Operation Enduring Freedom began with a bang – literally – as the US launched a decisive air campaign against Taliban forces in Afghanistan, marking the start of the longest war in American history. In the aftermath of the devastating 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush vowed to bring those responsible to justice, and this marked the first major strike in the global War on Terror. With a combined force of US, British, and Afghan Northern Alliance troops, the initial assault aimed to dismantle Al-Qaeda's stronghold and topple the Taliban regime. Little did they know, this would be just the beginning of a decades-long conflict.