Jul. 2—All U.S. and coalition troops have left Bagram Airfield, once the largest base in Afghanistan, a U.S. defense official said Friday.
The closure of Bagram, about 25 miles north of the capital Kabul, marks a symbolic end to America's longest war.
The base was the hub of American air operations throughout the nearly two-decade conflict, its rapid growth and gradual declined mirroring the U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan itself.
The airfield was turned over to the Afghan security forces, who will now be charged with defending it against the Taliban.
Afghan officials did not respond to requests for comment on the future of the base. Recruiting to fill the base with Afghan troops began one month ago, officials told Stars and Stripes in June.
The handover makes it all but impossible for the U.S. to conduct any more large-scale military operations in the country, and it comes less than three months after the final drawdown of international forces began.
"It really does represent the true completion of the U.S. military experience of the last 20 years in the country," said Jason Campbell, a policy researcher at Rand Corp., who visited Bagram several times throughout his career.
Some U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan, despite the relinquishing of the base. However, the exact number remains unclear. The Pentagon last month stopped releasing details of the withdrawal after saying half of roughly 3,000 troops and U.S. equipment had been pulled out or destroyed.
This story will be updated.
Twitter: @pwwellman
Twitter: @jplawrence3
___
(c)2021 the Stars and Stripes
Visit the Stars and Stripes at www.stripes.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
