By KATHY GANNON Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A U.S. defense department official says the U.S. military has begun shipping equipment and winding down contracts with local service providers ahead of the May 1 start of the final phase of its military pullout from Afghanistan. The pullout marks the end of America’s longest war, after a 20-year military engagement. Currently, some 2,500 U.S. soldiers and about 7,000 allied forces are still in Afghanistan. In February, the U.S. military began closing its smaller bases. Packing accelerated after the mid-April announcement by the Biden administration that the final phase would begin May 1 and be completed before Sept. 11.