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The US military shared an image of the last of the country's soldiers to leave Kabul, marking the end of a 20-year war in Afghanistan.
General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd airborne division, is shown boarding the flight late Monday out of Kabul's Hamid Karzai airport in a night vision camera image.
“The last American soldier leaves Afghanistan,” US Central Command tweeted.
The final withdrawal of US troops from Kabul airport was completed on Monday.
The last US military plane took off one minute before midnight local time from the Afghan capital.


It saw the US and its allies leaving Afghanistan in the hands of the Taliban, the same militant Islamists that they toppled from power at the end of 2001.
The US military disabled scores of aircraft and armoured vehicles as well as a hi-tech rocket defence system at the Kabul airport before it left, a US general said.
Central Command head General Kenneth McKenzie said 73 aircraft that were already at Hamid Karzai International Airport were “demilitarised”, or rendered useless, by US troops before they wrapped up the two-week evacuation of the Taliban-controlled country.
Taliban celebrates victory as last US troops leave
“Those aircraft will never fly again … They’ll never be able to be operated by anyone,” he said.
“Most of them are non-mission capable to begin with. But certainly they’ll never be able to be flown again.”
He said the Pentagon, which built up a force of nearly 6,000 troops to occupy and operate Kabul’s airport when the airlift began on August 14, left behind around 70 MRAP armoured tactical vehicles – which can cost up to US$1 million apiece – that it disabled before leaving, and 27 Humvees.
The vehicles “will never be used again by anyone,” he said.


The US also left behind the C-RAM system – counter rocket, artillery, and mortar – that was used to protect the airport from rocket attacks.
The system helped fend off a five-rocket barrage from Islamic State on Monday.
“We elected to keep those systems in operation up until the very last minute,” before the last US aircraft left, McKenzie said.
“It’s a complex procedure and time-intensive procedure to break down those systems. So we demilitarise those systems so that they’ll never be used.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse


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The last American soldier to leave Afghanistan: General Chris Donahue

US Army General Chris Donahue boards the last flight from Kabul. Photo: US Army

Afghanistan: Taliban celebrates victory as last US troops leave

Taliban Badri special force fighters secure the airport in Kabul. Photo: AFP

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid (C) speaks to the media at the airport in Kabul on August 31, 2021, after the US has pulled all its troops out of the country to end a brutal 20-year war -- one that started and ended with the hardline Islamist in power. (Photo by Wakil KOHSAR / AFP)

Afghanistan: Last US troops leave Kabul in airlift, ending chaotic withdrawal and 20 years in country

US Marines honour the 11 Marines who were killed during operations in Afghanistan before being airlifted to the US on Monday. Photo: US Marines via Zuma Press / DPA

U.S. Army Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, steps on board a C-17 transport plane as the last U.S. service member to leave Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan August 31, 2021 in a photograph taken using night vision optics. XVIII Airborne Corps/Handout via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY.

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Commander of US military forces last to leave Afghanistan
US military disabled scores of aircraft before leaving Kabul airport



The US military shared a night vision image of General Chris Donahue, the last of America’s soldiers to leave Kabul.


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The last American soldier to leave Afghanistan: General Chris Donahue

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} Commander of US military forces last to leave Afghanistan US military disabled scores of aircraft before leaving Kabul airport

Commander of US military forces last to leave Afghanistan

US military disabled scores of aircraft before leaving Kabul airport