Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a comprehensive, top-to-bottom review of the Biden-Harris administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan

NOTE: VIDEO AT THE END OF ARTICLE

In a detailed memorandum released Tuesday, Hegseth instructed the Department of Defense to initiate a formal investigation into the execution and consequences of the withdrawal, which culminated in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians during a suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate entrance of Kabul International Airport on August 26, 2021.

Describing the operation as “chaotic and avoidable,” Hegseth criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the drawdown and evacuation, stating that the lack of contingency planning and poor coordination led to a catastrophic breakdown in both military and diplomatic strategy.

“President Biden’s administration led a chaotic withdrawal of U.S. military and embassy officials from Afghanistan that resulted in the tragic deaths of 13 brave American service members and over 170 Afghan civilians in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate,” the memo read. “This operation also saw the abandonment of billions of dollars’ worth of military equipment, much of which fell into the hands of the Taliban—equipment that was funded by the American taxpayer.”

According to Pentagon sources, the review will examine the chain of command, logistical decisions, intelligence assessments, and interagency coordination that shaped the withdrawal process. Investigators will also assess the role of senior leadership, including civilian and uniformed decision-makers, in the lead-up to and execution of the final evacuation.

The review will revisit several critical elements, including the decision to shutter Bagram Airfield prior to the full evacuation, the pace of the withdrawal relative to conditions on the ground, and the extent to which allies and Afghan partners were prepared or left behind in the process. Officials are expected to interview personnel who were directly involved in the operation, from front-line military commanders to senior White House officials.

Critics have long pointed to the withdrawal as a strategic failure, citing not only the human cost but the swift collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s rapid return to power. The chaotic scenes at the airport—including civilians clinging to departing aircraft—became global symbols of a mismanaged exit and left many questioning the administration’s claims of preparedness.

Defense Secretary Hegseth emphasized that the review is not intended as a political exercise but rather as a necessary and overdue step to restore trust in the Pentagon’s leadership and to ensure that lessons are learned for future operations.

“This review is about restoring institutional credibility and ensuring that the mistakes made in Kabul never happen again,” Hegseth said. “Our service members and their families deserve answers, and the American people deserve transparency.”

The review is expected to be completed within 90 days, with a preliminary report to be delivered to Congress by the end of the summer. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for accountability in the wake of the 2021 withdrawal, though they remain divided on the causes and implications of the operation’s failure.

As the Pentagon embarks on this review, it marks a new chapter in the ongoing national reckoning over America’s longest war and its controversial conclusion.