{"id":69760,"date":"2021-07-02T21:30:37","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T21:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/07\/02\/bye-bye-bagram-hello-new-pullout-target-now-late-august\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T13:52:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T13:52:32","slug":"bye-bye-bagram-hello-new-pullout-target-now-late-august","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2021\/07\/02\/bye-bye-bagram-hello-new-pullout-target-now-late-august\/","title":{"rendered":"Bye-Bye Bagram, hello new pullout target: now \u2018late August\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 Nearly 20 years after invading Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and hunt down al-Qaida, the U.S. military has vacated its biggest airfield in the country<\/a>, advancing a final withdrawal<\/a> that the Pentagon on Friday said will be completed by the end of August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Joe Biden had instructed the Pentagon to complete the military withdrawal by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the jihadi attacks on the United States, but the Pentagon now says it can finish the drawdown a little earlier. In fact, the drawdown is already largely completed, but a number of related issues need to be worked out in coming weeks, including talks with Turkey on an arrangement for maintaining security at the Kabul airport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA safe, orderly drawdown enables us to maintain an ongoing diplomatic presence, support the Afghan people and the government, and prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a safe haven for terrorists that threatens our homeland,\u201d Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An Afghan Army soldier walks at the gate of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, June 25, 2021. (Rahmat Gul\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Kirby said that on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved a new command structure in Afghanistan to transition the U.S. military mission from warfighting to two new objectives \u2014 protecting a continuing U.S. diplomatic presence in Kabul and maintaining liaison with the Afghan military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Austin\u2019s plan calls for the top commander in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Scott Miller, to transfer his combat authorities to the Florida-based head of U.S. Central Command, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, before relinquishing his command this month. Also, a two-star Navy admiral will head a U.S. Embassy-based military office, dubbed U.S. Forces Afghanistan-Forward, to oversee the new mission of providing security for the embassy and its diplomats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A satellite military office based in Qatar and headed by a U.S. one-star general will be established to administer U.S. financial support for the Afghan military and police, plus maintenance support provided for Afghan aircraft from outside Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kirby said Miller, who already is the longest-serving commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the 20 years of warfare, will remain in command for \u201ca couple of weeks\u201d longer but Kirby was not more specific. He said Miller will be preparing for and completing the turnover of his duties to McKenzie and also will be traveling inside and beyond Afghanistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t