US Marines load equipment onto a C-130 transport aircraft as they withdraw from the Camp Bastion-Leatherneck complex at Lashkar Gah in Helmand province on October 25, 2014. British forces October 26 handed over formal control of their last base in Afghanistan to Afghan forces, ending combat operations in the country after 13 years which cost hundreds of lives. The Union Jack was lowered at Camp Bastion in the southern province of Helmand, while the Stars and Stripes came down at the adjacent Camp Leatherneck -- the last US Marine base in the country. AFP PHOTO/Wakil kohsar