Task Force Antal

Category: Ukraine

  • Answering the Call in Ukraine 

    Answering the Call in Ukraine 

    Two years ago today Task Force Antal was hard at work in Afghanistan, when we received the call. The people of Ukraine were facing another deadly and horrifying invasion of their country by Russian forces. With our team’s decades of experience in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones, we knew we had no other choice than to mobilize. Within 48-hours we were on a mission to rescue American citizens from Eastern Ukraine, but our mission has grown so much larger since.  

    Today, in Ukraine, the frontlines are everywhere. Our team of Special Operations veterans have faced the reality of training young children to dress emergency wounds, staunch bleeding, and save the lives of their friends and family, all before they reach middle school. We have worked tirelessly with Ukrainian officials, citizen groups and our NGO partners to ensure the medical supplies they so desperately need are delivered to critical and dangerous zones. And of course, we have helped countless escape conflict zones and ensured their safety.  

    Support Our Work in Ukraine

    This work is critical, and we’ll keep answering the call for as long as we are needed. We know that our team is willing and committed to continue protecting life and liberty in Ukraine, but we need your help funding their work. Will you become one of our supporters? 

    We have a vision for a better future: One where the people of Ukraine live in safety in their sovereign nation, where their medical infrastructure is rebuilt, and they’re free to pursue a life of their own design. Please, consider a donation today. Two years is two years too long.  

  • Hello From Snowy Ukraine!

    Hello From Snowy Ukraine!

    The Task Force Antal teams are hard at work across snowy Ukraine. Thanks to your support, we have been able to deliver generators to remote sites, as well as continue our medical training program and delivery of critical medical supplies.
  • Winter is Coming

    Winter is Coming

    The recent overnight drone strike carried out by the Russian military in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, near the local nuclear power plant, resulted in explosions that caused significant damage, including shattered windows in administrative, laboratory, and residential structures. The incident led to a power outage due to the destruction of power lines, adversely affecting 1,860 consumers in the cities of Slavuta and Netishyn. 

    These events are part of a larger pattern, as Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure have already incurred more than 10 billion dollars in damages. This widespread destruction has disrupted access to essential resources such as electricity, water, and heating. As another harsh winter approaches, Ukrainians once again face the looming threat of life-threatening freezing temperatures without proper access to these vital resources. 

    Task Force Antal (TFA) has committed to providing critical resources to these vulnerable communities. Thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to address shortfalls not covered in the nation-to-nation aid packages. Just today another 1000 pounds of first aid supplies arrived at one of our warehouses and we will be continue to train Ukrainian power station employees, with the invaluable assistance of knowledgeable special operations veterans and our host nation partners, to ensure the continued operation and resilience of the energy infrastructure. 

  • Remembering 9/11, Those Who Served and are Still Serving

    Remembering 9/11, Those Who Served and are Still Serving

    September 11th, 2001 changed the lives of many, and for some, led them to embark on a journey to fight against violent extremism and terrorism. “We all knew at that point that our endless training exercises and capabilities demonstrations were over, and we would soon be preparing for combat deployment. TFA allows me to touch my former life in a way and gives me a new reason to plan and “deploy” to an area where the people need help,” recalled one TFA volunteer. 

    TFA has provided a path for many former soldiers to continue serving and fight to protect those who need it throughout the world. One such soldier, John, dedicated over 20 years to the military, many as part of an elite special forces unit. Now, as a founder of TFA, he uses his knowledge and experience to help others. “September 11th changed my life, as it did for us all. Volunteering in Ukraine teaching medical classes to civilians in high-risk areas is the most rewarding thing I have ever done,” John noted. 

    We aim to empower veterans to continue using their courage and expertise to help those who desperately need it.

  • What is a PARABELT?

    What is a PARABELT?

    PARABELTs are important rescue technology that have come to make all the difference for Ukrainians in conflict zones. PARABELTS are a daily wear tourniquet + belt combination that helps to stop hemorrhaging which is bleeding from damaged blood vessels. 

    Ukrainians without parabelts are forced to use homemade tourniquets which are inefficient in stopping life-threatening bleeding and can cost a person their life.  

    We presented the PARABELTs pictured here to leaders bringing these supplies to rural civilians and first responders to help reduce the death toll from bombings there. 

    You can support getting critically important medical equipment to the first responders who need them most. Donate today to help us get more life-saving tools into the hands of Ukrainians fighting for their lives and those of their families and neighbors. 

    Join us in our mission to keep people and hope alive in Ukraine. 

    If you’d like to join our team as a donor, please visit our campaign.

