U.S. officials have made it clear that military commanders did not recommend the full, unconditional withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan.
In remarks during the virtual ceremony, President Joe Biden paid tribute to the 4.7 million who served in the war, and the 116,516 Americans who lost their lives in it.
The Biden administration will begin pulling out its remaining 2,500 troops on May 1 and complete the pullout at the latest by Sept. 11 — the 20th anniversary of the al-Qaida terror attack on the U.S.