UK combat troops withdrew from the British base in Afghanistan on Sunday, handing over control of the region to Afghan security forces.
The British flag was lowered in a ceremony marking the end of the UK mission in Helmand province.
"It is with pride that we announce the end of UK combat operations in Helmand, having given Afghanistan the best possible chance of a stable future," said the Defence Secretary Michael Fallon.
"Our armed forces' tremendous sacrifice laid the foundations for a strong Afghan security force, set the security context that enabled the first democratic transition of power in the country's history, and stopped it being a launch pad for terrorist attacks in the UK."
"Mistakes were made militarily, mistakes were made by the politicians at the time and this goes back 10, 13 years.
"Clearly the numbers weren't there at the beginning, the equipment wasn't quite good enough at the beginning and we've learnt an awful lot from the campaign.
"But don't let's ignore what has been achieved."
"We're not going to send combat troops back into Afghanistan, under any circumstances."
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