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NATO's only Article 5 invocation: The call to Afghanistan
For the first and only time in its 77-year history, NATO activated Article 5 after the 9/11 attacks, declaring the assault on the U.S. an attack on all member states. The move drew thousands of troops and civilians from dozens of nations into Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, each carrying vivid memories of blast walls, rocket fire, and the constant threat of improvised explosives.
The early years: From quiet beginnings to forgotten conflict
Deployments began with tense flights into Kandahar, Kabul, or Camp Bastion-either a slow, lights-out descent on a Royal Air Force jet or a rapid corkscrew landing in a C-130 transport plane, both designed to evade Taliban surface-to-air missiles. The initial phase of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom saw coalition forces, including British Royal Marines and UK Special Forces, pursue al-Qaeda remnants through Afghanistan's mountainous terrain. Many militants, however, slipped across the border into Pakistan.
By late 2003, as U.S. focus shifted to Iraq, some American troops began referring to Afghanistan as "Op Forgotten." Yet the danger persisted. In Kandahar, Romanian soldiers patrolled cautiously in Soviet-era armored vehicles, while a remote U.S. firebase in Paktika province endured nightly rocket attacks-allegedly launched by local farmers coerced or paid by the Taliban.
2006: The turning point in Helmand
The conflict escalated sharply in 2006 when the UK deployed en masse to Helmand province, previously one of Afghanistan's more stable regions. The Taliban issued a clear warning: any foreign presence would be met with force. British paratroopers soon found themselves in brutal combat, calling in "danger close" artillery and mortar strikes-so near their positions that the risk of friendly fire was extreme-to prevent bases from being overrun.
Over the next eight years, until the end of NATO's combat operations in 2014, troops from the U.S., UK, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, and other nations faced relentless fighting in Kandahar and Helmand. Afghan forces, who fought and died alongside coalition partners for two decades, also bore immense sacrifices.
The invisible killer: IEDs and their lasting toll
While gunfights dominated headlines, the deadliest threat was often unseen. The Taliban exploited their intimate knowledge of the terrain, planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along predictable routes-such as irrigation ditches or canal crossings-where troops were most vulnerable. A single blast could transform a healthy young soldier into an amputee or worse in an instant.
So pervasive was the IED threat that soldiers on patrol reportedly prayed for a "below-the-knee" amputation if struck, rather than a more devastating injury. The resilience of those who survived, rebuilding their lives despite catastrophic loss, remains a testament to their courage.
A legacy of sacrifice and controversy
The 20-year mission in Afghanistan was defined by both heroism and hardship. From the 2011 raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where U.S. Navy SEALs killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, to the daily dangers faced by coalition and Afghan forces, the conflict left an indelible mark on all who served. Recent remarks by a U.S. leader suggesting troops had avoided combat sparked widespread outrage, underscoring the deep emotional and physical scars borne by those who answered the call after 9/11.
