Major General Chris Donahue Last American Soldier To Leave Afghanistan

The last American service member to leave the country on the day the US ended its 20-year war was Major General Chris Donahue. He's commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps. General Kenneth F. McKenzie, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, said Monday that the last aircraft left Afghanistan on August 30 at 3:29 p.m. ET, or 11:59 p.m. in Kabul.

 "The last American soldier to leave Afghanistan: Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne Division boards on US Air Force C-17 on August 30th, 2021, ending the US mission in Kabul," the department of defense wrote on Twitter while sharing a picture of the soldier.

The last American soldier to leave Afghanistan: Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of the @82ndABNDiv, @18airbornecorps boards an @usairforce C-17 on August 30th, 2021, ending the U.S. mission in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/j5fPx4iv6a

— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) August 30, 2021

President Joe Biden set the August 31 deadline to end America's longest war which claimed the lives of more than 2,400 US servicemen. The flight also carried Ross Wilson, the ambassador to Afghanistan, back home.

In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, American forces entered Afghanistan in 2001 to conduct anti-terror operations and drive the Taliban out. Over the next few years, American forces remained in Afghanistan, assisting in nation-building efforts such as giving financial assistance and training Afghan forces to combat insurgents.

On August 15, however, Taliban rule was restored in Afghanistan, as foreign soldiers began to depart from the nation in accordance with a peace agreement reached between the US and the hardline Islamist party. Washington committed to withdraw its forces in February 2020 while the Taliban agreed not to attack American troops in the mean time.