Austin encourages discussions of costs, sacrifices of Afghanistan war – By Meghann Myers (Military Times) / Aug 30 2022
On the anniversary of the formal end of the war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged many Americans still have questions about what the two decade conflict accomplished.
In a letter to the force Tuesday, Austin thanked veterans of the war and the Gold Star families of more than 2,400 troops killed in Afghanistan. He also called for continued counterterrorism efforts around the world and signaled support for ongoing conversations about the aftermath.
“As our country looks back on two decades of combat in Afghanistan, I understand that many people have hard questions about the costs of the war and what their sacrifices meant,” he wrote. “These are important discussions, and I hope we will keep having them with thoughtfulness and respect.”
The anniversary of the withdrawal punctuates solemn remembrances of the last troops killed in action in Afghanistan: 11 Marines, one sailor and one soldier during the Aug. 26, 2021, attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate.
