This week marks the third anniversary of the United States troop withdrawal from the Afghanistan War.

Former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for the withdrawal, including the August 26, 2021, Abbey Gate suicide bombing that killed 13 service members and at least 150 others.

The turmoil from that retreat three years prior caused much blame and investigations in the following days and months.

Now, it's back in the spotlight as a campaign issue.

During his remarks in Detroit, former President Trump blamed President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Caused by Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, the humiliation in Afghanistan set off the collapse of American credibility and respect all around the world," Mr. Trump said. He added, "It gave us Russia going into Ukraine. It gave us the Oct. 7 attack on Israel because it gave us a lack of respect."

Military contractor Jeffrey Gray, who fought in the war for seven years until the withdrawal, says tactical mistakes were made, ultimately leading to the total takeover of the country by the Taliban.

Withdrawal operations occurred under both the Trump and Biden administrations.

"We should have waited or did it during the winter months, when fighting season was basically precluded. And that would have been a much smoother withdrawal. We would not have probably seen as much bloodshed," said armament and small arms technician and instructor and former U.S. service member Jeffrey Gray.

Gray initially served as an enlisted soldier and later trained Afghan National Army soldiers during the war. He believes the withdrawal was too hasty, with no NATO or U.S. Military presence in the surrounding southern provinces.

"A better handoff with the partner forces seems like it was very hasty. Even for us, it was pretty much like, hey, we have to leave the airfield; you know the Taliban is on the airfield; we really don't have a choice in this matter; they got the same message, so there was no real good handover," said Gray.

During Donald Trump's presidency, a study by the University of Pennsylvania revealed that the United States started reducing its forces over ten months before the final withdrawal from Kabul in late August 2021. This reduction occurred due to stalled peace negotiations.

Gulf War Marine veteran Steven Stanson, who has friends involved in the conflict, criticized the Biden Administration for rapidly withdrawing from other provinces in the months leading up to August. He believes that this decision resulted in the deaths of Afghan translators and military K9 units.

"The military is the last to leave any establishment, war zone, or combat zone. They're never the first one. And, when the military was the first to leave, that sent a red flag," said Gulf War Veteran and Veterans in Politics President Steve Stanson.

President Joe Biden began the withdrawal process in February. Leading up to the final withdrawal, Taliban and ISIS forces started to gain strength, and Former President Trump negotiated the release of Taliban prisoners. Nevada State Senator and former Pentagon veteran Pat Spearman stated that most of the flawed tactical decisions were made during the Trump administration.

"Not using our allies, not doing diplomacy, not listening to people. And the withdrawal that he negotiated was chaotic," said Spearman.

Moussa stated that Trump's deal with the Taliban involved unprecedented concessions, which included releasing thousands of Taliban prisoners. There were 2,500 troops in Afghanistan when President Biden took office, the smallest force since the start of the war. 

"As Vice President Harris has said, it was the courageous and right decision to end America's longest war and bring our brave servicemembers home. The Biden-Harris Administration inherited a mess from Donald Trump. Trump wants America to forget that he had four years to get out of Afghanistan but failed to do it. All he did was continue our longest war. Trump cannot be trusted to keep us safe, but Vice President Harris is a proven leader on the world stage and will use her expertise to ensure America's security, defeat our adversaries, and stand with our allies around the world," said Harris for President Director of Rapid Response Ammar Moussa.