Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, and Ambassador Ross Wilson, charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, were the final Americans to step aboard the last U.S. military C-17 cargo jet shortly before it lifted off from the Afghan capital's sole international airport Monday.
Over the past 18 days, the military conducted the largest non-combatant evacuation in history, Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday.
U.S. officials had to immediately switch from working alongside an ally to "Initiating a pragmatic relationship of necessity with a longtime enemy," Gen. McKenzie said.
In the final days of the evacuation mission, U.S. troops destroyed an array of military equipment at their airfield, including about 70 heavily-armored MRAP trucks, 27 Humvees, and 73 military aircraft.
Commanders at the airfield also directed the destruction of a defense weapon known as a C-RAM, Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar system, that had been used only hours before to handle a rocket attack against U.S personnel.
About 2,000 ISIS-K fighters - who claimed responsibility for the suicide attack last week that killed 13 US troops - are believed to be on the run in Afghanistan after the victorious Taliban released them from government custody during their advance.
"While the military evacuation is complete, the diplomatic mission to ensure that additional U.S. citizens and eligible Afghans who want to leave continues," Gen. McKenzie said.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/30/americans-left-behind-final-us-military-planes-lea/
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