Fort Bragg commander last to leave Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Fort Bragg commander was the last to leave Afghanistan on Monday.

After two decades, the United States has completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war and closing a major chapter in military history. The last U.S. Air Force evacuation flight left Kabul airport late Monday.

The commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue was the last soldier to leave.

“In awe of our Sky Dragon Soldiers,” said the 18th Airborne Corps on social media. “This was an incredibly tough, pressurized mission filled with multiple complexities, with active threats the entire time. Our troops displayed grit, discipline and empathy.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken put the number of Americans still remaining in Afghanistan at under 200. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday morning that the mission to get the last Americans out has now “shifted from a military mission to a diplomatic mission.”

Feature photo: In this image made through a night vision scope and provided by the U.S. Army, Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commander of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, boards a C-17 cargo plane at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, as the final American service member to depart Afghanistan. (Master Sgt. Alexander Burnett/U.S. Army)

This article was written with the help of The Associated Press.

Copyright 2021, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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