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![Maj. Mike “Vago” Hilkert, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot with the 303rd Fighter Squadron, is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross Oct. 2, 2021, in the 5-Bay hangar on Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo. Hilkert received the award for actions taken on a combat search-and-rescue mission in 2011 in the Kapisa province of Afghanistan. (Staff Sgt. Kristin Cerri/Air Force)](https://archetype-air-force-times-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/3BGDCNGB7JESZNBYYOYNB5MQQ4.jpg?auth=db548c373c7aa9ceee5d1d70aedc3d4148e1a64195ee0f7b51699c085b5866b3&width=1000&height=665)
A harrowing night in Afghanistan earns A-10 pilot the Distinguished Flying Cross, 10 years later
Lt. Col. Mike Hilkert helped save the lives of more than 30 soldiers and airmen.
Explainer: When is the US war in Afghanistan really over?
Inside Afghanistan, U.S. troops will no longer be there to train or advise Afghan forces.
By Robert Burns, The Associated Press and Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press
US military hands over Bagram Airfield to Afghans after nearly 20 years
At its peak around 2012, Bagram Airfield saw more than 100,000 U.S. troops pass through its sprawling compound barely an hour’s drive north of Kabul.
It’s imminent: After nearly 20 years US to leave Bagram
U.S. Central Command said last week that it’s well past 50 percent done packing up Bagram Airfield, and the rest is going fast.
US military trashes unwanted gear in Afghanistan, sells as scrap
The destruction of equipment is symbolic of what's happened to the nation, some in Afghanistan say.
Why Afghanistan is critical to the struggle against China, Russia and Iran
Withdrawing from Afghanistan will give up a strategic foothold the United States has in the back yard of its greatest rivals, says the author of this commentary.
By Rep. Michael Waltz
US airstrikes, surveillance in Afghanistan may continue from afar after drawdown
Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command, is drawing up options for keeping counterterrorism forces on call in the region.
Rockets fired at Bagram, no casualties reported
Five rockets were fired at Bagram Airfield on Saturday, and Afghan police defused seven more.
CENTCOM boss says military plans for withdrawal from Afghanistan not developed yet
“We’ve watched the Taliban compress and crush ISIS presence on the ground in southern Nangarhar."
By Shawn Snow
US military releases photos showing Bagram Air Base damage following brazen Taliban assault
A source on the ground detailed to Military Times that a firefight between the Taliban and Afghan and U.S. forces lasted nine to 10 hours.
By Shawn Snow
Are Afghan forces beating the Taliban in 2019? The Pentagon won’t say.
Rosy metrics provided by the U.S. military regarding progress of the Afghan war have been questionable in the past.
By Shawn Snow