---
title: "Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan showed up to Afghanistan looking like a Bond villain"
description: "Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan showed up to Afghanistan on Monday wearing an outfit befitting the most evil of Bond villains."
date: "2019-02-11"
modified: "2019-02-11"
authors:
  - name: "Paul Szoldra"
    job_title: "Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/paul-szoldra.md"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/shanahan-afghanistan-trip-bond-villain/"
categories:
  - "Afghanistan"
  - "Around the World"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "central command"
  - "Leadership"
  - "Pentagon"
---

# Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan showed up to Afghanistan looking like a Bond villain

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/19181902-1.jpg>)

Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan showed up to Afghanistan on Monday wearing an outfit befitting the most evil of Bond villains.

Here's how the Task & Purpose team reacted to this amazing outfit:

**Paul Szoldra \[9:21 AM\]** what in the fuck is he wearing

**jared \[9:21 AM\]** Shanahan Arrives In Afghanistan Ready For A Cocktail Party

**Paul Szoldra \[9:21 AM\]** he looks like dr evil

**jared \[9:22 AM\]** he looks like alec baldwin in the hunt for red october

Shanahan's Afghanistan outfit: better than Kushner's body armor, but not by much

**jameswhuclark \[9:22 AM\]** Shanahan has a plan to defeat ISIS/Taliban and it involves sharks with frigg'n lazer beams (edited)

**Paul Szoldra \[9:23 AM\]** The acting Defense Secretary just showed up to Afghanistan dressed like Dr. Evil

**jared \[9:23 AM\]** Shanahan's launched all-out fashion assault on Taliban peace process

Officially, Shanahan is "meeting with President Ashraf Ghani to discuss a broad range of defense issues" and mingling with coalition troops still fighting in the 17-year-old war, according to a Pentagon statement.

But unofficially, he could be preparing to knock off Dr. Evil or his favorite henchman, Number 2, for worldwide domination, or he may even be preparing to conduct his own all-black-ops alongside Gen. Austin Miller, who, it should be noted, is a
[former member of Delta Force](<https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/05/23/former-delta-force-commander-command-troops-afghanistan-reports.html>).

Acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan, left, arrives in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday morning, Feb. 11, 2019, to consult with Army Gen. Scott Miller, right, commander of U.S. and coalition forces, and senior Afghan government leaders.
AP Photo/Robert Burns

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image-placeholder-title-541.jpg>)

Still, given the dark ensemble, our one hope is that Shanahan will at a minimum entertain the troops with a rendition of a
[Johnny Cash classic](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY8_vZXo8oY>).

There's also a good detention facility at Bagram he can rock, in case he wants to take the
[Folsom Prison route.](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMyzoHBtaME>)

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image-placeholder-title-542.jpg>)

I rest my case.

### SEE ALSO: Mattis is Gone. Patrick Shanahan Is Now In Wonderland.

### WATCH: Jeff starts a Twitter beef with the Taliban

## Author
Paul Szoldra was the Editor in Chief of Task & Purpose from October 2018 until August 2022. Since joining T&P, he has led a talented team of writers, editors, and creators who produce military journalism reaching millions of readers each month. He also founded and edits [Duffel Blog](<https://www.duffelblog.com/>), a popular satirical newsletter for the military. Before becoming a journalist in 2013, he served as a Marine infantryman in Afghanistan, Korea, and other areas of the Pacific. His eyes still go up every time a helicopter from Camp Pendleton flies over his office in Southern California.

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