HOLLYWOOD — Fans of “Afghanistan,” the longest-running military drama in U.S. history, tuned in for the show's finale in numbers not seen in more than a decade, according to ratings company Nielsen.

“We are very grateful to our loyal fans who stayed with us all the way through,” producers said in a statement. “And we also appreciate the fair-weather fans who returned to complain about the long-awaited end.”

Nielsen says the ratings were the highest since 2009’s two-part episode in which a U.S. soldier walked off his forward operating base and the entire U.S. Army mobilized to try and find him.

The show originally began as a primetime miniseries, “Northern Alliance,” which debuted in the fall of 2001. The series was an unqualified hit, and producers turned it into a full production that December, after Northern Alliance’s climax, “Loya Jirga,” shattered records for military-themed programming.