OEF
Operation Epic Force 2026
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HMMMMMMMMMMM
OEF
2001-2011
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)
Map of Afghanistan
In response to the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, President George W. Bush launched the Global War on Terror (GWOT). As it evolved, his objective was two-fold: to destroy al Qaeda, the Taliban, and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan and around the world, and to remove Saddam Hussein from power to forestall threats from his presumed possession of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Operation ENDURING FREEDOM began on October 7, 2001, when the United States launched military operations in Afghanistan, including airstrikes against Kabul and Kandahar. In sustaining military operations for over a decade, American troops continue to fight a widespread insurgency and establish a viable government. On May 1, 2011, US Navy SEALS killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.
U.S. combat operations in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014
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Is OEF still active?
AI Overview
No, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) is not still active; it officially ended in Afghanistan on December 28, 2014, marking the conclusion of U.S. combat operations there, though related counterterrorism efforts continued under successor missions like Operation Freedom's Sentinel and Resolute Support. OEF began in 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks, targeting Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, and evolved into training and advising Afghan forces before its formal end.
Key Dates & Successors:
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): October 7, 2001 – December 28, 2014.
Operation Freedom's Sentinel (OFS): Succeeded OEF in Afghanistan to continue training and counterterrorism, eventually evolving into the Resolute Support Mission.
U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan: Completed August 30, 2021.
In essence, while the name Operation Enduring Freedom is retired, the broader global fight against terrorism it represented transitioned into other, ongoing operations.