An enduring legacy after 13 years in Afghanistan When the end came it was almost apologetic. There were no triumphalist parades, no trooping of regimental colours, just a simple and poignant ceremony to signify the conclusion to one of the British military's most protracted overseas engagements. In the ghostly expanse of the once-bustling Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, the Army's 13-year combat mission to that benighted land was formally brought to a close. British forces were first sent to Afghanistan after the al-Qaeda attacks on America in 2001. But it was the deployment to Helmand province in 2006 that would make this the bloodiest conflict since Korea, with 453 servicemen and women killed and hundreds more badly injured. The cost in blood and treasure has been immense. The question that everyone will ask, not least the bereaved families, is whether the sacrifice was worth it. Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said Afghanistan had been given "the best possible chance of a stable future," though that in itself indicated how our role had shifted over the years. What began as part of a concerted US-led effort to deny a safe haven for terrorism developed into an exercise in nation-building. Although we did not send troops to Afghanistan to improve its schools and rebuild its infrastructure, we have come to measure our success by such achievements. The Islamist threat we had hoped to confront and defeat has moved elsewhere and has become even more potent. On the other hand, at least a stable and secure Afghanistan will not contribute to the jihadist advance in the region, provided either of those two qualities endure. As Mr Fallon said, neither can be guaranteed; and holding back the Taliban will be a tough task for the Afghan forces who now assume complete control for law and order in their own country. But whatever the future holds, the British servicemen and women can be justifiably proud of the way they have conducted themselves in the most difficult of circumstances, demonstrating great courage and commitment in the finest tradition of the British Armed Forces. They were sent into Helmand ostensibly to oversee its reconstruction by politicians who had no real notion of the dangers they faced. There had even been an expectation, voiced by John Reid when he was defence secretary, that this could be fulfilled with few casualties. In the event, troops were involved in some of the fiercest fighting since the Second World War, including hand-to-hand combat. This under-estimation of the insurgents led to mistakes. There were too few soldiers and their equipment was inadequate. In 2006, the government allocated £700 million to spend in Afghanistan. Within three years the budget had risen to £4 billion in order to supply better kit and reinforce the mission. At its height, some 10,000 British troops were in Afghanistan, and Camp Bastion's runway was the fifth busiest UK-operated airstrip. The removal of the equipment has been one of the Army's biggest logistical exercises. With the departure of the Americans, too, before the end of the year, the Afghans now have to show that they can build upon what they have been left: a legacy of well-trained security forces and a tangible improvement in the lives of ordinary people, particularly in education, health care and security. It is questionable, however, whether enough has been done to involve the Taliban in the country's future. When newly elected president Ashraf Ghani recently invited the Taliban to join peace talks, he pointedly declined to ask the movement's leader, Mullah Omar, without whose support delivering any deal will be difficult. Yet a political settlement is essential if the country's security expenses are to be reduced to a sustainable level once Western funding is reduced, even though international military assistance will continue. It is also necessary if Afghanistan is to escape from an almost permanent state of warfare and build upon the foundations of stability and security that have been laid down. Some in the military have criticised the decision to call an end to the Afghan mission before all the building blocks were firmly in place and a political settlement agreed. On the other hand, by making clear that foreign troops would leave this year, the Afghan leadership was forced to confront the imminence of their departure and begin preparing for an uncertain future. What lies ahead for the British Armed Forces is not entirely clear either. As Gen Sir Nick Carter says, the mission has left the Army more agile, better equipped and more capable than for decades. On the other hand, troop numbers are being cut to the point where a future deployment on this scale and for this length of time will simply not be possible. Another consequence of Afghanistan and of the type of conflict it became are the hundreds of young men left with limbs missing or suffering from the stress linked to combat. One enduring positive legacy has been the new relationship forged between the professional Army and a public that has come better to understand and appreciate its professionalism and dedication.