Afghanistan

During the Spanish-American War (1898), the United States seized Guantanamo Bay.  A US Naval Station was established there soon after.  That station is still active.

As a result of World War II, the United States established bases throughout Europe and the Pacific, most especially in Germany and Japan.  76 years after the war's conclusion, the United States military maintains bases in England, Germany, Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, and Japan.  The areas have been peaceful since.  Germany and Japan are economic powerhouses and US allies.  Mostly.

The Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953, 68 years ago.  To this day, the United States maintains a considerable force in South Korea.  Though there have been skirmishes over the decades, peace has brought prosperity to South Korea.

In 2001, the ruling Taliban refused to hand over Al Qaeda terrorists who had plotted the 9/11 attack.  The United States overthrew the Taliban and spent 20 years, billions of dollars, and many American lives to better the condition of the region.  However, it seems that 20 years is too long a commitment for the United States.  No sooner did the United States begin its withdrawal than the Afghan government collapses and the Taliban filled that vacuum in an instant.

Though no fan of nation-building, the US withdrawal is a tactical blunder on the global stage.  This especially true on account of how badly it was done.  This is a huge signal of weakness to both our allies and our enemies.  In the wake of this, is China more or less likely to invade Taiwan and press its claims on the South China Sea?  Is Russia more or less likely to make further advances in Ukraine?  What happened in 2011 when the United States withdrew from Iraq?  ISIS happened, creating vast waves of refugees into Europe and a return to heavy fighting in Iraq and Syria.  No sooner has that been quelled than we repeat that failed strategy in a different place.  I'm sure it will work out well this time.

In 1975, Freshman Senator Joe Biden argued in favor of an immediate withdrawal from Vietnam as it was being overrun.  The Paris Peace Accords of 1973 were a casualty of Watergate.  With Nixon gone and Ford a literal President-Select (he had replaced Agnew by appointment), it was up to a Democratic Congress to hold the line.  Nope.  Joe Biden was also in favor of total withdrawal from Iraq.  And now Afghanistan.  His fingerprints are on several US military failures during his Washington tenure.