American Airlines: ‘Images From Afghanistan are Heartbreaking'

American Airlines says it is “proud to fulfill its duty” as one of six U.S. commercial airlines assisting the U.S. military in evacuating refugees fleeing Afghanistan.

Starting Monday, the Fort Worth-based carrier will deploy three widebody planes to military bases and other interim waystations on the Arabian Peninsula and in Europe to shuttle U.S. citizens and others.

The airlines will not fly into Afghanistan.

The Pentagon on Sunday ordered the airlines to help move evacuees from temporary sites outside of Afghanistan. The activation involves three aircraft each from American, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, and Omni Air; two from Hawaiian Airlines; and four from United Airlines.

Read more from NBC 5's media partner The Dallas Morning News.