wounded soldiers from Helmand province as the country was falling to the Taliban. He has returned to the skies in America, where he flies firefighting missions in Montana, Idaho and nearby states.
Mr. Samim is the first Afghan pilot to make the transition to flying in the U.S. after a harrowing escape through Kabul airport with his wife and three young children last year. He upgraded his qualifications here with the assistance of a network of American veterans, who helped him navigate the U.S. system and raise the $10,000 needed to cover the cost of training.
“Unfortunately, there are a lot of fires in California these days, and we are super busy,” he said, describing his efforts over the past few weeks. “The people of the company are super hardworking, and I love working with them.”
Close to 80,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. since the Afghan government collapsed as American troops were leaving last August. Many of them were simply lucky enough to break through the crowds at Kabul airport, while those who faced greater risk for their closer ties to the U.S. military efforts were left behind.
A view of the wildfires last month near Salmon, Idaho, out the window of the plane flown by Samimullah Samim.
According to a report published by the International Rescue Committee last month, about 41,000 of the resettled Afghans are working age and many of them have joined America’s workforce. The average salary, based on a survey of 1,800 Afghan arrivals, was just over $16.50 an hour and the main hiring sectors have been manufacturing, retail and food services, the IRC data shows.
While many are beginning to restart their lives in the U.S., others continue to struggle because of difficulties speaking and learning English, a shortage of affordable housing, transportation issues and limited support by overstretched U.S. resettlement agencies.
The Tent Partnership for Refugees advocates in favor of hiring refugees, and more than 100 major U.S. companies have signed up to join its network. Gideon Maltz, the executive director, estimates that around half of working-age Afghans resettled last year have found jobs.
“That first job is the way that they improve their English. It’s the way they get exposed to American culture. And so, it’s hugely important for us. We see that as a starting point,” Mr. Maltz said.
Major companies like Amazon.com Inc., Walmart Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. have emerged as key destinations for Afghans looking for their first job in America.
Walmart said it doesn’t have data on the number of refugees it hires, but has been actively involved for years in welcoming Afghan arrivals to America.
Samimullah Samim with his colleagues at Bridger Aerospace in Bozeman, Montana.
Mr. Samim takes notes while flying over wildfires in Montana.
Mr. Samim walks through the airport with his colleagues after a flight.
Ahmed Nabizada, a Walmart store manager in Virginia who oversees some 400 employees, made the transition himself when he arrived from Afghanistan about 20 years ago. He helped donate goods to Afghan families last year and continues to encourage them to make American friends and adapt.
“You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone, you know, move on, and accept the changes,” he said, describing how for example, he is a practicing Muslim, but decorates his home with a Christmas tree in December. “I’m happy to have gone through all that and to become who I am today.”
Ofori Agboka, a vice president at Amazon, said the company launched a new program in April to provide benefits to refugees, including language and legal resources. He couldn’t provide a figure for the number of Afghan refugees it has hired.
Alix Anfang, a spokeswoman at Uber, said the company has made its app available in the two primary languages spoken in Afghanistan, and hundreds of Afghans have signed up. Pfizer Inc. said it has committed to hiring 100 refugees this year through a dedicated portal, and to date has hired 72, including 60 Afghans.
In pockets of the U.S., other companies stand out. The Sheraton Phoenix Downtown in Arizona, for example, has hired 65 refugees, including many Afghans. Sheraton said it doesn’t track the number of refugees it hires.
Aman Khalili, who helped rescue then-Sen. Joe Biden after he was stranded with two other senators in a remote Afghan valley, is among those who have found work in Arizona at a construction company. He has settled there with five of his eight children, who have started school in the U.S. He is anxious for the remaining three—who are adults and are struggling for survival back in Afghanistan—to join him in the U.S.
“This month I will pay my rent with my own money,” he said. He is grateful for the low-skill job, and he hopes one day to put his computer and accounting skills to use.
Mr. Samim’s new employer, Bridger Aerospace, is an aerial firefighting company based in Bozeman, Mont., and founded by a former U.S. Navy Seal, Tim Sheehy. Mr. Sheehy served and was wounded in Afghanistan, and was eager to make the hire when he heard about the Afghan fighter pilot from one of his staff.
Mr. Samim now splits his time between his flight rotations in Montana, and his wife and three children in Ohio, where the cost of living is cheaper. “Three is a big family here,” he said, noting he is one of 11 children. He sends money home to his parents, all his siblings and their families.
His oldest daughter, aged 6, has just finished kindergarten and has already learned to speak English fluently. “She learned it very fast. She is correcting me now,” he said.
Operation Sacred Promise is a nonprofit dedicated to helping the roughly 260 Afghan pilots who reached the U.S. with their families. It guided Mr. Samim through the transition and says about a dozen more Afghan pilots are close to finding jobs. Many have taken temporary jobs at companies like Uber and Amazon to help pay bills while they work to complete their qualifications.
“The challenge for us is being able to pay for flight training,” said the chief executive officer, Dave Hicks, a retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general. “It’s incredibly expensive.”
The group is also continuing to advocate for and support thousands more members of the Afghan air force left behind with their families. There is growing evidence of a systematic campaign by the Taliban to track down, arrest and kill former elite Afghan forces.
Mr. Samim says the mountains of Montana remind him of his home province, Paktia. While it has been challenging to navigate new regulations and busier U.S. airports, he is glad not to have to worry about getting shot down. His plane was once struck by fire from a Soviet-era heavy machine gun in Afghanistan.
The IRC data shows that Afghan women have entered the workforce at a lower rate, with just 14% of placements going to women. Many have weaker English language skills and lower rates of literacy. Even those who worked in Afghanistan have to stay home in the U.S. to look after children as they no longer have family networks to support them.
Ahdia Hussein worked as a midwife in Afghanistan before escaping last year with her husband, who worked for U.S. forces, and their daughter, now 2. It was tough at first. The family were resettled in Detroit, and she was afraid after learning that the city’s crime rate was among the highest in the country. But after reaching Dearborn, home to a large Muslim population, she felt at home.
She has started community college while her husband has found work in the tech industry. He had worked in information technology, among other jobs, in Afghanistan. She expects to qualify as a Certified Nurse Assistant later this year. Her long-term goal is to complete a degree in nursing, once their finances have stabilized. Her family back home have fled to Iran but are still struggling, and it troubles her to think of the plight faced by those left behind.
“The Taliban have taken everything from Afghan women,” she said.
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