Around 14,000 U.S. Troops Remain in Afghanistan

After the cancelled talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and the Taliban, it is most likely that U.S. troops currently deployed in the country will remain there without a set time for return for now. Currently, it is estimated that around 14,000 U.S. troops, among them active duty personnel, members of the National Guard and Reserve as well as Civilians (contractors, DOD employees), remain in Afghanistan.

Between 2013 and 2015, the bulk of the personnel stationed in the Central Asian country was pulled out, as our graphic shows. Since then numbers have been fluctuating reflecting the uncertainty around the U.S. military’s prolonged mission to the country. In 2018, the Trump administration stopped publishing detailed accounts of the troops in Afghanistan through Department of Defense records, but it is likely that the Army still makes up the majority of forces deployed to the country.

The U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan is America's longest war. The current NATO-led operation in Afghanistan is called "Resolute Support" and aims to train and advise the Afghan security forces.