It looked apocalyptic, like one of those zombie movies: US crew describes Afghanistan departure

In the final hours, there were no more rocket defense systems to protect them on the runway, and no one in the airport control center to direct them out.

Washington: For the US Military pilots and aircrew about to make their final takeoffs out of Afghanistan, the sky was lit up with fireworks and sporadic gunfire and the airfield littered with battered shells of airplanes and destroyed equipment. Stray dogs raced around the tarmac. And Taliban fighters, visible in the darkness through the green-tinged view of night vision goggles, walked the airfield waving an eerie goodbye. Lined up on the runway at the Kabul airport Monday (August 30) night were the five last C-17s to leave the country after a chaotic and deadly airlift evacuation that marked the end of America's involvement in the Afghanistan war. In the final hours, there were no more rocket defense systems to protect them on the runway, and no one in the airport control center to direct them out. Also read: Taliban's big challenge: Tackling Afghanistan's failing economy, dealing with humanitarian crisis - in pics