Last year, jarring footage of civilians clinging to the side of a U.S. C-17 Globemaster III and then falling to their deaths at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Aug. 16 circulated online, highlighting the U.S. military's chaotic last days in Afghanistan.

When human remains were found in the aircraft's wheel well, the Air Force's Office of Special Investigations immediately announced it was reviewing the incident, leaving an uncertain future for the airmen who helped with one of the largest evacuation efforts in military history.

Nearly 10 months later, the Office of Special Investigations told Military.com on Monday that the crew, who worked "during an unprecedented evacuation where resources were constrained to on-going security and evacuation activities," had been cleared by military investigators and lawyers.

"The Staff Judge Advocate offices from both the Air Mobility Command and the United States Central Command conducted a review of the inquiry findings and rendered concurring opinions that the aircrew was in compliance with applicable rules of engagement specific to the event and the overall law of armed conflict," Linda Card, a spokeswoman for the Office of Special Investigations, said in an emailed statement.

It is not clear when Air Mobility Command and U.S. Central Command made their decision to clear the crew; additional details on what possible punishments the crew faced while the inquiry was occurring have not been released.

Neither command responded to requests for comment prior to publication.