War in Afghanistan

The War in Afghanistan, also known as Operation Enduring Freedom, followed al-Qaeda's attacks on the United States on 9/11/2001 and was declared a war on terror. After Afghanistan's Taliban government refused to turn over al-Qaeda leaders, a coalition led by the United States invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, launching military strikes and destroying the Taliban in Afghanistan. After the Taliban fell, the US remained in Afghanistan and led a UN sanctioned coalition as a security mission. Three years later, the internationally recognized Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was established as a new democratic authority intended to prevent the Taliban from returning to power. After the killing of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, US leaders began planning an exit strategy from Afghanistan. In December 2014, combat operations in Afghanistan ended and full security responsibility was transferred to the Afghan government. The conflict became the longest war in the military history of the United States, surpassing the Vietnam War by approximately 6 months, and it included extensive use of air power and special forces. President Joseph Biden moved to pull out remaining US peacekeeping forces, and Operation Allies Refuge airlifted the remaining US troops, workers at the American Embassy in Kabul, and certain at-risk Afghanistan civilians in 2021, allowing the Taliban to take power again and resulting in a final 13 killed in action. During the war, 130,000 Americans served in Afghanistan during the initial invasion, about 800,000 are estimated to have served over the war's duration, and from 2001-2021 an estimated 2,324 American soldiers were killed and 20,713 were visibly wounded, while many more suffered invisible wounds.

East Glenville, New York · United States