Did Dylan Blaha's unit see combat during his deployment and are there after-action reports?

1. Who Dylan Blaha is — service record as reported

Multiple profiles and Blaha’s own writing describe him as an Illinois Army National Guard captain, a combat medic–turned medical planner, with over a decade of service and a deployment to Afghanistan; WAND‑TV, The Advocate and Blaha’s Substack all report the Afghanistan deployment and his “over five years on active duty” ^{[2] [3] [1]}. These outlets also note later Europe assignments supporting NATO and Ukraine, but none trace operational timelines to specific combat actions beyond the Afghanistan deployment claim ^{[3] [1]}.

2. Did his unit see combat? Reporting shows deployment but stops short of combat detail

The sources consistently state Blaha deployed to Afghanistan ^{[1] [2] [3]}. None of the provided stories, however, describe combat engagements involving Blaha’s unit, specific battles, or casualty figures; available sources do not mention whether his unit conducted direct combat operations or only support/medical missions while deployed ^{[1] [2] [3]}. In short: reporting confirms a deployment but does not document combat actions.

3. After‑action reports and public records — silence in the coverage

Journalistic pieces, Blaha’s campaign site, and his own Substack do not publish or cite after‑action reports or unit‑level formal reviews tied to his Afghanistan service ^{[1] [4] [2]}. The search set contains no references to Defense Department or National Guard after‑action documents, FOIA releases, or unit operational reports for Blaha’s service period; available sources do not mention any released after‑action reports ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

4. What the absence of reporting can mean — plausible explanations

There are several possible explanations consistent with the records: many routine deployments, especially medical or support roles, do not produce public after‑action reports; some operational documents remain internal or classified; local profiles may focus on biographical and political angles rather than operational history ^{[1] [2] [3]}. The sources provide biographical claims but do not pursue military‑document research or FOIA requests that would be needed to locate formal after‑action reports ^{[1] [2]}.

5. Conflicting or political context in coverage

Coverage of Blaha in October–November 2025 became politicized: outlets reported his public statements urging troops to question federal orders and noted consequences such as suspension of clearance in some accounts, with partisan and opinion sites amplifying claims ^{[5] [6] [7]}. That political frame can shift emphasis away from verifying operational records like after‑action reports; mainstream profiles (WAND, Advocate) remain focused on service résumé and campaign themes rather than operational document verification ^{[2] [3]}.

6. What to look for next — where decisive evidence would come from

To confirm combat participation or obtain after‑action reports you would need primary military records: unit operational reports, Department of Defense or National Guard public affairs releases for the Afghanistan rotation, or FOIA‑released AARs (after‑action reviews). The current search results contain no such primary documents; available sources do not mention them ^{[1] [2] [3]}.

Limitations and final note

This analysis is limited to the provided sources. I do not assert the presence or absence of classified documents or internal military records beyond what these sources state; available sources confirm Blaha’s Afghanistan deployment but do not provide evidence of combat engagements or published after‑action reports ^{[1] [2] [3]}. If you want definitive confirmation, the next step is a records search (DO DPA/NGPA releases or FOIA requests) or inquiries to Blaha’s campaign or the Illinois National Guard for unit‑level documentation.