House Speaker to Award Congressional Gold Medal to Service Members Killed in Afghan Withdrawal

People attend the funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif., on Sept. 18, 2021. APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will award the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the 13 U.S. service members killed during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, his office announced on Aug. 26, the third anniversary of the tragedy.

The Sept. 10 event will be at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

The service members killed in the blast at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul include Marine Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, Marine Cpl. Daegan Page, Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Marine Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Marine Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola, Marine Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover, Marine Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, Marine Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton Soviak, and Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee.

ISIS-K, the South-Central Asia affiliate of the U.S.-designated terrorist group, was behind the suicide blast, which also killed dozens of Afghans.

Congressional leaders said that the service members posthumously deserve what is equivalent to the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian award.

“Their stories of these 13 courageous souls are truly inspiring, as our nation lost brothers, sisters, husbands, and fathers, from every part of this country,” Johnson said in a statement.

“And while their post ended that fateful day three years ago, their legacies live on through their families, friends, and fellow soldiers.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said in a statement: “Three years ago, 13 U.S. service members were killed by savage terrorists in Kabul. Today, the grief of their loved ones is no less painful, but their heroic sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

Family members addressed the Republican National Convention on July 18 in Milwaukee. They blamed the Biden administration for the deaths.

“Joe Biden has refused to recognize their sacrifice,” Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee’s mother-in-law, Christy Shamblin, said. “Donald Trump knew all of our children’s names. He knew all of their stories.”

To commemorate the third anniversary of the bombing, former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, laid a wreath on Aug. 26 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, where service members are laid to rest.

In an Aug. 26 statement, President Joe Biden described the 13 service members as “patriots in the highest sense.”

“They embodied the very best of who we are as a nation: brave, committed, selfless. And we owe them and their families a sacred debt we will never be able to fully repay, but will never cease working to fulfill,” he said.

Also in an Aug. 26 statement, Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, said the service members “represent[ed] the best of America, putting our beloved nation and their fellow Americans above themselves and deploying into danger to keep their fellow citizens safe.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.