Saving Aziz: How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Rescue Thousands

Chad Robichaux (pronounced Ro-ba-show) is a highly decorated former U.S. Marine and Department of Defense contractor with eight deployments to Afghanistan as part of a Joint Special Operations Command Task Force. After overcoming his personal battles with PTSD and nearly becoming a veteran suicide statistic, Chad founded the Mighty Oaks Foundation, a non-profit serving the active duty, military veteran, and first responder communities around the world with faith-based combat trauma and resiliency programs. He is also the co-founder of Save Our Allies, a non-profit organization that focuses on the evacuation and recovery of Americans, our allies, and vulnerable people trapped in Afghanistan. Chad is a best-selling author and has written a number of books related to veteran care and overcoming life’s challenges. In addition to Chad’s military service, he has served our nation as a special agent with the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service and the U.S. State Department as a surveillance detection senior program manager. Chad is a Medal of Valor recipient for his bravery beyond the call of duty in law enforcement. He has earned an MBA from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT), and is a board-certified pastoral counselor with a focus on PTSD. Chad is married to Kathy, and they have one daughter, two sons and two granddaughters.

Azizullah (pronounced Ah-ze-zu-la) Aziz is an Afghan native who served as a combat interpreter and facilitator for a United States Special Operations unit in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, 2001-2021. He became a highly sought after interpreter within the special operations community and was selected to serve as part of the premiere Joint Special Operations Command for nearly a decade. During his time as a combat interpreter, Aziz served side-by-side with Chad Robichaux during Chad’s eight deployments, ultimately saving his life several times as well as the lives of many other servicemen around them. Aziz chose to work with the U.S. military because he had hopes for his beloved Afghanistan and countrymen. He wanted his children to grow up with the opportunities that freedom provides. However, following the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Aziz and his family faced persecution. The U.S. departure sparked a multinational coalition led by Chad Robichaux to rescue Aziz and his family. After many months, they are now on American soil. As Aziz starts his new life as a Texan, he serves as the cultural advisor for Mighty Oaks International. He and his wife have six children.