ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

For retired Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, writing his book, Marathon War: Leadership in Combat in Afghanistan, was cathartic as he processed his wartime experiences.

“War is the most brutal of human endeavors, and I have experienced enough war to know to take cover when politicians, poets and armchair warriors speak extravagantly of patriotism and national honor,” Schloesser, a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division, writes in the introduction.

Retired Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, a former commander of the 101st Airborne Division, will discuss his new book, Marathon War: Leadership in Combat in Afghanistan, during a webinar hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army.

America’s longest war has come to a close, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Sept. 1 at a Pentagon press conference.

“The war is over, but we are entering a new chapter,” he said. 

He added, “It is time to thank all of those who served in this war. You are the most extraordinary asset we have. The war has ended, but our gratitude never will.” 

Twenty years of combat operations and a Herculean evacuation mission came to an end just before midnight Aug. 30 with the full withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

Senior Army leaders are urging soldiers and veterans to reach out and check on their battle buddies who may be struggling with the events unfolding Afghanistan.

In separate messages to the force, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston praised soldiers for their service. “Over the past two decades, you have answered the call to serve our great Nation when needed,” McConville said. “The sacrifices you’ve made, have and will be a lasting legacy of honor and commitment for all to remember.”

Thousands of U.S. troops, including an Army infantry battalion, will deploy to Afghanistan to help the State Department as it reduces the number of civilian personnel at the U.S. embassy and works to more quickly process visa applications for Afghans who previously served alongside American troops.

Thousands of interpreters who helped U.S. forces during 20 years of operations in Afghanistan will soon be housed temporarily at an Army installation while their visa applications are finalized, DoD said.

Responding to a request from the State Department for help in housing Afghans and their families who are in the final stages of obtaining approval for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs), the Army will make housing available at Fort Lee, Virginia, “for a few days” until paperwork is completed and the Afghans can take their next steps in the U.S.

The U.S. military has accomplished the reason it went to Afghanistan in 2001 and is coordinating the timing of its withdrawal with the State Department, top military officials told Congress. 

It won’t be like Saigon, pledged Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Army Gen. Mark Milley, referring to the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War that included dramatic rooftop evacuations of the last few U.S. diplomats from the U.S. Embassy, with one flight leaving every few minutes.