Leaders within the federal authorities marked the one-year anniversary Friday of the bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members at Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport within the final days of the conflict with messages of commemoration as properly some political criticism.
In a launched assertion, President Joe Biden referred to as the “13 valuable souls, stolen from their households, family members, brothers” heroes who have been “working to avoid wasting lives as a part of the most important airlift evacuation operation in our historical past.”
“The instance of their bravery and selflessness will reside ceaselessly as a testomony to the easiest of our American character,” he added.
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Each the secretaries of protection and state additionally launched messages remembering the lack of the 11 Marines, one sailor and one soldier.
Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged that “at present’s tragic milestone is agonizing for the households and family members of these we misplaced at Abbey Gate.” However he additionally stated he hopes “that each American will pause in solemn remembrance of the valorous service of their fellow People — the courageous volunteers in uniform and their households, who sacrificed a lot to guard the USA from terrorism.”
“We couldn’t do our jobs with out our Marine counterparts, and we’re grateful each single day that they serve alongside our diplomats,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated in his assertion.
On Aug. 26, 2021, the navy was busy coordinating the evacuation of civilians and American personnel on the airport exterior the capital metropolis of Kabul when a blast by the airport’s Abbey Gate shattered an already busy and chaotic scene. Preliminary experiences have been {that a} handful of Marines have been killed, however navy officers shortly confirmed that many U.S. service members have been among the many victims.
The Islamic State affiliate ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-Ok, took credit score for the assault.
A later investigation discovered {that a} single suicide bomber, utilizing an explosive gadget filled with ball bearings, was chargeable for the carnage. The bomb killed no less than 170 Afghan civilians along with the 13 U.S. service members.
“The disturbing lethality of this gadget was confirmed by the 58 U.S. service members who have been killed and wounded regardless of the common put on of physique armor and helmets that did cease ball bearings that impacted them however couldn’t stop catastrophic accidents to areas not coated,”
U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Frank McKenzie stated at a press briefing in February.
The Marine Corps, which misplaced the best variety of service members, stated the fallen “gave their lives in order that others could also be freed from oppression beneath a brutal regime” in an “act of supreme devotion,” in a robust assertion launched Friday.
“Within the midst of chaos and bloodshed, they deployed to Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport and acted with the braveness, selflessness, and professionalism indelibly ascribed to the time period ‘Marine,'” the service stated.
Along with members of the Biden administration, lawmakers from either side of the political aisle launched statements of commemoration as properly. Whereas most targeted on remembering the lives misplaced that day, Republicans additionally had criticism for a way the withdrawal was dealt with.
Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tweeted that “now we have a accountability to make sure there may be accountability for the horrible selections that led to their deaths,” whereas Michael McCaul, R-Texas, tweeted that Biden “was decided to unconditionally withdraw come hell or highwater, irrespective of the implications.”
Mike Rogers, R- Ala., the rating member on the Home Armed Providers Committee, stated that “we nonetheless lack solutions from the Biden administration on why navy recommendation was ignored, why the withdrawal was based mostly on a date and never the truth on the bottom, and why nobody has been held accountable for the safety failures that led to the bombing one 12 months in the past,” in a launched assertion.
The names of the service members who died are Marine Employees Sgt. Darin T. Hoover; Sgt. Johanny Rosario; Sgt. Nicole L. Gee; Cpl. Hunter Lopez; Cpl. Daegan W. Web page; Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez; Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza; Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz; Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum; Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola; Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui; Navy Hospitalman third Class Maxton W. Soviak; and Army Employees Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
They have been all posthumously awarded the Purple Coronary heart, and the Navy posthumously promoted Soviak to the rank of hospital corpsman third class and awarded him the Fleet Marine Drive Corpsman warfare badge.
— Konstantin Toropin will be reached at konstantin.toropin@navy.com. Observe him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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