  • Mark and Christine Antal of Task Force Antal Honored with Still Serving Awards

    Mark and Christine Antal of Task Force Antal Honored with Still Serving Awards

    The Antals were honored by the United Veterans War Council for Humanitarian Work in Ukraine and Afghanistan in a private ceremony on 1oth November, 2022 and again on the Today Show NBC on 11th November 2022 (Veteran´s Day)

    NEW YORK CITY (November 14, 2022)—In honor of their life-saving humanitarian work in Ukraine and Afghanistan, Task Force Antal co-founders Mark Antal, a decorated former Green Beret and member of Delta Force, and his wife Christine Antal, a former Army lawyer, were recognized with a Still Serving Award from the United Veterans War Council  (UVWC) in conjunction with Veteran’s Day.

    The award, given to veterans who exemplify ongoing service after they leave the military, was presented by Mark Otto, president and Executive Director of UVWC, who is himself a US Marine Corps Veteran of the Panama invasion and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. The presentation took place on the Plaza of The Today Show, which did a feature story on Task Force Antal (visit www.bit.ly/3tv3Rcz  ).

    “On behalf of the United War Veterans Council and the New York City Veterans Parade, it is my great privilege and honor to present this 2022 Still Serving Award for outstanding service to our country and the veteran’s community,” Otto said in presenting the award to Mark Antal who was accompanied by Christine and their three daughters.  Otto presented a second Still Serving Award to Christine Antal, an army veteran, co-founder of Task Force Antal, and the family’s “commander.”

    Headquartered in New York with offices and logistical hubs in Poland, Hungary, and Ukraine, Task Force Antal began in 2021 when Mark and Christine helped a friend evacuate his interpreter from Afghanistan during the U.S. withdrawal. Since then, it has leveraged its depth of knowledge and vast network to evacuate more than 2000 people from Afghanistan, become part of the Afghan Evacuation Coalition, and continue to support 1800 people on the ground awaiting unification and resettlement, including 1300 family members of active US Citizen soldiers.

    Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Task Force Antal has added humanitarian work to its portfolio, tapping a network of more than 60 veterans , who deliver food, medicine, critical trauma equipment,  transport, and temporary housing, as well as delivering supplies for NGOs and NPOs who are unable to enter war zones.

    The Antals are uniquely suited for this work. Since retiring in 2015 after more than 30 years of decorated service in the U.S. Special Forces, Mark has provided risk and crisis management services, counter-terrorism, and training and extraction services for various clients, and serves as the inaugural Ambassador for the Special Forces Charitable Trust. His awards and decorations include two Bronze Stars with Valor, four Bronze Stars, a Joint Service Commendation with Valor, and two Purple Hearts. Christine, an attorney, served over 14 years as a National Security legal advisor, spending six years as the primary Legal Advisor on Ukraine and Security Assistance at U.S. Army Europe from 2015-2021. 

    “We can’t stand back and let this happen when we have an opportunity to assist,” said Mark Antal in accepting the award. “Veterans want to help, and elite special operations veterans have the skills and expertise to provide life-saving service in conflict zones where others cannot go.”

    “This is democracy in action, said Christina Antal.  “We’re not going to be complacent, and we’re not going to be observers.  This is vital humanitarian work, and veterans are willing and able to make a difference.”

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    About Task Force Antal:

    A registered nonprofit in the U.S. (501c3), Hungary, and Ukraine, TFA is headquartered in New York City while maintaining offices in Hungary, Poland and Ukraine to best serve the people who need us most. It empowers elite special operations veterans to use their skills to continue their dedicated work after the military and provide life-saving services and support to those who need it most in conflict zones where others cannot or dare not go. Comprised of  Tier One Operators, medics, intelligence analysts, handlers, legal advisors, national security professionals, and logistical staff across the globe, Task Force Antal specializes in providing safe evacuation support, humanitarian aid, and complex crisis management solutions for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, allies, and their families in the most conflict-ridden parts of the world where others cannot or dare not go. Its ability to come to the rescue of those in greatest need is based solely on independent contributions. It receives no government funding, and its team takes no salary. To learn more or make a tax-free donation, www.taskforceantal.org

    About the United War Veterans Council:

    The United War Veterans Council, Inc. (UWVC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that honors and serves veterans. The UWVC supports and promotes a wide range of initiatives that provide vital services to our veterans community (including health, wellness and education); raises positive awareness and increases public understanding of the needs of our veterans community through major public events and promotional activities; and brings together veterans groups, community organizations, government agencies, businesses of all sizes and the general public. For more information, visit www.uwvc.org  and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.