As Taliban forces took the capital city of Kabul and the situation deteriorates in Afghanistan, some veterans in Butler County who served in the region are feeling discouraged and frustrated.

“I'm conflicted in this, because obviously after two decades worth of being there, I think most of us agree that at some point soon that this conflict should have come to an end, at least as far as American involvement was concerned,” said Jondavid Longo, mayor of Slippery Rock. Longo served in Afghanistan as a Marine during Operation Enduring Freedom. “I'm conflicted that the withdrawal had occurred so quickly, and that it seems to have been totally bungled,” he said. “I don't quite understand how you can pull out so quickly and carelessly.”

Longo feels that the withdrawal was irresponsible.

“We let down those people, and we didn't follow through with a plan that had been well written out before this new administration took office,” he said.

Thousands of Afghans rushed into Kabul's main airport Monday, some so desperate to escape the Taliban that they held onto a military jet as it took off and plunged to their deaths. At least seven people died in the chaos, U.S. officials said, as America's longest war ended with its enemy the victor.

The crowds came while the Taliban enforced their rule over the capital of 5 million people after a lightning advance across the country that took just over a week to dethrone the country's Western-backed government. There were no major reports of abuses or fighting, but many residents stayed home and remained fearful after the insurgents' advance saw prisons emptied and armories looted.

Across the nation, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that thousands had been wounded in fighting. Elsewhere, security forces and politicians handed over their provinces and bases without a fight, likely believing the two-decade Western experiment to remake Afghanistan would not survive the resurgent Taliban. The last American troops had planned to withdraw at the end of the month.

Longo said that he and other fellow servicemen and women with whom he served are concerned about the potential loss of rights for women living in the area.

“Having been there for an entire tour, we helped to offer them some relief, but that was still so far from what you and I would say women should be allowed to enjoy. That's definitely going to be undone,” he said. “Females are going to continue to feel the worst of it. It's sad watching the state of affairs, and it's even more frustrating to know everything that was given, all of the life that was lost especially on the part of fellow Americans who had brought some semblance of security to that region, is all to be undone in a matter of days.”

Too early to tellNot all veterans have garnered immediate reactions to the crisis. John Cyprian, director of Veteran Services for Butler County, and Mary Chitwood, founder and executive director of Robin's Home, which supports women veterans, both said that it may be too early to assess how the developments overseas will affect veterans in the area.“Half the community is still trying to absorb what actually happened over there. To assess what the need is for veterans over here, it's a little early,” Cyprian said.

Longo said he definitely expects that there will be a situation in which U.S. forces will enter Afghanistan again.“What happened when it was decided we were going to evacuate from Iraq was that almost immediately, ISIS rose to prominence and they took over an entire region. It would be naive to not be able to draw parallels between the rise of ISIS in Iraq after the U.S. withdrew and not see how that can be a definite scenario for the rise of the Taliban again,” he said. “Do we think this is going to create a scenario where American servicemen and women are going to have to interject again? Absolutely.”Some other veterans feel differently. Jason Tindall, who served in Iraq in the Army from 2003 to 2004, said he believes that “there's nothing really there for us.”“I don't think many veterans are really shocked, especially those who were over there and had to endure,” he said. “I saw it coming, I did, and when the embassy got overrun, I thought, we just need to get out of there.”Tindall says he's picked up a similar sentiment from other veterans at VFW Joseph T Black Post 249 in Butler, where he is post commander.“We're all watching the news, and it seems like the consensus is just to pull our people out, make sure everybody gets out safe, and be done,” he said. “'Don't waste any more time and waste any more money' — I've heard that exact quote from people. We don't need to be there. We gave them everything to defend their country, and they just gave up.”

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who earlier left the country, faced Russian allegations he fled Kabul with four cars and a helicopter full of cash. His whereabouts remained unclear.The U.S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered, with diplomats relocating to the airport to help with the evacuation. Other Western countries also closed their missions and were flying out staff and their citizens.In interviews with U.S. television networks, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan blamed the Afghan military for the Taliban's rapid takeover, saying it lacked the will to fight.However, the ease with which the Taliban took control goes beyond military prowess, the Texas-based private intelligence firm Stratfor wrote.“The speed of the Taliban's final advance suggests less military dominance than effective political insurgency coupled with an incohesive Afghan political system and security force struggling with flagging morale,” it said.The Taliban offensive through the country stunned American officials. Just days before the insurgents entered Kabul with little, if any, resistance, a U.S. military assessment predicted it could take months for the capital to fall.The rout threatened to erase 20 years of Western efforts to remake Afghanistan, which saw tens of thousands of Afghans killed, as well as more than 3,500 U.S. and allied troops. The initial invasion in 2001 drove the Taliban from power and scattered al-Qaida, which had planned the 9/11 attacks while being sheltered in Afghanistan.Under the Taliban, which ruled in accordance with a harsh interpretation of Islamic law, women were largely confined to their homes, and suspected criminals faced amputation or public execution. The insurgents have sought to project greater moderation in recent years, but many Afghans remain skeptical.The Associated Press contributed to this report.