The Global Sacrifice: Remembering the Valor in Afghanistan

Thu Jan 29 2026 20:18:07 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan comes to a close, it is vital to recognize the sacrifices made not just by American forces but by a coalition of international troops who served alongside them, facing immense challenges and dangers. This piece reflects on the memories and struggles of those who answered the call post-9/11.

Frank Gardner, a BBC Security Correspondent, highlights the extensive contributions and sacrifices of international troops in the Afghanistan war, emphasizing the solidarity and shared risks faced by servicemen and women from various countries. Through personal anecdotes and reflections on the conflict, Gardner underscores the importance of honoring all who served during this historic period.

Blast walls, rocket attacks, Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)... and long queues in the canteen. Anyone who deployed to Afghanistan, in whatever role, between 2001-2021 will have their own vivid memories of that time.

It started with the flight in – to Kandahar, Kabul or Camp Bastion. It could be a long, slow descent with the lights out on an RAF jet, or a rapid, corkscrew down in a C-130 transport plane. In both cases the aim was to avoid being blown out of the air by a Taliban surface-to-air missile.

Over the course of 20 years, thousands of servicemen and women, as well as civilians, from dozens of countries deployed to Afghanistan, answering the US call for assistance. This call came in the form of invoking Nato's Article 5 of its charter – the only time it has ever happened in Nato's 77-year history – which states that an attack on one member shall be deemed an attack on all.

America was reeling from the devastating 9/11 attacks when al-Qaeda, which was being sheltered by the Taliban in Afghanistan, murdered nearly 3,000 people by flying packed airliners into New York's Twin Towers and the Pentagon in Washington.

The Taliban were swiftly driven from power in a joint effort by the US military, the CIA and Afghanistan's Northern Alliance. Then it was all about trying to hunt down the remnants of al-Qaeda.

Over the next eight years, until the end of combat operations in 2014, it was not just Americans who were risking life and limb to serve in Afghanistan. Brits, Canadians, Danes, and Estonians were among those who saw the toughest fighting in Kandahar and Helmand provinces. It would also be churlish to ignore the bravery and sacrifice of so many Afghans who fought and died over two decades.

Most soldiers' biggest fears stemmed from the hidden IEDs, expertly concealed Improvised Explosive Devices. The courage and resilience of those who have faced terrible loss and adversity is both humbling and awe-inspiring.

As we reflect on the sacrifices made, it is essential to honor all who answered America's call for help after the 9/11 attacks and ensure their stories are remembered in the tapestry of this conflict.