<P> Immediately after the attacks , General Tommy Franks , then - commanding general of Central Command ( CENTCOM ) , initially proposed to President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that the U.S. invade Afghanistan using a conventional force of 60,000 troops , preceded by six months of preparation . Rumsfield and Bush feared that a conventional invasion of Afghanistan could bog down as had happened to the Soviets and the British . Rumsfield rejected Franks 's plan , saying `` I want men on the ground now ! '' Franks returned the next day with a plan utilizing U.S. Special Forces . On September 26 , 2001 , fifteen days after the 9 / 11 attack , the U.S. covertly inserted members of the CIA 's Special Activities Division led by Gary Schroen as part of team Jawbreaker into Afghanistan , forming the Northern Afghanistan Liaison Team . They linked up with the Northern Alliance as part of Task Force Dagger . </P>
<P> Immediately after the attacks , General Tommy Franks , then - commanding general of Central Command ( CENTCOM ) , initially proposed to President George W. Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld that the U.S. invade Afghanistan using a conventional force of 60,000 troops , preceded by six months of preparation . Rumsfield and Bush feared that a conventional invasion of Afghanistan could bog down as had happened to the Soviets and the British . Rumsfield rejected Franks 's plan , saying `` I want men on the ground now ! '' Franks returned the next day with a plan utilizing U.S. Special Forces . On September 26 , 2001 , fifteen days after the 9 / 11 attack , the U.S. covertly inserted members of the CIA 's Special Activities Division led by Gary Schroen as part of team Jawbreaker into Afghanistan , forming the Northern Afghanistan Liaison Team . They linked up with the Northern Alliance as part of Task Force Dagger . </P>
when did the u.s. begin fighting in afghanistan
when did the u.s. begin fighting in afghanistan
September 26 , 2001
September 26 , 2001