* Nearly 20 years ago, Bagram Airfield became the heart of American military power in Afghanistan
* The base, a mini-city behind blast walls, was initially a symbol of the US drive to avenge the 9/11 attacks
* Now, in just a matter of days, the last US soldiers will have departed Bagram - leaving behind what many consider a strained legacy
* US Central Command said last week it is well past 50 per cent packing up Bagram
* The Afghan military will then take over Bagram as part of its continuing fight against the Taliban - and against what many in the country fear will be a new eruption of chaos
* As the withdrawal date for the US troops approaches, thousands of Afghan translators now face being left stranded because they haven't yet been accepted for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) into America
* The base has been the subject of a number of deadly Taliban attacks over the last two decades with at least 15 American soldiers killed in varying incidents at, or just outside, the base
* In total, approximately 2,312 American troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001
For close to 20 years, Bagram Airfield was the heart of American military power in Afghanistan, a sprawling mini-city behind fences and blast walls just an hour's drive north of Kabul.
It was initially a symbol of the US drive to avenge the 9/11 attacks and then of its struggle for a way through the ensuing war with the Taliban.
Now, in just a matter of days, the last US soldiers will have departed Bagram.
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WNU Editor: The Europeans have already mostly left .... Most European troops exit Afghanistan quietly after 20 years (AP).
