Kabul Airlift: The Chaotic End to America's Longest War

The Kabul airlift was one of the biggest airlifts in history. The eighteen days of the Kabul airlift represent a small, but important, span of time in the narrative of the twenty-year Afghanistan war. Over 124,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan as the US ended the longest war in American history. However, a narrow focus on the final tally of Afghan partners, interpreters, US civilians, and allied partners evacuated during the final weeks of the Afghanistan war masks the true realities of the operation.

The Kabul airlift was conducted without a cohesive strategic plan and the final withdrawal represented a collection of tactical plans that masqueraded as a strategy. The success of the Kabul airlift was brought about by the professionalism, skill, and dedication of US contingency response forces and air mobility personnel, in spite of significant oversights at the national level.

The Kabul Airlift: The Chaotic End to America's Longest War captures a first draft of history on the Kabul airlift and Afghanistan withdrawal so others can understand the herculean efforts behind the numbers that truly allowed for successful airlift operations. This book reflects the sacrifices, the stories, the relationships, and the dedication of US contingency response forces and air mobility personnel that led up to the mission, continued through it, and culminated months after its official end on 31 August 2021.