The War in Afghanistan
Operation Enduring Freedom began on Oct. 7, 2001, with U.S. and British airstrikes on al-Qaida and the Taliban. Special operations forces also began striking targets around the country. With sustained airstrikes and ground forces attacking key areas, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kabul and Kandahar were quickly taken by the U.S. and coalition forces. As the Taliban was pushed from key areas of Afghanistan, the first elected president, Hamid Karzai, took office.
On May 2, 2011, Operation Neptune Spear began. In the early morning hours, U.S. Black Hawks left Afghanistan bound for Abbottabad, Pakistan. The target was Osama bin Laden. Navy SEALs landed at the Abbottabad compound to carry out this mission. As the SEALs moved through the compound, they located and killed bin Laden on the third floor. SEALs also discovered valuable intelligence in the compound. The 40-minute operation carried out by SEAL Team Six was a success.