A picture is being shared of the last US soldier to leave Afghanistan following a 20-year long war which has come to an end.
Major General Christopher Donahue can be seen striding along the airport's tarmac to board the final plane out of Kabul on Monday (30 August).
General Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, confirmed that the last military aircraft safely left Afghanistan a minute before midnight in Kabul.
Advert
Gen. McKenzietold reporters in a virtual briefing that with the departure of the C-17 cargo plane 'every single U.S. service member is now out of Afghanistan'.
According to reports, 52-year-old Major General Donahue has 30 years' experience and has served in South Korea, Panama, the Middle East and North Africa.
He's been deployed 17 times in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Eastern Europe as well as taking over as commander of Fort Bragg's 82nd Airborne Division, in North Carolina, in July 2020.
This means he can be deployed anywhere in the world within 18 hours of notification which he's previously said it's the 'best job' he's ever had.
After the final five US military transport aircraft lifted off out of Afghanistan, they left behind up to 200 Americans.
Advert
US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, explained that the country will continue to try and secure their departure either over land or by charter flight once the Kabul airport reopens.
Speaking shortly after the Pentagon announced the completion of the US military pull-out on Monday, Mr Blinken said the US embassy in Kabul will remain closed and vacant for the foreseeable future.
American diplomats will be based in Doha, Qatar.
He said: "We will continue our relentless efforts to help Americans, foreign nationals and Afghans leave Afghanistan if they choose. Our commitment to them holds no deadline."
Advert
Gen McKenzie did however say that the US military was able to get as many as 1,500 Afghans out in the final hours of the American evacuation mission.
He also explained that there were no citizens left stranded at the airport and none were on the final few military flights out.
He said the US military maintained the ability to get Americans out right up until just before the end, but 'none of them made it to the airport'.
Topics: War, World News, News, US News, US
