The War in Afghanistan (or the U.S. War in Afghanistan), code named Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014) and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (2015–present), followed the United States invasion of Afghanistan of October 7, 2001 when the U.S. and allies successfully drove out the Taliban from power in order to dismantle al-Qaeda and to deny it a safe base of operations in Afghanistan. Since the initial objectives were completed, a coalition of over 40 countries (including all NATO members) formed a security mission in the country. The war has since mostly involved U.S. and allied Afghan government troops battling Taliban insurgents. The War in Afghanistan is the longest war in U.S. history, having overtaken the U.S. participation in the Vietnam War in 2010.
(Below remarks are exerts from Tampa Bay Times article written by Howard Altman)
The Afghanistan Memorial is dedicated to the 16 residents of Hillsborough County plus 136 from elsewhere in the state who lost their lives during Operation Enduring Freedom, the nations longest war. On Saturday, October 7, 2016 years of hard work came to fruition when the memorial was unveiled. The date marks the 16th anniversary since the war in Afghanistan was launched. The memorial became personal for Mike and Annette Kirk, who led the Afghanistan Memorial Team because their son Paul, who graduated from Armwood High School in 2005, was killed in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Army General Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command, and Scott Bill, father of Brian Bill, a Navy SEAL killed in the worst one-day disaster in U.S. Operations Forces history, were the keynote speakers at the Dedication ceremony.
