United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday marked the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, honoring the 13 American service members killed in the August 26, 2021 bombing during the chaotic final days of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Hegseth’s tribute, posted to X at 8:07 a.m. on August 26, 2026, came as the Pentagon, the White House, and lawmakers across Capitol Hill paused to observe the anniversary of one of the deadliest single days for American forces in Afghanistan in more than a decade.
The Full Post
Hegseth’s statement, posted from his official @SecWar account, read in full:
“As our Nation marks five years since the attack at Abbey Gate, we honor the memory of the thirteen service members who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their memory will forever live in the heart of a grateful nation.”
The post was published five years to the day after the bombing and arrived amid a broader wave of remembrance across the federal government, with the Pentagon, congressional offices, and the White House all issuing statements honoring the fallen on the anniversary.
What Happened at Abbey Gate
The attack Hegseth referenced took place on August 26, 2021, when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at a civilian entry point of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, where American troops were working to evacuate U.S. citizens, Afghan allies, and other civilians as the Taliban swept back into control of the country. The Defense Department later concluded that a single explosive device killed at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members by directing ball bearings through a densely packed crowd at the gate.
The 13 service members killed were 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one Army soldier: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss.
Background on the Bombing and the Withdrawal
The bombing occurred roughly two months after President Joe Biden began the withdrawal from Bagram Airfield, and it came amid the broader collapse of the Afghan government as the Taliban retook the country in a matter of weeks. In addition to the 13 Americans killed, 45 U.S. service members were wounded, and more than 160 Afghan civilians were killed or injured in the blast, making it the single deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in a decade. Abdul Rahman al-Logari was later identified as the bomber responsible for the attack; his alleged accomplice, Mohammad Sharifullah, was captured by Pakistani authorities and extradited to the United States in March 2025.
Hegseth’s Role and the Ongoing Pentagon Review
Hegseth’s Wednesday post continued a pattern of public remembrance he has maintained since taking over the Pentagon, which the administration has rebranded the Department of War, with Hegseth holding the title of Secretary of War. In May, Hegseth ordered a new investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal, a probe now being led by Pentagon spokesman and Afghanistan veteran Sean Parnell. At last year’s fourth anniversary ceremony in the Oval Office, Hegseth told Gold Star families that the military needed to answer for what happened in Afghanistan, and that the review he ordered had shown the need for an even deeper investigation. He said at the time he anticipated the review would be complete by the middle of 2026, though families and lawmakers have continued pressing for its release in the months since.
Congressional Action Marking the Anniversary
Wednesday’s anniversary also drew attention on Capitol Hill. Rep. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., an Army veteran, introduced a resolution this week to mark the five-year milestone, saying the effort was meant to remember that the 13 service members made the ultimate sacrifice at Abbey Gate coming up on five years ago. The push follows a resolution introduced in October 2025 by Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., along with other Republican colleagues, to formally establish a National Day of Remembrance for the Abbey Gate 13. Cassidy said at the time that for the families involved, August 26th marks another painful year without their loved ones because of the administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Last Year’s Anniversary and Trump’s Proclamation
The Wednesday post also echoes remembrance events held one year earlier. On the fourth anniversary in August 2025, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation in the Oval Office surrounded by Gold Star families, formally designating August 26 as a day of commemoration. In that proclamation, Trump wrote that the nation would never forget the 13 brave souls who shed their blood for the nation, and renewed the pledge that they will never be forsaken and their memory will live on forever. Vice President JD Vance, a Marine veteran, told the families gathered that year that the moment represented a rectification of what he called years of unacknowledged loss.
A Recurring Day of Remembrance
The anniversary has become an annual point of political reflection since the bombing, with lawmakers from both parties issuing statements each August 26 honoring the fallen and, in many cases, calling for continued accountability over the withdrawal. In 2024, on the third anniversary, members of Congress hosted a Gold Medal ceremony posthumously honoring the 13 with Congress’s highest honor, during which lawmakers read the names of the fallen aloud and offered condolences to their families.
Where the Investigation Stands Today
As of Wednesday’s fifth anniversary, the Pentagon’s latest review into the Afghanistan withdrawal, led by Parnell, remains ongoing, with families of the fallen continuing to voice frustration over the pace of the investigation and the search for accountability five years after the attack. Hegseth’s post did not reference the status of the investigation directly, focusing instead on honoring the memory of the 13 service members and reaffirming what he described as the nation’s gratitude for their sacrifice.