PRESS RELEASE | May 18, 2021
Update on withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan May 18, 2021
May 18, 2021

Release Number: 20210518-03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TAMPA, Fla. – U.S. Central Command provides the following update on the orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, as of 10 a.m. on May 17, 2021.

Since the President’s decision, the DoD has retrograded the equivalent of approximately 115 C-17 loads of material out of Afghanistan and have turned over more than 5,000 pieces of equipment to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction.

Also, the U.S. has officially handed over five facilities to the Afghan Ministry of Defense.

U.S. Central Command estimates that we have completed between 13-20% of the entire retrograde process.

We expect to be able to provide weekly updates on the progress of the retrograde.

NOTE: For operational security reasons we will only be providing an approximate range of the percentage of the exit process that is complete. As the responsible and orderly exit continues, the size of the range will increase to preserve operational security. This update includes the progress on the retrograde of troops and equipment from Afghanistan, the turning over of equipment and facilities to the ANDSF, as well as the destruction of some equipment.