The Afghanistan Withdrawal: Military and
Defense Implications
August 17, 2021
After a rapid Taliban campaign to capture cities and territories formerly controlled by the Government of
the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA), on August 15, 2021, the Taliban took Kabul and the
President of GIRoA, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country.
Information regarding the situation on the ground in Afghanistan and U.S. troop numbers is fluid and
should be treated with caution. This Insight, which may be updated as circumstances warrant, is intended
to assist Congress as it considers the military and defense implications of the withdrawal while events
unfold.
Current Military Footprint and Mission
Operation Allies Refuge (OAR) was initiated on July 17, 2021, to support relocation flights for Afghan
nationals and their families eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs). On August 12, 2021, in light of
the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of
State Antony Blinken informed Ghani the United States would begin reducing its civilian footprint in
Kabul, and would accelerate Special Immigration Visa (SIV) flights previously undertaken as part of
OAR. The rapid collapse of GIRoA and subsequent Taliban takeover of Kabul has, to many observers,
underscored that plans to evacuate U.S. personnel and Afghan partners needed to be accelerated.
In support of OAR and U.S. withdrawal operations, the Department of Defense (DOD) has announced
that at least the following actions will, or have been, taken:
Three infantry battalions—two Marine Corps, one U.S. Army—would deploy to Hamid
Karzai International Airport.
A joint U.S. Army/Air Force support element of around 1,000 personnel would be sent to
Qatar, and possibly to Afghanistan (or to other areas where the Afghans will be
processed), to facilitate the processing of SIV applicants.
Two battalions of the 82
nd
Airborne Division would be deployed to Afghanistan. It was
previously announced that one of these battalions would be sent to Kuwait as a quick
reaction force. The deployment of a second battalion was announced on August 16, 2021.
