In Photos: Last Of U.S., British Troops Leave Afghanistan's Helmand Province

By Eyder Peralta / NPR

Published October 27, 2014 at 11:53 AM PDT

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

U.S. Marines, sitting inside the cargo hold of a C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft headed to Kandahar.

Marines prepare to depart upon the end of operations for Marines and British combat troops in Helmand Monday. A fleet of planes and helicopters airlifted the last U.S. and British forces from a key base in southern Afghanistan on Monday, a day after the international coalition closed the massive facility and handed it over to the Afghan military.

Marines are seen on board a helicopter at Kandahar air base upon the end of operations for the Marines and British combat troops in Helmand on Monday.

Become a KPBS sponsor

CH-53E and Chinook helicopters with U.S. Marines take off from Camp Bastion in Helmand province, on Monday.

A U.S. Marine unloads ammunition from a rifle magazine into his helmet after arriving in Kandahar on Monday, after British and U.S. forces withdrew from the Camp Bastion-Leatherneck complex in Helmand province.

This morning, the last of American and British troops left Camps Leatherneck and Bastion in Afghanistan's Hemland Province. As we've reported, this a big deal symbolically, because Hemland saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the 13-year American-led war.

Over at Parallels, NPR's Sean Carberry takes a look at the big picture, asking, "With Marines gone, can the Afghan Army hold off the Taliban?"

Here we'll leave you some images from the day:

Special Election: San Diego County Supervisor District 1

A big decision awaits some voters this July as the race for San Diego County’s Supervisor District 1 seat heats up. Are you ready to vote? Check out the KPBS Voter Hub to learn about the candidates, the key issues the board is facing and how you can make your voice heard.

Explore →

More News