Officials have not disclosed the current number of Afghan refugees at Fort Bliss.

William 'Hank' Taylor, who also specified that all evacuees are tested for COVID-19 upon arriving to the Dulles International Airport. The current total number of Afghan refugees being housed at the four sites is approximately 1,200, according to Army Maj. ItвЂ™s going to take days and weeks I think for all four combined to get to that level, but thatвЂ™s the goal.вЂќ вЂњWith the four bases, what our goal would be is to reach the ability, not necessarily the actual count, but the ability to build out to about 25,000 capacity,вЂќ Kirby said. Kirby said four posts - Fort Bliss, Fort Lee, Fort McCoy, and Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst - are now available to house Special Immigrant Visa applicants and vulnerable Afghans. military bases, including Fort Bliss, during a press briefing Monday. Pentagon officials briefly described plans for Afghan refugees to be housed at U.S. Michael West/2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team)ДЄfghan refugees begin arriving at Fort BlissДЄugAfghan refugees begin arriving at Fort BlissД«y RenГ© Kladzyk, El Paso Matters August 21, 2021 вЂњBut we just literally donвЂ™t know much at all, in terms of what to expect coming to Fort Bliss,вЂќ she said.Д¬over photo: The DoГ±a Ana Range Complex at Fort Bliss is being used for temporary housing for Afghan citizens who have helped the United States. вЂњI really wish that we had a contact at Fort Bliss that we could sit down and talk to and say вЂOK weвЂ™re anticipating X number of people, and generally speaking this is what weвЂ™re expecting in terms of their immigration status,вЂ™вЂќ said Melissa Lopez, executive director of Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services during an interview with El Paso Matters on Thursday. Some local leaders and advocates have expressed concerns with how little information has been made available to them regarding plans for Afghan refugees in the area. Michael West/2 Armored Brigade Combat Team) Afghan refugees temporarily housed at Fort Bliss will eat at this facility. вЂњFor security reasons вЂ¦ we will not disclose specific details about those who arrived, or regarding future arrivals.вЂќ A soldier with 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, opens the blinds in the dining facility on the DoГ±a Ana Range Complex at Fort Bliss on Aug. вЂњAs you can imagine, there is much activity associated with the arrival,вЂќ he said. A Fort Bliss press release did say that they expect more refugees to arrive over the coming days.

The Army spokesperson did not say how many Afghan refugees will be housed at Fort Bliss, or provide an estimate for how long they would stay there. The refugees will be housed temporarily at the Army bases until they can be placed in more permanent housing, U.S. military removal of noncombatants since 20,000 American service members and their families were taken out of the Philippines following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991. The ongoing Afghanistan evacuation is the largest U.S. Michael West/2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team) The Department of Defense, in support of the Department of State, is providing transportation and temporary housing for Afghan citizens who have helped the United States. Soldiers with 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, move equipment to the entrance of the DoГ±a Ana Range Complex facilities at Fort Bliss on Thursday. But a backlog in the lengthy application process has meant that among the thousands desperate to leave Afghanistan amid the rapid takeover by the Taliban, many have incomplete or pending SIV applications. military in Afghanistan as translators, interpreters or other contractors are eligible to receive an SIV. The Special Immigrant Visa program was created as part of the Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2009, and entitles recipients to the same benefits and assistance as refugees. вЂњThe 1st Armored Division team is providing the Afghans at Fort Bliss essential support, such as lodging, at Fort BlissвЂ™ DoГ±a Ana Range Complex in New Mexico, where they can finalize their immigration processing safely,вЂќ the spokesperson said. Army North spokesperson confirmed that вЂњSpecial Immigrant Visa applicants, their families, and other individuals at riskвЂќ are being housed at both Fort Bliss and Fort Lee in Virginia. Refugees from Afghanistan arrived at Fort BlissвЂ™s DoГ±aВ Ana Range Complex on Saturday,В part of what the Department of Defense said could be the second-largest noncombatant evacuation operation in United States history.ДЄ U.S. Upon arrival, they undergo rigorous medical screenings and examinations by DoD staff to ensure the safety of people on base, refugees and our community. 21st, there have been over 650 arrivals on base, including primary visa applicants and their families.

Ft biss update