President Donald Trump honored the 13 American service members killed at Abbey Gate on Wednesday, marking five years since the terrorist attack that became the defining tragedy of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In a White House proclamation, Trump designated August 26 as a day of commemoration and called on Americans to remember the fallen, the wounded and the Gold Star families whose lives were forever changed.
“As a Nation, it is our sacred duty to honor — with the deepest respect and reverence — the men and women in uniform who gave their lives that day,” Trump said.
The president honored each of the 13 fallen Americans by name:
- Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss
- Marine Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover
- Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo
- Marine Sgt. Nicole L. Gee
- Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez
- Marine Cpl. Daegan W. Page
- Marine Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez
- Marine Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza
- Marine Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz
- Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum
- Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola
- Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui
- Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak
The attack occurred at approximately 5:36 p.m. on August 26, 2021, when an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Eleven Marines, one soldier and one sailor were killed. Another 45 American service members were wounded, while approximately 160 civilians were also killed.
Those Americans had remained at Abbey Gate despite warnings of an imminent terrorist attack, working to evacuate civilians as the Taliban rapidly seized control of Afghanistan.
Trump used Wednesday’s proclamation to condemn former President Joe Biden’s handling of the withdrawal, pointing specifically to the abandonment of Bagram Airfield before the Taliban captured Kabul.
The president argued that leaving Bagram deprived American forces of a defensible base and allowed the Taliban to release thousands of prisoners, including dangerous terrorists. The remaining U.S. forces were left to manage a massive evacuation from Kabul’s airport as the Afghan government collapsed.
Trump pledged that the failures surrounding the withdrawal would never be repeated under his leadership.
“We will always remember their names, cherish their memory, and never forget the price they paid for our country,” the president said.
The Trump administration has also pursued the ISIS-K operatives involved in the bombing. With assistance from Pakistan, American authorities captured Mohammad Sharifullah in 2025 and brought him to the United States for prosecution.
A federal jury convicted Sharifullah in April for his role in the attack. Prosecutors said he surveilled a road leading to the airport and informed ISIS-K leadership that the route was clear before the bomber approached Abbey Gate.
Wednesday’s commemorations also brought a major update from the Trump administration’s investigation into the withdrawal.
Sean Parnell, chairman of the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel, announced that investigators recently recovered highly relevant classified records that had not been produced during earlier reviews.
Parnell said the material had been “stashed and hidden away in safes” and promised that his team would follow the evidence wherever it leads. He did not reveal the contents of the documents, citing their classified status.
“The American people and the families who sacrificed everything are owed the full picture,” Parnell said, according to the Department of War.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was also presiding over a Pentagon ceremony Wednesday afternoon to present upgraded valor awards to service members who responded to the bombing.
Seven Marines from Company G, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines previously had their awards upgraded after the review panel concluded that several commendations had been improperly reduced. One Marine’s award was elevated to a Bronze Star with a “V” device for valor.
The Marines had stood in the direct blast zone with little protection, even as intelligence warned that a suicide attack could be imminent. The Pentagon ceremony was intended to formally recognize the risks they accepted and the lives they saved.
For Trump, the anniversary was both a remembrance of extraordinary sacrifice and a renewed promise of accountability.
“I will always stand by our service members,” the president declared, “support our military families, and I will never allow the failures that led to Abbey Gate to be repeated.”
