Last Man Out: The Haunting Image of America’s Final Moments in Afghanistan

THE GUARDIAN: After sending a brief message of congratulation to his troops, Major General Chris Donahue became the last pair of American ‘boots on the ground’

US Army Major General Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, steps on board a C-17 transport plane as the last US service member to leave Hamid Karzai international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.Photograph: Us Army/Reuters
After two decades, America’s last soldier left without pomp, without ceremony, certainly without the grandeur of victory.

Bathed in the green light of a night vision scope, Maj Gen Chris Donahue, the final American pair of “boots on the ground”, walked up the rear ramp of an air force C-17 on Monday night.

In body armour and helmet, the commander of the US army’s 82nd Airborne Division carried his weapon in his right hand, his eyes downcast as his solitary walk ended America’ ill-starred mission in Afghanistan.

At precisely 11.59pm Kabul time, the final of five American C-17s was wheels up from Afghan soil. Donahue sent a final message to his troops: “job well done, I’m proud of you all”.

The image of Donahue’s lonely exit, posted publicly by US Central Command, may come to symbolise America’s humiliating, violence-plagued retreat from the country. » | Ben Doherty | Tuesday, August 31, 2021