NATO joined the international security effort in Afghanistan in 2003 and currently has more than 7,000 troops in the country. The security operation by NATO in Afghanistan was launched after the Alliance for the first time activated its mutual defense clause — known as Article 5 — in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
A joint special forces team move together out of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey Feb. 26, 2018, at Melrose Training Range, New Mexico. At Emerald Warrior, the largest joint and combined special operations exercise, U.S. Special Operations Command forces train to respond to various threats across the spectrum of conflict. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Clayton Cupit)