Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Peak: ~100,000 U.S. troops (August 2010) under President Obama's "surge."
| Period | U.S. Troops | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 (Oct–Dec) | ~1,300 → 2,500 | Initial invasion (OEF) |
| 2002–2008 | 10,000–30,000 | Counterinsurgency, Iraq diversion |
| 2009 (Feb) | 38,000 | Obama first surge |
| 2009 (Dec) | 68,000 | Second surge announced |
| 2010–2011 (Peak) | ~100,000 | Full surge + NATO/ISAF ~40,000 more |
| 2011–2014 | Drawdown to ~10,000 | Transition to Afghan lead |
| 2015–2020 | 8,500–13,000 | Resolute Support (train/advise/assist) |
| 2020 (Feb – Doha deal) | ~12,000 → 8,500 | Trump drawdown |
| 2021 (Apr–Aug) | 2,500 → 0 | Biden withdrawal; final evacuation Aug 30 |
| Post-Aug 2021 | 0 | Over-the-horizon CT only |