House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made the decision to lower the flags at the U.S. Capitol to half-staff on Saturday as a tribute to the 13 U.S. service members who tragically lost their lives in a suicide bombing during the mishandled withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under the Biden administration.
The date of Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of the attack that took place outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul’s airport during the military evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021.
McCarthy took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his condolences and stated, “Two years ago today, we tragically lost 13 brave service men and women in Afghanistan. I have directed the flags at the U.S. Capitol be lowered to half-staff in honor of these American heroes.”
The speaker then proceeded to list the names and share pictures of the fallen service members. They were Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25; Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23; Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31; Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22; Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23; Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22; Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20; Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20; Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20; Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20; Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20; Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22; and Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23.
The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, carried out by President Biden, faced severe criticism worldwide when Taliban insurgents swiftly regained control of the country on August 15, 2021, effectively ending a 20-year war led by the U.S. Despite Biden’s previous claim that a Taliban takeover was unlikely, just a month later, suicide bombers killed 183 individuals, including 13 U.S. service members during the mass evacuation at the Kabul airport on August 26, 2021.
Several lawmakers, such as Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., turned to social media on the anniversary to remember the tragedy. Wittman wrote, “Two years ago today, we witnessed the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in over a decade when a suicide bomber entered the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, taking the lives of 13 selfless United States service members.” He expressed frustration that no one in the Biden administration has been held accountable for the botched withdrawal and called for answers for the nation’s service members and their loved ones.
The evacuation from Afghanistan required significant cooperation from the Taliban and concluded on August 30, a day before the deadline. However, it left behind thousands of U.S. citizens and tens of thousands of Afghan allies, despite Biden’s promise to evacuate all of them.
In conclusion, as we remember the fallen heroes and reflect on the tragic events of the Afghanistan withdrawal, it is crucial to hold those responsible accountable.
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