Afghanistan War Published Aug 31, 2026, 11:32 AM EDT 5 Years Later, Inside the Last 24 Hours of America’s War in Afghanistan Five years ago, US troops defended Kabul airport, evacuated civilians and boarded the final C-17s, ending America’s nearly 20-year war. Sign in to your Military.com account Afghan passengers board a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III during evacuation operations at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan, Aug. 22, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Donald Allen) At 11:59 p.m. in Kabul on Aug. 30, 2021, a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III lifted off from Hamid Karzai…